Characterization of a bacterial tyrosine kinase in Porphyromonas gingivalis involved in polymicrobial synergy. Issue 3 (9th May 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wright, Christopher J.; Xue, Peng; Hirano, Takanori; Liu, Chengcheng; Whitmore, Sarah E.; Hackett, Murray; Lamont, Richard J.
• Is Part Of: MicrobiologyOpen. Volume 3:Issue 3(2014:Jun.)
• Page Start: 383
• Page End: 394
• Publication Date: 2014-05-09
• Subjects: Microbiology -- Periodicals; 579
• DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.177
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2045-8827

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="mbo3177-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Interspecies communication between <italic>Porphyromonas gingivalis</italic> and <italic>Streptococcus gordonii</italic> underlies the development of synergistic dual species communities. Contact with <italic>S. gordonii</italic> initiates signal transduction within <italic>P. gingivalis</italic> that is based on protein tyrosine (de)phosphorylation. In this study, we characterize a bacterial tyrosine (BY) kinase (designated Ptk1) of <italic>P. gingivalis</italic> and demonstrate its involvement in interspecies signaling. Ptk1 can utilize ATP for autophosphorylation and is dephosphorylated by the <italic>P. gingivalis</italic> tyrosine phosphatase, Ltp1. Community development with <italic>S. gordonii</italic> is severely abrogated in a <italic>ptk1</italic> mutant of <italic>P. gingivalis</italic>, indicating that tyrosine kinase activity is required for maximal polymicrobial synergy. Ptk1 controls the levels of the transcriptional regulator CdhR and the fimbrial adhesin Mfa1 which mediates binding to <italic>S. gordonii</italic>. The <italic>ptk1</italic> gene is in an operon with two genes involved in exopolysaccharide synthesis, and similar to other BY kinases, Ptk1 is necessary for exopolysaccharide production in <italic>P. gingivalis</italic>. Ptk1 can phosphorylate the capsule related proteins PGN_0224, a UDP‐acetyl‐mannosamine dehydrogenase, and PGN_0613, a UDP‐glucose dehydrogenase, in <italic>P. gingivalis</italic>. Knockout of <italic>ptk1</italic> in an encapsulated strain of <italic>P. gingivalis</italic> resulted in loss of capsule production. Collectively these results demonstrate that the <italic>P. gingivalis</italic> Ptk1 BY kinase regulates interspecies communication and controls heterotypic community development with <italic>S. gordonii</italic> through adjusting the levels of the Mfa1 adhesin and exopolysaccharide.</p> </abstract>