title: The hmsT 3' untranslated region mediates c-di-GMP metabolism and biofilm formation in Yersinia pestis.
abstract: Yersinia pestis, the cause of plague, forms a biofilm in the proventriculus of its flea vector to enhance transmission. Biofilm formation in Y. pestis is regulated by the intracellular levels of cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP). In this study, we investigated the role of the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) in hmsT mRNA, a transcript that encodes a diguanylate cyclase that stimulates biofilm formation in Y. pestis by synthesizing the second messenger c-di-GMP. Deletion of the 3'UTR increased the half-life of hmsT mRNA, thereby upregulating c-di-GMP levels and biofilm formation. Our findings indicate that multiple regulatory sequences might be present in the hmsT 3'UTR that function together to mediate mRNA turnover. We also found that polynucleotide phosphorylase is partially responsible for hmsT 3'UTR-mediated mRNA decay. In addition, the hmsT 3'UTR strongly repressed gene expression at 37°C and 26°C, but affected gene expression only slightly at 21°C. Our findings suggest that the 3'UTR might be involved in precise and rapid regulation of hmsT expression, allowing Y. pestis to fine-tune c-di-GMP synthesis and consequently regulate biofilm production to adapt to the changing host environment.
authors.affiliation: MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 9, Dongdan Santiao, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 9, Dongdan Santiao, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China.
authors.forename: Xu-Jian
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 9, Dongdan Santiao, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Peng
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 9, Dongdan Santiao, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Cheng
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018441:Biofilms; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019761:Phosphorus-Oxygen Lyases / Q000378:metabolism; D015010:Yersinia pestis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C122178:HMST protein, Yersinia pestis; C062025:bis(3',5')-cyclic diguanylic acid; D019761:Phosphorus-Oxygen Lyases; C060720:diguanylate cyclase; D006152:Cyclic GMP