title: BdcA, a protein important for Escherichia coli biofilm dispersal, is a short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase that binds specifically to NADPH.
abstract: The Escherichia coli protein BdcA (previously referred to as YjgI) plays a key role in the dispersal of cells from bacterial biofilms, and its constitutive activation provides an attractive therapeutic target for dismantling these communities. In order to investigate the function of BdcA at a molecular level, we integrated structural and functional studies. Our 2.05 Å structure of BdcA shows that it is a member of the NAD(P)(H)-dependent short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) superfamily. Structural comparisons with other members of the SDR family suggested that BdcA binds NADP(H). This was demonstrated experimentally using thermal denaturation studies, which showed that BcdA binds specifically to NADPH. Subsequent ITC experiments further confirmed this result and reported a Kd of 25.9 µM. Thus, BdcA represents the newest member of the limited number of oxidoreductases shown to be involved in quorum sensing and biofilm dispersal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America; Graduate Program in Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America.
authors.forename: Dana M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lord
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology and Biotechnology and Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America.
authors.forename: Ayse Uzgoren
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Baran
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Thomas K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology and Biotechnology and Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Peti
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Page
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009249:NADP / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: C559839:BdcA protein, E coli; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D009249:NADP