title: The LuxR family quorum-sensing activator MrtR requires its cognate autoinducer for dimerization and activation but not for protein folding.
abstract: MrtR, a LuxR homolog in Mesorhizobium tianshanense, is important for symbiosis. We found that MrtR requires its cognate N-acylhomoserine lactone for forming dimers, binding to a single DNA site and activating the downstream promoter. However, MrtR is able to fold independently of its ligand.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, MOA Key Lab of Microbiological Engineering of Agricultural Environment, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Menghua
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Giel
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Zengtao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D016960:Agrobacterium tumefaciens / Q000235:genetics; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D019281:Dimerization; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016296:Mutagenesis; D010957:Plasmids; D017510:Protein Folding; D053038:Quorum Sensing / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012231:Rhizobium / Q000502:physiology*; D013559:Symbiosis / Q000502:physiology; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; C064778:LuxR autoinducer binding proteins