Jm. Boyd, Localization of the histidine kinase PilS to the poles of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and identification of a localization domain, MOL MICROB, 36(1), 2000, pp. 153-162
Transcription of the type IV pilus subunit gene of Pseudomonas aeruginosa i
s controlled by a two-component signal transduction system. PilS, the histi
dine kinase, is membrane bound and PilR, its cognate response regulator, is
cytoplasmic. The signal that activates PilS is unknown. PilS has three dom
ains: (i) The N-terminus, predicted to form six transmembrane (TM) helices;
(ii) a central linker domain; and (iii) the C-terminal transmitter domain
containing all the conserved residues of sensor kinases. A translational fu
sion of the gfp gene (green fluorescent protein) to the 3' end of pilS was
used to determine the position of PilS in the bacterial cell. Epifluorescen
ce microscopy revealed that PilS is retained to the poles of P. aeruginosa
but is distributed evenly about the membrane of Escherichia coli. Deletions
of the PilS-GFP fusion revealed that the TM domain was sufficient and nece
ssary to bring GFP to the membrane of P. aeruginosa and E. coli but was not
sufficient to confine GFP to the poles. Retention to the poles of P. aerug
inosa required both the TM and linker domains. Replacement of the PilS TM d
omain with an E. coli membrane protein, MalG, still allowed polar localizat
ion. Therefore, the PilS TM domain positions the linker domain close to the
membrane allowing it to interact with the putative polar anchor which is s
pecific to P. aeruginosa.