biostudies-literatureUnknown15Zhao QThe foodborne pathogenic bacterium <i>Campylobacter jejuni</i> utilizes chemotaxis to assist in the colonization of host niches. A key to revealing the relationship among chemotaxis and pathogenicity is the discovery of signaling molecules perceived by the chemoreceptors. The <i>C. jejuni</i> chemoreceptor Tlp11 is encoded by the highly infective <i>C. jejuni</i> strains. In the present study, we report that the dCache-type ligand-binding domain (LBD) of <i>C. jejuni</i> ATCC 33560 Tlp11 binds directly to novel ligands methyl pyruvate, toluene, and quinoline using the same pocket. Methyl pyruvate elicits a strong chemoattractant response, while toluene and quinoline function as the antagonists without triggering chemotaxis. The sensory LBD was used to control heterologous proteins by constFrontiers in microbiology1400284https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11111895biostudies-literatureIdentification of a dCache-type chemoreceptor in <i>Campylobacter jejuni</i> that specifically mediates chemotaxis towards methyl pyruvate.PMC11111895Li WBi SZhao QLiu SYao FfalseIdentification of a dCache-type chemoreceptor in <i>Campylobacter jejuni</i> that specifically mediates chemotaxis towards methyl pyruvate.The foodborne pathogenic bacterium <i>Campylobacter jejuni</i> utilizes chemotaxis to assist in the colonization of host niches. A key to revealing the relationship among chemotaxis and pathogenicity is the discovery of signaling molecules perceived by the chemoreceptors. The <i>C. jejuni</i> chemoreceptor Tlp11 is encoded by the highly infective <i>C. jejuni</i> strains. In the present study, we report that the dCache-type ligand-binding domain (LBD) of <i>C. jejuni</i> ATCC 33560 Tlp11 binds directly to novel ligands methyl pyruvate, toluene, and quinoline using the same pocket. Methyl pyruvate elicits a strong chemoattractant response, while toluene and quinoline function as the antagonists without triggering chemotaxis. The sensory LBD was used to control heterologous proteins by const2024-01-01T00:00:00Z20242026-04-16T03:23:19.773Z2026-04-16T03:13:10.02ZS-EPMC111118953878481110.3389/fmicb.2024.1400284