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The Y ersinia pestis HmsCDE regulatory system is essential for blockage of the oriental rat flea ( X enopsylla cheopis ), a classic plague vector
Author(s) -
Bobrov Alexander G.,
Kirillina Olga,
Vadyvaloo Viveka,
Koestler Benjamin J.,
Hinz Angela K.,
Mack Dietrich,
Waters Christopher M.,
Perry Robert D.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.954
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1462-2920
pISSN - 1462-2912
DOI - 10.1111/1462-2920.12419
Subject(s) - xenopsylla , biology , biofilm , yersinia pestis , microbiology and biotechnology , bacterial outer membrane , operon , periplasmic space , flea , plague (disease) , virulence , gene , genetics , bacteria , ecology , escherichia coli , history , archaeology
Summary The second messenger molecule cyclic diguanylate is essential for Y ersinia pestis biofilm formation that is important for blockage‐dependent plague transmission from fleas to mammals. Two diguanylate cyclases ( DGCs ) HmsT and Y 3730 ( HmsD ) are responsible for biofilm formation in vitro and biofilm‐dependent blockage in the oriental rat flea X enopsylla cheopis respectively. Here, we have identified a tripartite signalling system encoded by the y3729‐y3731 operon that is responsible for regulation of biofilm formation in different environments. We present genetic evidence that a putative inner membrane‐anchored protein with a large periplasmic domain Y 3729 ( HmsC ) inhibits HmsD DGC activity in vitro while an outer membrane P al‐like putative lipoprotein Y 3731 ( HmsE ) counteracts HmsC to activate HmsD in the gut of X . cheopis . We propose that HmsE is a critical element in the transduction of environmental signal(s) required for HmsD ‐dependent biofilm formation.