title: Globin-coupled sensors and protoglobins share a common signaling mechanism.
abstract: The globin-coupled sensors (GCSs) and protoglobins (Pgbs) form one lineage of the globin superfamily. The GCSs are multidomain sensory proteins involved in aerotaxis or gene regulation, while the Pgbs are single-domain globins of yet unknown function. We postulate that the GCSs and Pgbs share a common signaling mechanism to modulate diverse physiological functions. To elucidate the signaling properties of individual globin domains, we constructed and expressed chimeric receptors in Escherichia coli. We demonstrate that all the chimeric receptors reversibly bind oxygen in vitro and trigger aerotactic responses in vivo. Thus, oxygen binding to the globin domains of diverse GCSs and Pgbs form a common signaling state that can trigger aerotactic responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Xuehua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Kit Shan
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Shaobin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Maqsudul
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alam
mesh_terms: D019843:Archaeal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001120:Arginine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002633:Chemotaxis; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D005914:Globins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000235:genetics; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D005914:Globins; D001120:Arginine; D010100:Oxygen