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Journal of Bacteriology, July 2008, p. 4576-4583, Vol. 190, No. 13
0021-9193/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00130-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

RscS Functions Upstream of SypG To Control the syp Locus and Biofilm Formation in Vibrio fischeri

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois 60153

Received 24 January 2008/ Accepted 17 April 2008

Two-component signal transduction systems, composed of sensor kinase (SK) and response regulator (RR) proteins, allow bacterial cells to adapt to changes such as environmental flux or the presence of a host. RscS is an SK required for Vibrio fischeri to initiate a symbiotic partnership with the Hawaiian squid Euprymna scolopes, likely due to its role in controlling the symbiosis polysaccharide (syp) genes and thus biofilm formation. To determine which RR(s) functions downstream of RscS, we performed epistasis experiments with a library of 35 RR mutants. We found that several RRs contributed to RscS-mediated biofilm formation in V. fischeri. However, only the syp-encoded symbiosis regulator SypG was required for both biofilm phenotypes and syp transcription induced by RscS. These data support the hypothesis that RscS functions upstream of SypG to induce biofilm formation. In addition, this work also revealed a role for the syp-encoded RR SypE in biofilm formation. To our knowledge, no other study has used a large-scale epistasis approach to elucidate two-component signaling pathways. Therefore, this work both contributes to our understanding of regulatory pathways important for symbiotic colonization by V. fischeri and establishes a paradigm for evaluating two-component pathways in the genomics era.

Published ahead of print on 25 April 2008.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Darnell, C. L., Hussa, E. A., Visick, K. L. (2008). The Putative Hybrid Sensor Kinase SypF Coordinates Biofilm Formation in Vibrio fischeri by Acting Upstream of Two Response Regulators, SypG and VpsR. J. Bacteriol. 190: 4941-4950 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Geszvain, K., Visick, K. L. (2008). The Hybrid Sensor Kinase RscS Integrates Positive and Negative Signals To Modulate Biofilm Formation in Vibrio fischeri. J. Bacteriol. 190: 4437-4446 [Abstract] [Full Text]