3. “Blue-light-activated histidine kinases: two-component sensors in bacteria”

SWARTZ TE; TSENG TS; FREDERICKSON MA; PARIS G; DIEGO JOSE COMERCI; RAJASHEKARA G; KIM JG; MUDGETT MB; UGALDE, R. A.; GOLDBAUM, F. A.

SCIENCE

Año: 2007 vol. 317 p. 1090 - 1093

0036-8075

Histidine kinases, used for environmental sensing by bacterial two-component systems, are involved in regulation of bacterial gene expression, chemotaxis, phototaxis, and virulence. Flavin-containing domains function as light-sensory modules in plant and algal phototropins and in fungal blue-light receptors. We have discovered that the prokaryotes Brucella melitensis, Brucella abortus, Erythrobacter litoralis and Pseudomonas syringae contain light-activated histidine kinases which bind a flavin chromophore and undergo photochemistry indicative of cysteinyl-flavin adduct formation. Infection of macrophages by B. abortus was stimulated by light in the wildtype, but was limited in photochemically inactive and null mutants, indicating that the flavin-containing histidine kinase functions as a photoreceptor regulating B. abortus virulence.