title: Genetic analysis of the HAMP domain of the Aer aerotaxis sensor localizes flavin adenine dinucleotide-binding determinants to the AS-2 helix.
abstract: HAMP domains are signal transduction domains typically located between the membrane anchor and cytoplasmic signaling domain of the proteins in which they occur. The prototypical structure consists of two helical amphipathic sequences (AS-1 and AS-2) connected by a region of undetermined structure. The Escherichia coli aerotaxis receptor, Aer, has a HAMP domain and a PAS domain with a flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactor that senses the intracellular energy level. Previous studies reported mutations in the HAMP domain that abolished FAD binding to the PAS domain. In this study, using random and site-directed mutagenesis, we identified the distal helix, AS-2, as the component of the HAMP domain that stabilizes FAD binding. AS-2 in Aer is not amphipathic and is predicted to be buried. Mutations in the sequence coding for the contiguous proximal signaling domain altered signaling by Aer but did not affect FAD binding. The V264M residue replacement in this region resulted in an inverted response in which E. coli cells expressing the mutant Aer protein were repelled by oxygen. Bioinformatics analysis of aligned HAMP domains indicated that the proximal signaling domain is conserved in other HAMP domains that are not involved in chemotaxis or aerotaxis. Only one null mutation was found in the coding sequence for the HAMP AS-1 and connector regions, suggesting that these are not active signal transduction sites. We consider a model in which the signal from FAD is transmitted across a PAS-HAMP interface to AS-2 or the proximal signaling domain.
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA.
authors.forename: Qinhong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Barry L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases / Q000737:chemistry*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D002628:Chemoreceptor Cells / Q000737:chemistry*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D005182:Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071677:Histidine Kinase; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry*; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000737:chemistry*; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: C108679:Aer protein, E coli; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D005182:Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide; D011494:Protein Kinases; D000071677:Histidine Kinase; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases