title: Global Regulator MorA Affects Virulence-Associated Protease Secretion in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1.
abstract: Bacterial invasion plays a critical role in the establishment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection and is aided by two major virulence factors--surface appendages and secreted proteases. The second messenger cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) is known to affect bacterial attachment to surfaces, biofilm formation and related virulence phenomena. Here we report that MorA, a global regulator with GGDEF and EAL domains that was previously reported to affect virulence factors, negatively regulates protease secretion via the type II secretion system (T2SS) in P. aeruginosa PAO1. Infection assays with mutant strains carrying gene deletion and domain mutants show that host cell invasion is dependent on the active domain function of MorA. Further investigations suggest that the MorA-mediated c-di-GMP signaling affects protease secretion largely at a post-translational level. We thus report c-di-GMP second messenger system as a novel regulator of T2SS function in P. aeruginosa. Given that T2SS is a central and constitutive pump, and the secreted proteases are involved in interactions with the microbial surroundings, our data broadens the significance of c-di-GMP signaling in P. aeruginosa pathogenesis and ecological fitness.
authors.affiliation: Metabolites Biology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543; Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, 5A Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117411.
authors.forename: Ayshwarya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ravichandran
authors.affiliation: Metabolites Biology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543.
authors.forename: Malarmathy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramachandran
authors.affiliation: Metabolites Biology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543; Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Nanyang Technological University 60 Nanyang Drive, SBS-01N-27 Singapore 637551.
authors.forename: Tanujaa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suriyanarayanan
authors.affiliation: Metabolites Biology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543; Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, 5A Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117411.
authors.forename: Chui Ching
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Metabolites Biology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543; Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, 5A Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117411; NUS Environmental Research Institute (NERI), National University of Singapore, 5A Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117411; Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Nanyang Technological University 60 Nanyang Drive, SBS-01N-27 Singapore 637551.
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Swarup
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D058947:Bacterial Secretion Systems; D048430:Cell Shape; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000378:metabolism; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D058947:Bacterial Secretion Systems; C062025:bis(3',5')-cyclic diguanylic acid; D010450:Endopeptidases; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase; D006152:Cyclic GMP