title: A multicomponent sugar phosphate sensor system specifically induced in Bacillus cereus during infection of the insect gut.
abstract: Using a previously developed Bacillus cereus in vivo expression technology (IVET) promoter trap system, we showed that spsA, a gene of unknown function, was specifically expressed in the larval gut during infection. Search for gut-related compounds inducing spsA transcription identified glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) as an activation signal. Analysis of the spsA-related 5-gene cluster indicated that SpsA is part of a new sugar phosphate sensor system composed of a 2-component system (TCS) encoded by spsR and spsK, and 2 additional downstream genes, spsB and spsC. In B. cereus, American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) 14579, spsRK, and spsABC are separate transcriptional units, of which only spsABC was activated by extracellular G6P. lacZ transcriptional fusions tested in mutant and complemented strains showed that SpsRK, SpsA, and SpsB are essential for the transcription of spsABC. Deletion mutant analysis showed that SpsC is essential for the G6P uptake. gfp-transcriptional fusions showed that these genes are required for host-activated expression, as well. This sugar phosphate sensor and transport system is found in pathogenic Bacillus group and Clostridia bacteria and may be important for host adaptation. Our findings provide new insights into the function of 2-component sensor systems in host-pathogen interactions, specifically in the gut.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de Recherche Agronomique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 1319 Micalis, Génétique Microbienne et Environnement, Guyancourt, France. fpsong@ippcaas.cn
authors.forename: Fuping
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brillard
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buisson
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Been
authors.forename: Tjakko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abee
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Broussolle
authors.forename: Dafang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lereclus
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nielsen-LeRoux
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000235:genetics*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000379:methods; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D019298:Glucose-6-Phosphate / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D007814:Larva / Q000382:microbiology; D009036:Moths / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013403:Sugar Phosphates / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D013403:Sugar Phosphates; D019298:Glucose-6-Phosphate