CheX Is a Phosphorylated CheY Phosphatase Essential forBorrelia burgdorferiChemotaxis
10.1128/jb.187.23.7963-7969.2005
Crossref journal-article
American Society for Microbiology
Journal of Bacteriology (235)
Abstract

ABSTRACTMotility and chemotaxis are believed to be important in the pathogenesis of Lyme disease caused by the spirocheteBorrelia burgdorferi. Controlling the phosphorylation state of CheY, a response regulator protein, is essential for regulating bacterial chemotaxis and motility. Rapid dephosphorylation of phosphorylated CheY (CheY-P) is crucial for cells to respond to environmental changes. CheY-P dephosphorylation is accomplished by one or more phosphatases in different species, including CheZ, CheC, CheX, FliY, and/or FliY/N. Only acheXphosphatase homolog has been identified in theB. burgdorferigenome. However, a role forcheXin chemotaxis has not been established in any bacterial species. InactivatingB. burgdorferi cheXby inserting aflgB-kancassette resulted in cells (cheXmutant cells) with a distinct motility phenotype. While wild-type cells ran, paused (stopped or flexed), and reversed, thecheXmutant cells continuously flexed and were not able to run or reverse. Furthermore, swarm plate and capillary tube chemotaxis assays demonstrated thatcheXmutant cells were deficient in chemotaxis. Wild-type chemotaxis and motility were restored whencheXmutant cells were complemented with a shuttle vector expressing CheX. Furthermore, CheX dephosphorylated CheY3-P in vitro and eluted as a homodimer in gel filtration chromatography. These findings demonstrated thatB. burgdorferiCheX is a CheY-P phosphatase that is essential for chemotaxis and motility, which is consistent with CheX being the only CheY-P phosphatase in theB. burgdorferichemotaxis signal transduction pathway.

Bibliography

Motaleb, M. A., Miller, M. R., Li, C., Bakker, R. G., Goldstein, S. F., Silversmith, R. E., Bourret, R. B., & Charon, N. W. (2005). CheX Is a Phosphorylated CheY Phosphatase Essential forBorrelia burgdorferiChemotaxis. Journal of Bacteriology, 187(23), 7963–7969.

Authors 8
  1. M. A. Motaleb (first)
  2. Michael R. Miller (additional)
  3. Chunhao Li (additional)
  4. Richard G. Bakker (additional)
  5. Stuart F. Goldstein (additional)
  6. Ruth E. Silversmith (additional)
  7. Robert B. Bourret (additional)
  8. Nyles W. Charon (additional)
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Dates
Type When
Created 19 years, 9 months ago (Nov. 15, 2005, 9:48 p.m.)
Deposited 1 year, 6 months ago (Jan. 31, 2024, 3:52 p.m.)
Indexed 4 days, 21 hours ago (Aug. 21, 2025, 2:13 p.m.)
Issued 19 years, 8 months ago (Dec. 1, 2005)
Published 19 years, 8 months ago (Dec. 1, 2005)
Published Print 19 years, 8 months ago (Dec. 1, 2005)
Funders 0

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@article{Motaleb_2005, title={CheX Is a Phosphorylated CheY Phosphatase Essential forBorrelia burgdorferiChemotaxis}, volume={187}, ISSN={1098-5530}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jb.187.23.7963-7969.2005}, DOI={10.1128/jb.187.23.7963-7969.2005}, number={23}, journal={Journal of Bacteriology}, publisher={American Society for Microbiology}, author={Motaleb, M. A. and Miller, Michael R. and Li, Chunhao and Bakker, Richard G. and Goldstein, Stuart F. and Silversmith, Ruth E. and Bourret, Robert B. and Charon, Nyles W.}, year={2005}, month=dec, pages={7963–7969} }