title: The two-component sensor KinB acts as a phosphatase to regulate Pseudomonas aeruginosa Virulence.
abstract: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that is capable of causing both acute and chronic infections. P. aeruginosa virulence is subject to sophisticated regulatory control by two-component systems that enable it to sense and respond to environmental stimuli. We recently reported that the two-component sensor KinB regulates virulence in acute P. aeruginosa infection. Furthermore, it regulates acute-virulence-associated phenotypes such as pyocyanin production, elastase production, and motility in a manner independent of its kinase activity. Here we show that KinB regulates virulence through the global sigma factor AlgU, which plays a key role in repressing P. aeruginosa acute-virulence factors, and through its cognate response regulator AlgB. However, we show that rather than phosphorylating AlgB, KinB's primary role in the regulation of virulence is to act as a phosphatase to dephosphorylate AlgB and alleviate phosphorylated AlgB's repression of acute virulence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Nikhilesh S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Chand
authors.forename: Anne E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Clatworthy
authors.forename: Deborah T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Hung
mesh_terms: D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014774:Virulence; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D037521:Virulence Factors; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases