title: The Yersinia Ser/Thr protein kinase YpkA/YopO directly interacts with the small GTPases RhoA and Rac-1.
abstract: Pathogenic bacteria of the genus Yersinia counteract host defense by interfering with eukaryotic signal transduction pathways. YpkA of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis shares significant homology with eukaryotic Ser/Thr protein kinases, is translocated into the host cell and has been shown to be an essential virulence factor in a mouse infection model. In this study, we identify the small GTPases RhoA and Rac-1 as eukaryotic binding partners of YpkA and its homolog YopO of Yersinia enterocolitica. We demonstrate that the interaction is independent of phosphorylation of YpkA and nucleotide loading state of the GTPases. The interaction with RhoA and Rac-1 might provide an important clue to how YpkA interferes with eukaryotic signaling on a molecular level.
authors.affiliation: Max von Pettenkofer-Institut für Hygiene und Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Pettenkoferstrasse 9a, 80336 Munich, Germany. cbarz@m3401.mpk.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barz
authors.forename: T N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Abahji
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Trülzsch
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heesemann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004926:Escherichia coli; D051379:Mice; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014774:Virulence; D015008:Yersinia enterocolitica / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D015011:Yersinia pseudotuberculosis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D020830:rac1 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C415206:YopO protein, Yersinia enterocolitica; C079893:ypkA protein, Yersinia; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D020830:rac1 GTP-Binding Protein; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein