Project description:Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes many biofilm infections, and the rugose small-colony variants (RSCVs) of this bacterium are important for infection. We found here that mutation in glyA2 (PA2444), which encodes a serine hydroxymethyltransferase, leads to the RSCV phenotype. The phenotype is related to increased c-di-GMP concentrations and depends on an active Wsp chemosensory system, including a diguanylate cyclase WspR. By characterizing the PA2444 enzyme both in vivo and in vitro, we determined the physiological function of PA2444 and related the enzyme to S-adenosylmethionine concentrations and the methylation of a membrane bound methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein WspA. A transcriptome analysis revealed the possible relationship between PA2444 and the redox state of the cells. Hence, we provide a mechanism for how an enzyme of central metabolism controls the community behavior of the bacterium.
