Direct sensing of host ferric iron by an archetype histidine kinase mediates virulence of an enteric pathogen.

ABSTRACT: Two-component system (TCS) histidine kinases enable bacterial pathogens to sense environmental signals and regulate adaptive responses during infection. The EnvZ/OmpR TCS, known for its role in osmolarity/pH-dependent regulation of outer membrane porins across bacterial species, is also a central virulence regulator. However, the environmental cues that activate EnvZ/OmpR to trigger pathogenicity have remained unclear, limiting our understanding of host-pathogen interactions. Here, we demonstrate that in Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a major etiological agent of seafood-associated gastroenteritis, EnvZ functions as a direct ferric iron (Fe³⁺) sensor governing virulence programs. Fe³⁺-EnvZ interaction triggers kinase phosphorylation and activation, enabling transcrip

SUBMITTER: Zhang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12167987 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature