Deciphering the Che2 chemosensory pathway and the roles of individual Che2 proteins from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

ABSTRACT

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that senses and responds to its environment via four chemosensory systems. Oxygen activates the Che2 chemosensory system by binding to the PAS-heme domain of the Aer2 receptor. Ostensibly, the output of Che2 occurs via its response regulator CheY2, but controversy persists over CheY2's exact role. In this study, we show that CheY2 does not interact with the flagellar motor and that the Che2 system does not transfer phosphoryl groups to the chemotaxis (Che) system. We show that CheY2 instead provides feedback control of Aer2 adaptation. In the presence of O2 , Aer2 signaling increases the autophosphorylation of the histidine kinase CheA2, followed by CheY2-mediated dephosphorylation. CheY2 does not stably retain phosphate and may not signal the output of the Che2 system. Rather, CheY2 activity enhances the direct interaction of CheY2 with the adaptation protein CheD (a role often facilitated by CheC, which P. aeruginosa lacks). In the absence of O2 , Aer2 does not signal, and CheY2/CheD interactions attenuate. This frees CheD to augment CheR2-mediated methylation of Aer2, which enhances Aer2 signaling. CheD does not interact with CheR2, but most likely interacts with Aer2 via conserved CheD-binding motifs to make Aer2 a better methylation substrate.