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Bacterial physiology

Right on target

Nature Reviews Microbiology volume 4, pages 878–879 (2006)Cite this article

Cyclic-di-GMP has come to prominence recently as an important bacterial second messenger. The GGDEF/EAL proteins responsible for the synthesis and degradation of this small molecule are believed to function as global regulators in biofilm formation and motility. However, a recent paper from Regine Hengge and colleagues now reveals that some GGDEF/EAL proteins act on a single target.

Cyclic-di-GMP is synthesized by diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) containing a GGDEF amino-acid motif and degraded by phosphodiesterases (PDEs) containing an EAL motif. Bacterial genomes encode many GGDEF/EAL proteins, with the Escherichia coli genome encoding a total of 29. Earlier work in Hengge's laboratory had indicated that GGDEF/EAL-protein-encoding genes are over-represented in the general stress-response network controlled by the sigma factor σs.

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References

ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER

  1. Weber, H. et al. Cyclic-di-GMP-mediated signalling within the σs network of Escherichia coli. Mol. Microbiol. 62, 1014–1034 (2006)

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FURTHER READING

  1. Romling, U., Gomelsky, M. & Galperin, M. Y. C-di-GMP: the dawning of a novel bacterial signalling system. Mol. Microbiol. 57, 629–639 (2005)

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Authors
  1. Sheilagh Molloy
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Molloy, S. Right on target. Nat Rev Microbiol 4, 878–879 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro1566

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro1566

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