title: Protein-protein interactions in the chemotaxis signalling pathway of Treponema denticola.
abstract: Motile bacteria employ sophisticated chemotaxis signal transduction systems to transform environmental cues into corresponding behavioural responses. The proteins involved in this signalling pathway have been extensively studied on a molecular level in various model organisms, including enterobacteria and Bacillus subtilis, and specific protein-protein interactions have been identified. The chemotaxis operon of spirochaetes encodes a novel chemotaxis protein, CheX, in addition to homologues to the central components of established chemotaxis systems. Interestingly, the closest functionally characterized homologue of CheX is CheC of the complex B. subtilis chemotaxis pathway. In this study, the yeast two-hybrid system was applied to investigate protein-protein interactions within the chemotaxis signalling pathway of Treponema denticola, with special focus on CheX. CheX was found to interact with CheA and with itself. The other chemotaxis proteins exhibited interactions comparable to their homologues in known chemotaxis systems. Based on these findings, a model integrating CheX in the chemotaxis signal transduction pathway of T. denticola is proposed.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1668, USA.
authors.forename: Jee-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1668, USA.|Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1668, USA.|School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1668, USA.
authors.forename: Wenyuan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1668, USA.
authors.forename: Renate
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lux
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000502:physiology*; D011485:Protein Binding; D025941:Protein Interaction Mapping; D015398:Signal Transduction; D048373:Treponema denticola / Q000502:physiology*; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins