A homolog of the CtrA cell cycle regulator is present and essential in Sinorhizobium meliloti

Sinorhizobium meliloti FcrX coordinates cell cycle and division during free-living growth and symbiosis by a ClpXP-dependent mechanism

Sinorhizobium meliloti is a soil bacterium that establishes a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis within root nodules of legumes. In this symbiosis, S. meliloti undergoes a drastic cellular change leading to a terminally differentiated form, called bacteroid, characterized by genome endoreduplication, increased cell size, and high membrane permeability. Bacterial cell cycle (mis)regulation is at the heart of this differentiation process. In free-living cells, the master regulator CtrA ensures the progression of cell cycle by activating cell division (controlled by FtsZ) and inhibiting DNA replication, while on the other hand the so far poorly unknown downregulation of CtrA and FtsZ is essential for bacteroid differentiation. Here, we combine cell biology, biochemistry, and bacterial genetics to understand the functions of FcrX, a factor that controls both CtrA and FtsZ in free-living growth and in symbiosis. Depletion of the essential gene fcrX led to abnormally high levels of FtsZ and CtrA and minicell formation. Using multiple complementary techniques, we showed that FcrX may interact with FtsZ and CtrA. Moreover, fcrX transcription is directly controlled by CtrA itself and the FcrX protein displays a cell cycle-dependent pattern. We showed further that FcrX also binds the degradosome complex ClpXP and its adaptors CpdR1 and RcdA, and that CtrA degradation efficiency depends on FcrX. We further showed that, despite weak homology with FliJ-like proteins, only FcrX proteins from closely related species are able to complement S. meliloti fcrX function. Finally, deregulation of FcrX showed abnormal symbiotic behaviors in plants suggesting a putative role of this factor during bacteroid differentiation.

Transcriptome architecture of the three main lineages of agrobacteria

Agrobacteria are a diverse, polyphyletic group of prokaryotes with multipartite genomes capable of transferring DNA into the genomes of host plants, making them an essential tool in plant biotechnology. Despite their utility in plant transformation, genome-wide transcriptional regulation is not well understood across the three main lineages of agrobacteria. Transcription start sites (TSSs) are a necessary component of gene expression and regulation. In this study, we used differential RNA-seq and a TSS identification algorithm optimized on manually annotated TSS, then validated with existing TSS to identify thousands of TSS with nucleotide resolution for representatives of each lineage. We extend upon the 356 TSSs previously reported in Agrobacterium fabrum C58 by identifying 1,916 TSSs. In addition, we completed genomes and phenotyping of Rhizobium rhizogenes C16/80 and Allorhizobium vitis T60/94, identifying 2,650 and 2,432 TSSs, respectively. Parameter optimization was crucial for an accurate, high-resolution view of genome and transcriptional dynamics, highlighting the importance of algorithm optimization in genome-wide TSS identification and genomics at large. The optimized algorithm reduced the number of TSSs identified internal and antisense to the coding sequence on average by 90.5% and 91.9%, respectively. Comparison of TSS conservation between orthologs of the three lineages revealed differences in cell cycle regulation of ctrA as well as divergence of transcriptional regulation of chemotaxis-related genes when grown in conditions that simulate the plant environment. These results provide a framework to elucidate the mechanistic basis and evolution of pathology across the three main lineages of agrobacteria. IMPORTANCE Transcription start sites (TSSs) are fundamental for understanding gene expression and regulation. Agrobacteria, a group of prokaryotes with the ability to transfer DNA into the genomes of host plants, are widely used in plant biotechnology. However, the genome-wide transcriptional regulation of agrobacteria is not well understood, especially in less-studied lineages. Differential RNA-seq and an optimized algorithm enabled identification of thousands of TSSs with nucleotide resolution for representatives of each lineage. The results of this study provide a framework for elucidating the mechanistic basis and evolution of pathology across the three main lineages of agrobacteria. The optimized algorithm also highlights the importance of parameter optimization in genome-wide TSS identification and genomics at large.

The transcriptional regulator CtrA controls gene expression in Alphaproteobacteria phages: Evidence for a lytic deferment pathway

Pilitropic and flagellotropic phages adsorb to bacterial pili and flagella. These phages have long been used to investigate multiple aspects of bacterial physiology, such as the cell cycle control in the Caulobacterales. Targeting cellular appendages for adsorption effectively constrains the population of infectable hosts, suggesting that phages may have developed strategies to maximize their infective yield. Brevundimonas phage vB_BsubS-Delta is a recently characterized pilitropic phage infecting the Alphaproteobacterium Brevundimonas subvibrioides. Like other Caulobacterales, B. subvibrioides divides asymmetrically and its cell cycle is governed by multiple transcriptional regulators, including the master regulator CtrA. Genomic characterization of phage vB_BsubS-Delta identified the presence of a large intergenic region with an unusually high density of putative CtrA-binding sites. A systematic analysis of the positional distribution of predicted CtrA-binding sites in complete phage genomes reveals that the highly skewed distribution of CtrA-binding sites observed in vB_BsubS-Delta is an unequivocal genomic signature that extends to other pilli- and flagellotropic phages infecting the Alphaproteobacteria. Moreover, putative CtrA-binding sites in these phage genomes localize preferentially to promoter regions and have higher scores than those detected in other phage genomes. Phylogenetic and comparative genomics analyses show that this genomic signature has evolved independently in several phage lineages, suggesting that it provides an adaptive advantage to pili/flagellotropic phages infecting the Alphaproteobacteria. Experimental results demonstrate that CtrA binds to predicted CtrA-binding sites in promoter regions and that it regulates transcription of phage genes in unrelated Alphaproteobacteria-infecting phages. We propose that this focused distribution of CtrA-binding sites reflects a fundamental new aspect of phage infection, which we term lytic deferment. Under this novel paradigm, pili- and flagellotropic phages exploit the CtrA transduction pathway to monitor the host cell cycle state and synchronize lysis with the presence of infectable cells.

The Histidine Kinase CckA Is Directly Inhibited by a Response Regulator-like Protein in a Negative Feedback Loop

In alphaproteobacteria, the two-component system (TCS) formed by the hybrid histidine kinase CckA, the phosphotransfer protein ChpT, and the response regulator CtrA is widely distributed. In these microorganisms, this system controls diverse functions such as motility, DNA repair, and cell division. In Caulobacterales and Rhizobiales, CckA is regulated by the pseudo- histidine kinase DivL, and the response regulator DivK. However, this regulatory circuit differs for other bacterial groups. For instance, in Rhodobacterales, DivK is absent and DivL consists of only the regulatory PAS domain. In this study, we report that, in Rhodobacter sphaeroides, the kinase activity of CckA is inhibited by Osp, a single domain response regulator (SDRR) protein that directly interacts with the transmitter domain of CckA. In vitro, the kinase activity of CckA was severely inhibited with an equimolar amount of Osp, whereas the phosphatase activity of CckA was not affected. We also found that the expression of osp is activated by CtrA creating a negative feedback loop. However, under growth conditions known to activate the TCS, the increased expression of osp does not parallel Osp accumulation, indicating a complex regulation. Phylogenetic analysis of selected species of Rhodobacterales revealed that Osp is widely distributed in several genera. For most of these species, we found a sequence highly similar to the CtrA-binding site in the control region of osp, suggesting that the TCS CckA/ChpT/CtrA is controlled by a novel regulatory circuit that includes Osp in these bacteria. IMPORTANCE The two-component systems (TCS) in bacteria in its simplest architecture consist of a histidine kinase (HK) and a response regulator (RR). In response to a specific stimulus, the HK is activated and drives phosphorylation of the RR, which is responsible of generating an adaptive response. These systems are ubiquitous among bacteria and are frequently controlled by accessory proteins. In alphaproteobacteria, the TCS formed by the HK CckA, the phosphotransferase ChpT, and the RR CtrA is widely distributed. Currently, most of the information of this system and its regulatory proteins comes from findings carried out in microorganisms where it is essential. However, this is not the case in many species, and studies of this TCS and its regulatory proteins are lacking. In this study, we found that Osp, a RR-like protein, inhibits the kinase activity of CckA in a negative feedback loop since osp expression is activated by CtrA. The inhibitory role of Osp and the similar action of the previously reported FixT protein, suggests the existence of a new group of RR-like proteins whose main function is to interact with the HK and prevent its phosphorylation.

Transcription Regulation of Cell Cycle Regulatory Genes Mediated by NtrX to Affect Sinorhizobium meliloti Cell Division

The cell division of the alfalfa symbiont, Sinorhizobium meliloti, is dictated by a cell cycle regulatory pathway containing the key transcription factors CtrA, GcrA, and DnaA. In this study, we found that NtrX, one of the regulators of nitrogen metabolism, can directly regulate the expression of ctrA, gcrA, and dnaA from the cell cycle pathway. Three sets of S. meliloti ntrX mutants showed similar cell division defects, such as slow growth, abnormal morphology of some cells, and delayed DNA synthesis. Transcription of ctrA and gcrA was upregulated, whereas the transcription of dnaA and ftsZ1 was downregulated in the insertion mutant and the strain of Sm1021 expressing ntrXD53E. Correspondingly, the inducible transcription of ntrX activates the expression of dnaA and ftsZ1, but represses ctrA and gcrA in the depletion strain. The expression levels of CtrA and GcrA were confirmed by Western blotting. The transcription regulation of these genes requires phosphorylation of the conserved 53rd aspartate in the NtrX protein that binds directly to the promoter regions of ctrA, gcrA, dnaA, and ftsZ1 by recognizing the characteristic sequence CAAN2-5TTG. Our findings suggest that NtrX affects S. meliloti cell division by regulating the transcription of the key cell cycle regulatory genes.

Osmotic stress induces long-term biofilm survival in Liberibacter crescens

Citrus greening, also known as Huanglongbing (HLB), is a devastating citrus plant disease caused predominantly by Liberibacter asiaticus. While nearly all Liberibacter species remain uncultured, here we used the culturable L. crescens BT-1 as a model to examine physiological changes in response to the variable osmotic conditions and nutrient availability encountered within the citrus host. Similarly, physiological responses to changes in growth temperature and dimethyl sulfoxide concentrations were also examined, due to their use in many of the currently employed therapies to control the spread of HLB. Sublethal heat stress was found to induce the expression of genes related to tryptophan biosynthesis, while repressing the expression of ribosomal proteins. Osmotic stress induces expression of transcriptional regulators involved in expression of extracellular structures, while repressing the biosynthesis of fatty acids and aromatic amino acids. The effects of osmotic stress were further evaluated by quantifying biofilm formation of L. crescens in presence of increasing sucrose concentrations at different stages of biofilm formation, where sucrose-induced osmotic stress delayed initial cell attachment while enhancing long-term biofilm viability. Our findings revealed that exposure to osmotic stress is a significant contributing factor to the long term survival of L. crescens and, possibly, to the pathogenicity of other Liberibacter species.

Connection Between Chromosomal Location and Function of CtrA Phosphorelay Genes in Alphaproteobacteria

Most bacterial chromosomes are circular, with replication starting at one origin (ori) and proceeding on both replichores toward the terminus (ter). Several studies have shown that the location of genes relative to ori and ter can have profound effects on regulatory networks and physiological processes. The CtrA phosphorelay is a gene regulatory system conserved in most alphaproteobacteria. It was first discovered in Caulobacter crescentus where it controls replication and division into a stalked and a motile cell in coordination with other factors. The locations of the ctrA gene and targets of this response regulator on the chromosome affect their expression through replication-induced DNA hemi-methylation and specific positioning along a CtrA activity gradient in the dividing cell, respectively. Here we asked to what extent the location of CtrA regulatory network genes might be conserved in the alphaproteobacteria. We determined the locations of the CtrA phosphorelay and associated genes in closed genomes with unambiguously identifiable ori from members of five alphaproteobacterial orders. The location of the phosphorelay genes was the least conserved in the Rhodospirillales followed by the Sphingomonadales. In the Rhizobiales a trend toward certain chromosomal positions could be observed. Compared to the other orders, the CtrA phosphorelay genes were conserved closer to ori in the Caulobacterales. In contrast, the genes were highly conserved closer to ter in the Rhodobacterales. Our data suggest selection pressure results in differential positioning of CtrA phosphorelay and associated genes in alphaproteobacteria, particularly in the orders Rhodobacterales, Caulobacterales and Rhizobiales that is worth deeper investigation.

Dual Control of Flagellar Synthesis and Exopolysaccharide Production by FlbD-FliX Class II Regulatory Proteins in Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens

Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens, the N₂-fixing symbiont of soybean, has two independent flagellar systems: a single subpolar flagellum and several lateral flagella. Each flagellum is a very complex organelle composed of 30 to 40 different proteins located inside and outside the cell whereby flagellar gene expression must be tightly controlled. Such control is achieved by a hierarchy of regulators that ensure the timing of synthesis and the allocation of the different flagellar substructures. Previously, we analyzed the gene organization, expression, and function of the lateral flagellar system. Here, we studied the role of the response regulator FlbD and its trans-acting regulator FliX in the regulation of subpolar flagellar genes. We found that the LP-ring, distal rod, and hook of the subpolar flagellum were tightly controlled by FlbD and FliX. Furthermore, we obtained evidence for the existence of cross-regulation between these gene products and the expression of LafR, the master regulator of lateral flagella. In addition, we observed that extracellular polysaccharide production and biofilm formation also responded to these flagellar regulators. In this regard, FlbD might contribute to the switch between the planktonic and sessile states.IMPORTANCE Most environmental bacteria switch between two free-living states: planktonic, in which individual cells swim propelled by flagella, and sessile, in which bacteria form biofilms. Apart from being essential for locomotion, the flagellum has accessory functions during biofilm formation. The synthesis of flagella is a highly regulated process, and coordination with accessory functions requires the interconnection of various regulatory networks. Here, we show the role of class II regulators involved in the synthesis of the B. diazoefficiens subpolar flagellum and their possible participation in cross-regulation with the lateral flagellar system and exopolysaccharide production. These findings highlight the coordination of the synthetic processes of external structures, such as subpolar and lateral flagella, with exopolysaccharides, which are the main component of the biofilm matrix.

A Novel OmpR-Type Response Regulator Controls Multiple Stages of the Rhizobium etli - Phaseolus vulgaris N2-Fixing Symbiosis

OmpR, is one of the best characterized response regulators families, which includes transcriptional regulators with a variety of physiological roles including the control of symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF). The Rhizobium etli CE3 genome encodes 18 OmpR-type regulators; the function of the majority of these regulators during the SNF in common bean, remains elusive. In this work, we demonstrated that a R. etli mutant strain lacking the OmpR-type regulator RetPC57 (ΔRetPC57), formed less nodules when used as inoculum for common bean. Furthermore, we observed reduced expression level of bacterial genes involved in Nod Factors production (nodA and nodB) and of plant early-nodulation genes (NSP2, NIN, NF-YA and ENOD40), in plants inoculated with ΔRetPC57. RetPC57 also contributes to the appropriate expression of genes which products are part of the multidrug efflux pumps family (MDR). Interestingly, nodules elicited by ΔRetPC57 showed increased expression of genes relevant for Carbon/Nitrogen nodule metabolism (PEPC and GOGAT) and ΔRetPC57 bacteroids showed higher nitrogen fixation activity as well as increased expression of key genes directly involved in SNF (hfixL, fixKf, fnrN, fixN, nifA and nifH). Taken together, our data show that the previously uncharacterized regulator RetPC57 is a key player in the development of the R. etli - P. vulgaris symbiosis.

Programmed Proteolysis of Chemotaxis Proteins in Sinorhizobium meliloti: Features in the C-Terminal Region Control McpU Degradation

Chemotaxis and motility are important traits that support bacterial survival in various ecological niches and in pathogenic and symbiotic host interaction. Chemotactic stimuli are sensed by chemoreceptors or methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs), which direct the swimming behavior of the bacterial cell. In this study, we present evidence that the cellular abundance of chemoreceptors in the plant symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti can be altered by the addition of several to as few as one amino acid residues and by including common epitope tags such as 3×FLAG and 6×His at their C termini. To further dissect this phenomenon and its underlying molecular mechanism, we focused on a detailed analysis of the amino acid sensor McpU. Controlled proteolysis is important for the maintenance of an appropriate stoichiometry of chemoreceptors and between chemoreceptors and chemotactic signaling proteins, which is essential for an optimal chemotactic response. We hypothesized that enhanced stability is due to interference with protease binding, thus affecting proteolytic efficacy. Location of the protease recognition site was defined through McpU stability measurements in a series of deletion and amino acid substitution mutants. Deletions in the putative protease recognition site had similar effects on McpU abundance, as did extensions at the C terminus. Our results provide evidence that the programmed proteolysis of chemotaxis proteins in S. meliloti is cell cycle regulated. This posttranslational control, together with regulatory pathways on the transcriptional level, limits the chemotaxis machinery to the early exponential growth phase. Our study identified parallels to cell cycle-dependent processes during asymmetric cell division in Caulobacter crescentus IMPORTANCE The symbiotic bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti contributes greatly to growth of the agriculturally valuable host plant alfalfa by fixing atmospheric nitrogen. Chemotaxis of S. meliloti cells toward alfalfa roots mediates this symbiosis. The present study establishes programmed proteolysis as a factor in the maintenance of the S. meliloti chemotaxis system. Knowledge about cell cycle-dependent, targeted, and selective proteolysis in S. meliloti is important to understand the molecular mechanisms of maintaining a suitable chemotaxis response. While the role of regulated protein turnover in the cell cycle progression of Caulobacter crescentus is well understood, these pathways are just beginning to be characterized in S. meliloti In addition, our study should alert about the cautionary use of epitope tags for protein quantification.

Integrative and quantitative view of the CtrA regulatory network in a stalked budding bacterium

The Alphaproteobacteria show a remarkable diversity of cell cycle-dependent developmental patterns, which are governed by the conserved CtrA pathway. Its central component CtrA is a DNA-binding response regulator that is controlled by a complex two-component signaling network, mediating distinct transcriptional programs in the two offspring. The CtrA pathway has been studied intensively and was shown to consist of an upstream part that reads out the developmental state of the cell and a downstream part that integrates the upstream signals and mediates CtrA phosphorylation. However, the role of this circuitry in bacterial diversification remains incompletely understood. We have therefore investigated CtrA regulation in the morphologically complex stalked budding alphaproteobacterium Hyphomonas neptunium. Compared to relatives dividing by binary fission, H. neptunium shows distinct changes in the role and regulation of various pathway components. Most notably, the response regulator DivK, which normally links the upstream and downstream parts of the CtrA pathway, is dispensable, while downstream components such as the pseudokinase DivL, the histidine kinase CckA, the phosphotransferase ChpT and CtrA are essential. Moreover, CckA is compartmentalized to the nascent bud without forming distinct polar complexes and CtrA is not regulated at the level of protein abundance. We show that the downstream pathway controls critical functions such as replication initiation, cell division and motility. Quantification of the signal flow through different nodes of the regulatory cascade revealed that the CtrA pathway is a leaky pipeline and must involve thus-far unidentified factors. Collectively, the quantitative system-level analysis of CtrA regulation in H. neptunium points to a considerable evolutionary plasticity of cell cycle regulation in alphaproteobacteria and leads to hypotheses that may also hold in well-established model organisms such as Caulobacter crescentus.

Bacteria show a variety of morphologies and life cycles. This is especially true for members of the Alphaproteobacteria, a bacterial class of considerable ecological, medical, and biotechnological importance. The alphaproteobacterial cell cycle is regulated by a conserved regulatory pathway mediated by CtrA, a DNA-binding response regulator that acts as a transcriptional regulator and repressor of replication initiation. CtrA controls the expression of many genes with critical roles in cell growth, division, and differentiation. The contribution of changes in the CtrA regulatory network to the diversification of alphaproteobacterial species is still incompletely understood. Therefore, we comprehensively studied CtrA regulation in the stalked budding bacterium Hyphomonas neptunium, a morphologically complex species that multiplies by forming buds at the end of a stalk-like cellular extension. Our results show that this distinct mode of growth is accompanied by marked differences in the importance and subcellular localization of several CtrA pathway components. Moreover, quantitative analysis of the signal flow through the pathway indicates that its different nodes are less tightly connected than previously thought, suggesting the existence of so-far unidentified factors. Our results indicate a considerable plasticity of the CtrA regulatory network and reveal novel features that may also apply to other alphaproteobacterial species.

The CtrA Regulon of Rhodobacter sphaeroides Favors Adaptation to a Particular Lifestyle

Activation of the two-component system formed by CckA, ChpT, and CtrA (kinase, phosphotransferase, and response regulator, respectively) in Rhodobacter sphaeroides does not occur under the growth conditions commonly used in the laboratory. However, it is possible to isolate a gain-of-function mutant in CckA that turns the system on. Using massive parallel transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq), we identified 321 genes that are differentially regulated by CtrA. From these genes, 239 were positively controlled and 82 were negatively regulated. Genes encoding the Fla2 polar flagella and gas vesicle proteins are strongly activated by CtrA. Genes involved in stress responses as well as several transcriptional factors are also positively controlled, whereas the photosynthetic and CO₂ fixation genes are repressed. Potential CtrA-binding sites were bioinformatically identified, leading to the proposal that at least 81 genes comprise the direct regulon. Based on our results, we ponder that the transcriptional response orchestrated by CtrA enables a lifestyle in which R. sphaeroides will effectively populate the surface layer of a water body enabled by gas vesicles and will remain responsive to chemotactic stimuli using the chemosensoring system that controls the Fla2 flagellum. Simultaneously, fine-tuning of photosynthesis and stress responses will reduce the damage caused by heat and high light intensity in this water stratum. In summary, in this bacterium CtrA has evolved to control physiological responses that allow its adaptation to a particular lifestyle instead of controlling the cell cycle as occurs in other species.IMPORTANCE Cell motility in Alphaproteobacteria is frequently controlled by the CckA, ChpT, and CtrA two-component system. Under the growth conditions commonly used in the laboratory, ctrA is transcriptionally inactive in Rhodobacter sphaeroides, and motility depends on the Fla1 flagellar system that was acquired by a horizontal transfer event. Likely, the incorporation of this flagellar system released CtrA from the strong selective pressure of being the main motility regulator, allowing this two-component system to specialize and respond to some specific conditions. Identifying the genes that are directly regulated by CtrA could help us understand the conditions in which the products of this regulon are required. Massive parallel transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) revealed that CtrA orchestrates an adaptive response that contributes to the colonization of a particular environmental niche.

Cyclic di-GMP-Mediated Regulation of Gene Transfer and Motility in Rhodobacter capsulatus

Gene transfer agents (GTAs) are bacteriophage-like particles produced by several bacterial and archaeal lineages that contain small pieces of the producing cells' genomes that can be transferred to other cells in a process similar to transduction. One well-studied GTA is RcGTA, produced by the alphaproteobacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus RcGTA gene expression is regulated by several cellular regulatory systems, including the CckA-ChpT-CtrA phosphorelay. The transcription of multiple other regulator-encoding genes is affected by the response regulator CtrA, including genes encoding putative enzymes involved in the synthesis and hydrolysis of the second messenger bis-(3'-5')-cyclic dimeric GMP (c-di-GMP). To investigate whether c-di-GMP signaling plays a role in RcGTA production, we disrupted the CtrA-affected genes potentially involved in this process. We found that disruption of four of these genes affected RcGTA gene expression and production. We performed site-directed mutagenesis of key catalytic residues in the GGDEF and EAL domains responsible for diguanylate cyclase (DGC) and c-di-GMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) activities and analyzed the functions of the wild-type and mutant proteins. We also measured RcGTA production in R. capsulatus strains where intracellular levels of c-di-GMP were altered by the expression of either a heterologous DGC or a heterologous PDE. This adds c-di-GMP signaling to the collection of cellular regulatory systems controlling gene transfer in this bacterium. Furthermore, the heterologous gene expression and the four gene disruptions had similar effects on R. capsulatus flagellar motility as found for gene transfer, and we conclude that c-di-GMP inhibits both RcGTA production and flagellar motility in R. capsulatusIMPORTANCE Gene transfer agents (GTAs) are virus-like particles that move cellular DNA between cells. In the alphaproteobacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus, GTA production is affected by the activities of multiple cellular regulatory systems, to which we have now added signaling via the second messenger dinucleotide molecule bis-(3'-5')-cyclic dimeric GMP (c-di-GMP). Similar to the CtrA phosphorelay, c-di-GMP also affects R. capsulatus flagellar motility in addition to GTA production, with lower levels of intracellular c-di-GMP favoring increased flagellar motility and gene transfer. These findings further illustrate the interconnection of GTA production with global systems of regulation in R. capsulatus, providing additional support for the notion that the production of GTAs has been maintained in this and related bacteria because it provides a benefit to the producing organisms.

Analysis of Brevundimonas subvibrioides Developmental Signaling Systems Reveals Inconsistencies between Phenotypes and c-di-GMP Levels

The DivJ-DivK-PleC signaling system of Caulobacter crescentus is a signaling network that regulates polar development and the cell cycle. This system is conserved in related bacteria, including the sister genus Brevundimonas Previous studies had shown unexpected phenotypic differences between the C. crescentus divK mutant and the analogous mutant of Brevundimonas subvibrioides, but further characterization was not performed. Here, phenotypic assays analyzing motility, adhesion, and pilus production (the latter characterized by a newly discovered bacteriophage) revealed that divJ and pleC mutants have phenotypes mostly similar to their C. crescentus homologs, but divK mutants maintain largely opposite phenotypes than expected. Suppressor mutations of the B. subvibrioides divK motility defect were involved in cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) signaling, including the diguanylate cyclase dgcB, and cleD which is hypothesized to affect flagellar function in a c-di-GMP dependent fashion. However, the screen did not identify the diguanylate cyclase pleD Disruption of pleD in B. subvibrioides caused no change in divK or pleC phenotypes, but did reduce adhesion and increase motility of the divJ strain. Analysis of c-di-GMP levels in these strains revealed incongruities between c-di-GMP levels and displayed phenotypes with a notable result that suppressor mutations altered phenotypes but had little impact on c-di-GMP levels in the divK background. Conversely, when c-di-GMP levels were artificially manipulated, alterations of c-di-GMP levels in the divK strain had minimal impact on phenotypes. These results suggest that DivK performs a critical function in the integration of c-di-GMP signaling into the B. subvibrioides cell cycle.IMPORTANCE Cyclic di-GMP and associated signaling proteins are widespread in bacteria, but their role in physiology is often complex and difficult to predict through genomic level analyses. In C. crescentus, c-di-GMP has been integrated into the developmental cell cycle, but there is increasing evidence that environmental factors can impact this system as well. The research presented here suggests that the integration of these signaling networks could be more complex than previously hypothesized, which could have a bearing on the larger field of c-di-GMP signaling. In addition, this work further reveals similarities and differences in a conserved regulatory network between organisms in the same taxonomic family, and the results show that gene conservation does not necessarily imply close functional conservation in genetic pathways.

Periplasmic protein EipA determines envelope stress resistance and virulence in Brucella abortus

Molecular components of the Brucella abortus cell envelope play a major role in its ability to infect, colonize and survive inside mammalian host cells. In this study, we have defined a role for a conserved gene of unknown function in B. abortus envelope stress resistance and infection. Expression of this gene, which we name eipA, is directly activated by the essential cell cycle regulator, CtrA. eipA encodes a soluble periplasmic protein that adopts an unusual eight-stranded β-barrel fold. Deletion of eipA attenuates replication and survival in macrophage and mouse infection models, and results in sensitivity to treatments that compromise the cell envelope integrity. Transposon disruption of genes required for LPS O-polysaccharide biosynthesis is synthetically lethal with eipA deletion. This genetic connection between O-polysaccharide and eipA is corroborated by our discovery that eipA is essential in Brucella ovis, a naturally rough species that harbors mutations in several genes required for O-polysaccharide production. Conditional depletion of eipA expression in B. ovis results in a cell chaining phenotype, providing evidence that eipA directly or indirectly influences cell division in Brucella. We conclude that EipA is a molecular determinant of Brucella virulence that functions to maintain cell envelope integrity and influences cell division.

Learning from the master: targets and functions of the CtrA response regulator in Brucella abortus and other alpha-proteobacteria

The α-proteobacteria are a fascinating group of free-living, symbiotic and pathogenic organisms, including the Brucella genus, which is responsible for a worldwide zoonosis. One common feature of α-proteobacteria is the presence of a conserved response regulator called CtrA, first described in the model bacterium Caulobacter crescentus, where it controls gene expression at different stages of the cell cycle. Here, we focus on Brucella abortus and other intracellular α-proteobacteria in order to better assess the potential role of CtrA in the infectious context. Comparative genomic analyses of the CtrA control pathway revealed the conservation of specific modules, as well as the acquisition of new factors during evolution. The comparison of CtrA regulons also suggests that specific clades of α-proteobacteria acquired distinct functions under its control, depending on the essentiality of the transcription factor. Other CtrA-controlled functions, for instance motility and DNA repair, are proposed to be more ancestral. Altogether, these analyses provide an interesting example of the plasticity of a regulation network, subject to the constraints of inherent imperatives such as cell division and the adaptations to diversified environmental niches.

Architecture of divergent flagellar promoters controlled by CtrA in Rhodobacter sphaeroides

BACKGROUND

Rhodobacter sphaeroides has two sets of flagellar genes, fla1 and fla2, that are responsible for the synthesis of two different flagellar structures. The expression of the fla2 genes is under control of CtrA. In several α-proteobacteria CtrA is also required for the expression of the flagellar genes, but the architecture of CtrA-dependent promoters has only been studied in detail in Caulobacter crescentus. In many cases the expression of fla genes originates from divergent promoters located a few base pairs apart, suggesting a particular arrangement of the cis-acting sites.

RESULTS

Here we characterized several control regions of the R. sphaeroides fla2 genes and analyzed in detail two regions containing the divergent promoters flgB2p-fliI2p, and fliL2p-fliF2p. Binding sites for CtrA of these promoters were identified in silico and tested by site directed mutagenesis. We conclude that each one of these promoter regions has a particular arrangement, either a single CtrA binding site for activation of fliL2p and fliF2p, or two independent sites for activation of flgB2p and fliI2p. ChIP experiments confirmed that CtrA binds to the control region containing the flgB2 and fliI2 promoters, supporting the notion that CtrA directly controls the expression of the fla2 genes. The flgB and fliI genes are syntenic and show a short intercistronic region in closely related bacterial species. We analyzed these regions and found that the arrangement of the CtrA binding sites varies considerably.

CONCLUSIONS

The results in this work reveal the arrangement of the fla2 divergent promoters showing that CtrA promotes transcriptional activation using more than a single architecture.

LexA Binds to Transcription Regulatory Site of Cell Division Gene ftsZ in Toxic Cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa

Previously, we showed that DNA replication and cell division in toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa are coordinated by transcriptional regulation of cell division gene ftsZ and that an unknown protein specifically bound upstream of ftsZ (BpFz; DNA-binding protein to an upstream site of ftsZ) during successful DNA replication and cell division. Here, we purified BpFz from M. aeruginosa strain NIES-298 using DNA-affinity chromatography and gel-slicing combined with gel electrophoresis mobility shift assay (EMSA). The N-terminal amino acid sequence of BpFz was identified as TNLESLTQ, which was identical to that of transcription repressor LexA from NIES-843. EMSA analysis using mutant probes showed that the sequence GTACTAN₃GTGTTC was important in LexA binding. Comparison of the upstream regions of lexA in the genomes of closely related cyanobacteria suggested that the sequence TASTRNNNNTGTWC could be a putative LexA recognition sequence (LexA box). Searches for TASTRNNNNTGTWC as a transcriptional regulatory site (TRS) in the genome of M. aeruginosa NIES-843 showed that it was present in genes involved in cell division, photosynthesis, and extracellular polysaccharide biosynthesis. Considering that BpFz binds to the TRS of ftsZ during normal cell division, LexA may function as a transcriptional activator of genes related to cell reproduction in M. aeruginosa, including ftsZ. This may be an example of informality in the control of bacterial cell division.

Coordination of symbiosis and cell cycle functions in Sinorhizobium meliloti

The symbiotic nitrogen fixing species Sinorhizobium meliloti represents a remarkable model system for the class Alphaproteobacteria, which includes genera such as Caulobacter, Agrobacterium and Brucella. It is capable of living free in the soil, and is also able to establish a complex symbiosis with leguminous plants, during which its cell cycle program is completely rewired presumably due, at least in part, to the action of peptides secreted by the plant. Here we will discuss how the cell cycle regulation works in S. meliloti and the kinds of molecular mechanisms that take place during the infection. We will focus on the complex regulation of the master regulator of the S. meliloti cell cycle, the response regulator CtrA, discussing its implication in symbiosis.

The Protease ClpXP and the PAS Domain Protein DivL Regulate CtrA and Gene Transfer Agent Production in Rhodobacter capsulatus

Several members of the Rhodobacterales (Alphaproteobacteria) produce a conserved horizontal gene transfer vector, called the gene transfer agent (GTA), that appears to have evolved from a bacteriophage. The model system used to study GTA biology is the Rhodobacter capsulatus GTA (RcGTA), a small, tailed bacteriophage-like particle produced by a subset of the cells in a culture. The response regulator CtrA is conserved in the Alphaproteobacteria and is an essential regulator of RcGTA production: it controls the production and maturation of the RcGTA particle and RcGTA release from cells. CtrA also controls the natural transformation-like system required for cells to receive RcGTA-donated DNA. Here, we report that dysregulation of the CckA-ChpT-CtrA phosphorelay either by the loss of the PAS domain protein DivL or by substitution of the autophosphorylation residue of the hybrid histidine kinase CckA decreased CtrA phosphorylation and greatly increased RcGTA protein production in R. capsulatus We show that the loss of the ClpXP protease or the three C-terminal residues of CtrA results in increased CtrA levels in R. capsulatus and identify ClpX(P) to be essential for the maturation of RcGTA particles. Furthermore, we show that CtrA phosphorylation is important for head spike production. Our results provide novel insight into the regulation of CtrA and GTAs in the RhodobacteralesIMPORTANCE Members of the Rhodobacterales are abundant in ocean and freshwater environments. The conserved GTA produced by many Rhodobacterales may have an important role in horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in aquatic environments and provide a significant contribution to their adaptation. GTA production is controlled by bacterial regulatory systems, including the conserved CckA-ChpT-CtrA phosphorelay; however, several questions about GTA regulation remain. Our identification that a short DivL homologue and ClpXP regulate CtrA in R. capsulatus extends the model of CtrA regulation from Caulobacter crescentus to a member of the Rhodobacterales We found that the magnitude of RcGTA production greatly depends on DivL and CckA kinase activity, adding yet another layer of regulatory complexity to RcGTA. RcGTA is known to undergo CckA-dependent maturation, and we extend the understanding of this process by showing that the ClpX chaperone is required for formation of tailed, DNA-containing particles.

Hit the right spots: cell cycle control by phosphorylated guanosines in alphaproteobacteria

The class Alphaproteobacteria includes Gram-negative free-living, symbiotic and obligate intracellular bacteria, as well as important plant, animal and human pathogens. Recent work has established the key antagonistic roles that phosphorylated guanosines, cyclic-di-GMP (c-di-GMP) and the alarmones guanosine tetraphosphate and guanosine pentaphosphate (collectively referred to as (p)ppGpp), have in the regulation of the cell cycle in these bacteria. In this Review, we discuss the insights that have been gained into the regulation of the initiation of DNA replication and cytokinesis by these second messengers, with a particular focus on the cell cycle of Caulobacter crescentus. We explore how the fluctuating levels of c-di-GMP and (p)ppGpp during the progression of the cell cycle and under conditions of stress control the synthesis and proteolysis of key regulators of the cell cycle. As these signals also promote bacterial interactions with host cells, the enzymes that control (p)ppGpp and c-di-GMP are attractive antibacterial targets.

Random versus Cell Cycle-Regulated Replication Initiation in Bacteria: Insights from Studying Vibrio cholerae Chromosome 2

Bacterial chromosomes initiate replication at a fixed time in the cell cycle, whereas there is generally no particular time for plasmid replication initiation or chromosomal replication initiation from integrated plasmids. In bacteria with divided genomes, the replication system of one of the chromosomes typically resembles that of bacteria with undivided genomes, whereas the remaining chromosomes have plasmid-like replication systems. For example, in Vibrio cholerae, a bacterium with two chromosomes (chromosome 1 [Chr1] and Chr2), the Chr1 system resembles that of the Escherichia coli chromosome, and the Chr2 system resembles that of iteron-based plasmids. However, Chr2 still initiates replication at a fixed time in the cell cycle and thus offers an opportunity to understand the molecular basis for the difference between random and cell cycle-regulated modes of replication. Here we review studies of replication control in Chr2 and compare it to those of plasmids and chromosomes. We argue that although the Chr2 control mechanisms in many ways are reminiscent of those of plasmids, they also appear to combine more regulatory features than are found on a typical plasmid, including some that are more typical of chromosomes. One of the regulatory mechanisms is especially novel, the coordinated timing of replication initiation of Chr1 and Chr2, providing the first example of communication between chromosomes for replication initiation.

LDSS-P: an advanced algorithm to extract functional short motifs associated with coordinated gene expression

Identifying functional elements in promoter sequences is a major goal in computational and experimental genome biology. Here, we describe an algorithm, Local Distribution of Short Sequences for Prokaryotes (LDSS-P), to identify conserved short motifs located at specific positions in the promoters of co-expressed prokaryotic genes. As a test case, we applied this algorithm to a symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacterium, Sinorhizobium meliloti. The LDSS-P profiles that overlap with the 5′ section of the extracytoplasmic function RNA polymerase sigma factor RpoE2 consensus sequences displayed a sharp peak between -34 and -32 from TSS positions. The corresponding genes overlap significantly with RpoE2 targets identified from previous experiments. We further identified several groups of genes that are co-regulated with characterized marker genes. Our data indicate that in S. meliloti, and possibly in other Rhizobiaceae species, the master cell cycle regulator CtrA may recognize an expanded motif (AACCAT), which is positionally shifted from the previously reported CtrA consensus sequence in Caulobacter crescentus. Bacterial one-hybrid experiments showed that base substitution in the expanded motif either increase or decrease the binding by CtrA. These results show the effectiveness of LDSS-P as a method to delineate functional promoter elements.

Structural asymmetry in a conserved signaling system that regulates division, replication, and virulence of an intracellular pathogen

We have functionally and structurally defined an essential protein phosphorelay that regulates expression of genes required for growth, division, and intracellular survival of the global zoonotic pathogen Brucella abortus. Our study delineates phosphoryl transfer through this molecular pathway, which initiates from the sensor kinase CckA and proceeds through the ChpT phosphotransferase to two regulatory substrates: CtrA and CpdR. Genetic perturbation of this system results in defects in cell growth and division site selection, and a specific viability deficit inside human phagocytic cells. Thus, proper control of B. abortus division site polarity is necessary for survival in the intracellular niche. We further define the structural foundations of signaling from the central phosphotransferase, ChpT, to its response regulator substrate, CtrA, and provide evidence that there are at least two modes of interaction between ChpT and CtrA, only one of which is competent to catalyze phosphoryltransfer. The structure and dynamics of the active site on each side of the ChpT homodimer are distinct, supporting a model in which quaternary structure of the 2:2 ChpT-CtrA complex enforces an asymmetric mechanism of phosphoryl transfer between ChpT and CtrA. Our study provides mechanistic understanding, from the cellular to the atomic scale, of a conserved transcriptional regulatory system that controls the cellular and infection biology of B. abortus. More generally, our results provide insight into the structural basis of two-component signal transduction, which is broadly conserved in bacteria, plants, and fungi.

Cell Cycle Control by the Master Regulator CtrA in Sinorhizobium meliloti

In all domains of life, proper regulation of the cell cycle is critical to coordinate genome replication, segregation and cell division. In some groups of bacteria, e.g. Alphaproteobacteria, tight regulation of the cell cycle is also necessary for the morphological and functional differentiation of cells. Sinorhizobium meliloti is an alphaproteobacterium that forms an economically and ecologically important nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with specific legume hosts. During this symbiosis S. meliloti undergoes an elaborate cellular differentiation within host root cells. The differentiation of S. meliloti results in massive amplification of the genome, cell branching and/or elongation, and loss of reproductive capacity. In Caulobacter crescentus, cellular differentiation is tightly linked to the cell cycle via the activity of the master regulator CtrA, and recent research in S. meliloti suggests that CtrA might also be key to cellular differentiation during symbiosis. However, the regulatory circuit driving cell cycle progression in S. meliloti is not well characterized in both the free-living and symbiotic state. Here, we investigated the regulation and function of CtrA in S. meliloti. We demonstrated that depletion of CtrA cause cell elongation, branching and genome amplification, similar to that observed in nitrogen-fixing bacteroids. We also showed that the cell cycle regulated proteolytic degradation of CtrA is essential in S. meliloti, suggesting a possible mechanism of CtrA depletion in differentiated bacteroids. Using a combination of ChIP-Seq and gene expression microarray analysis we found that although S. meliloti CtrA regulates similar processes as C. crescentus CtrA, it does so through different target genes. For example, our data suggest that CtrA does not control the expression of the Fts complex to control the timing of cell division during the cell cycle, but instead it negatively regulates the septum-inhibiting Min system. Our findings provide valuable insight into how highly conserved genetic networks can evolve, possibly to fit the diverse lifestyles of different bacteria.

In order to propagate, all living cells must ensure that their genetic material is faithfully copied and properly partitioned into the daughter cells before division. These coordinated processes of DNA replication and cell division are termed the “cell cycle” and are controlled by a complex network of regulatory proteins in all organisms. In the class Alphaproteobacteria, the regulation of the cell cycle is closely linked to cellular differentiation processes that are vital for survival in the environment. In these bacteria, the cell cycle regulator CtrA is thought to serve as the primary link between the coordination of the cell cycle and cellular differentiation. The alphaproteobacterium, Sinorhizobium meliloti, an important model symbiont of alfalfa plants, undergoes a striking cellular differentiation that is vital to the formation of an efficient symbiosis dedicated to the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen to biologically available organic nitrogen. However, the link between cellular differentiation and cell cycle control in S. meliloti has not been made. In this study, we showed that S. meliloti cells without CtrA are similar to the symbiotic form. By the identification of the genes whose expression is directly and indirectly controlled by CtrA, we found that CtrA regulates vital cell cycle processes, including DNA replication and cell division, but through different genetic pathways than in other alphaproteobacteria. We importantly show that the levels of CtrA protein are governed by an essential cell cycle regulated proteolysis, which may also be an important mode of CtrA down-regulation during symbiosis to drive cellular differentiation.

The branched CcsA/CckA-ChpT-CtrA phosphorelay of Sphingomonas melonis controls motility and biofilm formation

The CckA-ChpT-CtrA phosphorelay is central to the regulation of the cell cycle in Caulobacter crescentus. The three proteins are conserved in Alphaproteobacteria, but little is known about their roles in most members of this class. Here, we characterized the system in Sphingomonas melonis. We found that the transcription factor CtrA is the master regulator of flagella synthesis genes, the hierarchical transcriptional organization of which is herein described. CtrA also regulates genes involved in exopolysaccharide synthesis and cyclic-di-GMP signaling, and is important for biofilm formation. In addition, the ctrA mutant exhibits an aberrant morphology, suggesting a role for CtrA in cell division. An analysis of the regulation of CtrA indicates that the phosphorelay composed of CckA and ChpT is conserved and that the absence of the bifunctional kinase/phosphatase CckA apparently results in overactivation of CtrA through ChpT. Suppressors of this phenotype identified the hybrid histidine kinase CcsA. Phosphorelays initiated by CckA or CcsA were reconstituted in vitro, suggesting that in S. melonis, CtrA phosphorylation is controlled by a branched pathway upstream of ChpT. This study thus suggests that signals can directly converge at the level of ChpT phosphorylation through multiple hybrid kinases to coordinate a number of important physiological processes.

Sinorhizobium meliloti CtrA Stability Is Regulated in a CbrA-Dependent Manner That Is Influenced by CpdR1

CbrA is a DivJ/PleC-like histidine kinase of DivK that is required for cell cycle progression and symbiosis in the alphaproteobacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti. Loss of cbrA results in increased levels of CtrA as well as its phosphorylation. While many of the known Caulobacter crescentus regulators of CtrA phosphorylation and proteolysis are phylogenetically conserved within S. meliloti, the latter lacks the PopA regulator that is required for CtrA degradation in C. crescentus. In order to investigate whether CtrA proteolysis occurs in S. meliloti, CtrA stability was assessed. During exponential growth, CtrA is unstable and therefore likely to be degraded in a cell cycle-regulated manner. Loss of cbrA significantly increases CtrA stability, but this phenotype is restored to that of the wild type by constitutive ectopic expression of a CpdR1 variant that cannot be phosphorylated (CpdR1(D53A)). Addition of CpdR1(D53A) fully suppresses cbrA mutant cell cycle defects, consistent with regulation of CtrA stability playing a key role in mediating proper cell cycle progression in S. meliloti. Importantly, the cbrA mutant symbiosis defect is also suppressed in the presence of CpdR1(D53A). Thus, regulation of CtrA stability by CbrA and CpdR1 is associated with free-living cell cycle outcomes and symbiosis.

IMPORTANCE

The cell cycle is a fundamental process required for bacterial growth, reproduction, and developmental differentiation. Our objective is to understand how a two-component signal transduction network directs cell cycle events during free-living growth and host colonization. The Sinorhizobium meliloti nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with plants is associated with novel cell cycle events. This study identifies a link between the regulated stability of an essential response regulator, free-living cell cycle progression, and symbiosis.

The flagellar set Fla2 in Rhodobacter sphaeroides is controlled by the CckA pathway and is repressed by organic acids and the expression of Fla1

Rhodobacter sphaeroides has two different sets of flagellar genes. Under the growth conditions commonly used in the laboratory, the expression of the fla1 set is constitutive, whereas the fla2 genes are not expressed. Phylogenetic analyses have previously shown that the fla1 genes were acquired by horizontal transfer from a gammaproteobacterium and that the fla2 genes are endogenous genes of this alphaproteobacterium. In this work, we characterized a set of mutants that were selected for swimming using the Fla2 flagella in the absence of the Fla1 flagellum (Fla2(+) strains). We determined that these strains have a single missense mutation in the histidine kinase domain of CckA. The expression of these mutant alleles in a Fla1(-) strain allowed fla2-dependent motility without selection. Motility of the Fla2(+) strains is also dependent on ChpT and CtrA. The mutant versions of CckA showed an increased autophosphorylation activity in vitro. Interestingly, we found that cckA is transcriptionally repressed by the presence of organic acids, suggesting that the availability of carbon sources could be a part of the signal that turns on this flagellar set. Evidence is presented showing that reactivation of fla1 gene expression in the Fla2(+) background strongly reduces the number of cells with Fla2 flagella.

Identification of essential alphaproteobacterial genes reveals operational variability in conserved developmental and cell cycle systems

The cell cycle of Caulobacter crescentus is controlled by a complex signalling network that co-ordinates events. Genome sequencing has revealed many C. crescentus cell cycle genes are conserved in other Alphaproteobacteria, but it is not clear to what extent their function is conserved. As many cell cycle regulatory genes are essential in C. crescentus, the essential genes of two Alphaproteobacteria, Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Rhizobiales) and Brevundimonas subvibrioides (Caulobacterales), were elucidated to identify changes in cell cycle protein function over different phylogenetic distances as demonstrated by changes in essentiality. The results show the majority of conserved essential genes are involved in critical cell cycle processes. Changes in component essentiality reflect major changes in lifestyle, such as divisome components in A. tumefaciens resulting from that organism's different growth pattern. Larger variability of essentiality was observed in cell cycle regulators, suggesting regulatory mechanisms are more customizable than the processes they regulate. Examples include variability in the essentiality of divJ and divK spatial cell cycle regulators, and non-essentiality of the highly conserved and usually essential DNA methyltransferase CcrM. These results show that while essential cell functions are conserved across varying genetic distance, much of a given organism's essential gene pool is specific to that organism.

RNA-Seq and microarrays analyses reveal global differential transcriptomes of Mesorhizobium huakuii 7653R between bacteroids and free-living cells

Mesorhizobium huakuii 7653R occurs either in nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with its host plant, Astragalus sinicus, or free-living in the soil. The M. huakuii 7653R genome has recently been sequenced. To better understand the complex biochemical and developmental changes that occur in 7653R during bacteroid development, RNA-Seq and Microarrays were used to investigate the differential transcriptomes of 7653R bacteroids and free-living cells. The two approaches identified several thousand differentially expressed genes. The most prominent up-regulation occurred in the symbiosis plasmids, meanwhile gene expression is concentrated to a set of genes (clusters) in bacteroids to fulfill corresponding functional requirements. The results suggested that the main energy metabolism is active while fatty acid metabolism is inactive in bacteroid and that most of genes relevant to cell cycle are down-regulated accordingly. For a global analysis, we reconstructed a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network for 7653R and integrated gene expression data into the network using Cytoscape. A highly inter-connected subnetwork, with function enrichment for nitrogen fixation, was found, and a set of hubs and previously uncharacterized genes participating in nitrogen fixation were identified. The results described here provide a broader biological landscape and novel insights that elucidate rhizobial bacteroid differentiation, nitrogen fixation and related novel gene functions.

The CtrA phosphorelay integrates differentiation and communication in the marine alphaproteobacterium Dinoroseobacter shibae

Background

Dinoroseobacter shibae, a member of the Roseobacter clade abundant in marine environments, maintains morphological heterogeneity throughout growth, with small cells dividing by binary fission and large cells dividing by budding from one or both cell poles. This morphological heterogeneity is lost if the quorum sensing (QS) system is silenced, concurrent with a decreased expression of the CtrA phosphorelay, a regulatory system conserved in Alphaproteobacteria and the master regulator of the Caulobacter crescentus cell cycle. It consists of the sensor histidine kinase CckA, the phosphotransferase ChpT and the transcriptional regulator CtrA. Here we tested if the QS induced differentiation of D. shibae is mediated by the CtrA phosphorelay.

Results

Mutants for ctrA, chpT and cckA showed almost homogeneous cell morphology and divided by binary fission. For ctrA and chpT, expression in trans on a plasmid caused the fraction of cells containing more than two chromosome equivalents to increase above wild-type level, indicating that gene copy number directly controls chromosome number. Transcriptome analysis revealed that CtrA is a master regulator for flagellar biosynthesis and has a great influence on the transition to stationary phase. Interestingly, the expression of the autoinducer synthase genes luxI₂ and luxI₃ was strongly reduced in all three mutants, resulting in loss of biosynthesis of acylated homoserine-lactones with C14 side-chain, but could be restored by expressing these genes in trans. Several phylogenetic clusters of Alphaproteobacteria revealed a CtrA binding site in the promoters of QS genes, including Roseobacters and Rhizobia.

Conclusions

The CtrA phosphorelay induces differentiation of a marine Roseobacter strain that is strikingly different from that of C. crescentus. Instead of a tightly regulated cell cycle and a switch between two morphotypes, the morphology and cell division of Dinoroseobacter shibae are highly heterogeneous. We discovered for the first time that the CtrA phosphorelay controls the biosynthesis of signaling molecules. Thus cell-cell communication and differentiation are interlinked in this organism. This may be a common strategy, since we found a similar genetic set-up in other species in the ecologically relevant group of Alphaproteobacteria. D. shibae will be a valuable model organism to study bacterial differentiation into pleomorphic cells.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-130) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Host plant peptides elicit a transcriptional response to control the Sinorhizobium meliloti cell cycle during symbiosis

The α-proteobacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti establishes a chronic intracellular infection during the symbiosis with its legume hosts. Within specialized host cells, S. meliloti differentiates into highly polyploid, enlarged nitrogen-fixing bacteroids. This differentiation is driven by host cells through the production of defensin-like peptides called "nodule-specific cysteine-rich" (NCR) peptides. Recent research has shown that synthesized NCR peptides exhibit antimicrobial activity at high concentrations but cause bacterial endoreduplication at sublethal concentrations. We leveraged synchronized S. meliloti populations to determine how treatment with a sublethal NCR peptide affects the cell cycle and physiology of bacteria at the molecular level. We found that at sublethal levels a representative NCR peptide specifically blocks cell division and antagonizes Z-ring function. Gene-expression profiling revealed that the cell division block was produced, in part, through the substantial transcriptional response elicited by sublethal NCR treatment that affected ∼15% of the genome. Expression of critical cell-cycle regulators, including ctrA, and cell division genes, including genes required for Z-ring function, were greatly attenuated in NCR-treated cells. In addition, our experiments identified important symbiosis functions and stress responses that are induced by sublethal levels of NCR peptides and other antimicrobial peptides. Several of these stress-response pathways also are found in related α-proteobacterial pathogens and might be used by S. meliloti to sense host cues during infection. Our data suggest a model in which, in addition to provoking stress responses, NCR peptides target intracellular regulatory pathways to drive S. meliloti endoreduplication and differentiation during symbiosis.

Global analysis of cell cycle gene expression of the legume symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti

In α-proteobacteria, strict regulation of cell cycle progression is necessary for the specific cellular differentiation required for adaptation to diverse environmental niches. The symbiotic lifestyle of Sinorhizobium meliloti requires a drastic cellular differentiation that includes genome amplification. To achieve polyploidy, the S. meliloti cell cycle program must be altered to uncouple DNA replication from cell division. In the α-proteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus, cell cycle-regulated transcription plays an important role in the control of cell cycle progression but this has not been demonstrated in other α-proteobacteria. Here we describe a robust method for synchronizing cell growth that enabled global analysis of S. meliloti cell cycle-regulated gene expression. This analysis identified 462 genes with cell cycle-regulated transcripts, including several key cell cycle regulators, and genes involved in motility, attachment, and cell division. Only 28% of the 462 S. meliloti cell cycle-regulated genes were also transcriptionally cell cycle-regulated in C. crescentus. Furthermore, CtrA- and DnaA-binding motif analysis revealed little overlap between the cell cycle-dependent regulons of CtrA and DnaA in S. meliloti and C. crescentus. The predicted S. meliloti cell cycle regulon of CtrA, but not that of DnaA, was strongly conserved in more closely related α-proteobacteria with similar ecological niches as S. meliloti, suggesting that the CtrA cell cycle regulatory network may control functions of central importance to the specific lifestyles of α-proteobacteria.

The DivJ, CbrA and PleC system controls DivK phosphorylation and symbiosis in Sinorhizobium meliloti

Sinorhizobium meliloti is a soil bacterium that invades the root nodules it induces on Medicago sativa, whereupon it undergoes an alteration of its cell cycle and differentiates into nitrogen-fixing, elongated and polyploid bacteroid with higher membrane permeability. In Caulobacter crescentus, a related alphaproteobacterium, the principal cell cycle regulator, CtrA, is inhibited by the phosphorylated response regulator DivK. The phosphorylation of DivK depends on the histidine kinase DivJ, while PleC is the principal phosphatase for DivK. Despite the importance of the DivJ in C. crescentus, the mechanistic role of this kinase has never been elucidated in other Alphaproteobacteria. We show here that the histidine kinases DivJ together with CbrA and PleC participate in a complex phosphorylation system of the essential response regulator DivK in S. meliloti. In particular, DivJ and CbrA are involved in DivK phosphorylation and in turn CtrA inactivation, thereby controlling correct cell cycle progression and the integrity of the cell envelope. In contrast, the essential PleC presumably acts as a phosphatase of DivK. Interestingly, we found that a DivJ mutant is able to elicit nodules and enter plant cells, but fails to establish an effective symbiosis suggesting that proper envelope and/or low CtrA levels are required for symbiosis.

The CckA-ChpT-CtrA phosphorelay system is regulated by quorum sensing and controls flagellar motility in the marine sponge symbiont Ruegeria sp. KLH11

Bacteria respond to their environment via signal transduction pathways, often two-component type systems that function through phosphotransfer to control expression of specific genes. Phosphorelays are derived from two-component systems but are comprised of additional components. The essential cckA-chpT-ctrA phosphorelay in Caulobacter crescentus has been well studied and is important in orchestrating the cell cycle, polar development and flagellar biogenesis. Although cckA, chpT and ctrA homologues are widespread among the Alphaproteobacteria, relatively few is known about their function in the large and ecologically significant Roseobacter clade of the Rhodobacterales. In this study the cckA-chpT-ctrA system of the marine sponge symbiont Ruegeria sp. KLH11 was investigated. Our results reveal that the cckA, chpT and ctrA genes positively control flagellar biosynthesis. In contrast to C. crescentus, the cckA, chpT and ctrA genes in Ruegeria sp. KLH11 are non-essential and do not affect bacterial growth. Gene fusion and transcript analyses provide evidence for ctrA autoregulation and the control of motility-related genes. In KLH11, flagellar motility is controlled by the SsaRI system and acylhomoserine lactone (AHL) quorum sensing. SsaR and long chain AHLs are required for cckA, chpT and ctrA gene expression, providing a regulatory link between flagellar locomotion and population density in KLH11.

The Sinorhizobium meliloti sensor histidine kinase CbrA contributes to free-living cell cycle regulation

Sinorhizobium meliloti is alternately capable of colonizing the soil as a free-living bacterium or establishing a chronic intracellular infection with its legume host for the purpose of nitrogen fixation. We previously identified the S. meliloti two-component sensor histidine kinase CbrA as playing an important role in regulating exopolysaccharide production, flagellar motility and symbiosis. Phylogenetic analysis of CbrA has highlighted its evolutionary relatedness to the Caulobacter crescentus sensor histidine kinases PleC and DivJ, which are involved in CtrA-dependent cell cycle regulation through the shared response regulator DivK. We therefore became interested in testing whether CbrA plays a role in regulating S. meliloti cell cycle processes. We find the loss of cbrA results in filamentous cell growth accompanied by cells that contain an aberrant genome complement, indicating CbrA plays a role in regulating cell division and possibly DNA segregation. S. meliloti DivK localizes to the old cell pole during distinct phases of the cell cycle in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. Loss of cbrA results in a significantly decreased rate of DivK polar localization when compared with the wild-type, suggesting CbrA helps regulate cell cycle processes by modulating DivK phosphorylation status as a kinase. Consistent with a presumptive decrease in DivK phosphorylation and activity, we also find the steady-state level of CtrA increased in cbrA mutants. Our data therefore demonstrate that CbrA contributes to free-living cell cycle regulation, which in light of its requirement for symbiosis, points to the potential importance of cell cycle regulation for establishing an effective host interaction.

Global mapping of transcription start sites and promoter motifs in the symbiotic α-proteobacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021

BACKGROUND

Sinorhizobium meliloti is a soil-dwelling α-proteobacterium that possesses a large, tripartite genome and engages in a nitrogen fixing symbiosis with its plant hosts. Although much is known about this important model organism, global characterization of genetic regulatory circuits has been hampered by a lack of information about transcription and promoters.

RESULTS

Using an RNAseq approach and RNA populations representing 16 different growth and stress conditions, we comprehensively mapped S. meliloti transcription start sites (TSS). Our work identified 17,001 TSS that we grouped into six categories based on the genomic context of their transcripts: mRNA (4,430 TSS assigned to 2,657 protein-coding genes), leaderless mRNAs (171), putative mRNAs (425), internal sense transcripts (7,650), antisense RNA (3,720), and trans-encoded sRNAs (605). We used this TSS information to identify transcription factor binding sites and putative promoter sequences recognized by seven of the 15 known S. meliloti σ factors σ70, σ54, σH1, σH2, σE1, σE2, and σE9). Altogether, we predicted 2,770 new promoter sequences, including 1,302 located upstream of protein coding genes and 722 located upstream of antisense RNA or trans-encoded sRNA genes. To validate promoter predictions for targets of the general stress response σ factor, RpoE2 (σE2), we identified rpoE2-dependent genes using microarrays and confirmed TSS for a subset of these by 5' RACE mapping.

CONCLUSIONS

By identifying TSS and promoters on a global scale, our work provides a firm foundation for the continued study of S. meliloti gene expression with relation to gene organization, σ factors and other transcription factors, and regulatory RNAs.

Transcriptional regulation of the Rhodobacter capsulatus response regulator CtrA

The Rhodobacter capsulatus response regulator CtrA controls the expression of 227 genes, some of which are upregulated by both the phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms of CtrA. Therefore, CtrA concentration alone, regardless of phosphorylation state, may determine expression of downstream genes, yet little is known about the regulation of ctrA in R. capsulatus. In this study we used a ctrA : : lacZ fusion plasmid to study the effects of medium composition, growth conditions and growth phase on R. capsulatus ctrA gene expression. These experiments indicate that ctrA expression is higher when cultures are grown in phototrophic (anaerobic) conditions compared with chemotrophic (aerobic) conditions, and is higher when grown in a minimal medium compared with a rich medium. We used several mutants to investigate possible regulatory pathways, and found that in R. capsulatus ctrA is not autoregulated but is regulated by a quorum-sensing system. The expression of ctrA increased as cell cultures moved through exponential phase and into stationary phase, with high levels of expression persisting long after culture turbidity plateaued. Although this growth phase-dependent pattern of expression was also observed in a quorum-sensing mutant, the magnitude of ctrA expression was about 50% of the wild-type strain at all phases. Furthermore, reduction of phosphate concentration in the growth medium decreased ctrA expression in a culture density-independent manner, whereas reduction of malic acid (carbon source) or ammonium (nitrogen source) concentration had no effect. The regulation of ctrA expression in R. capsulatus appears to require the coordination of multiple pathways involved in detecting a variety of environmental conditions.

The conserved polarity factor podJ1 impacts multiple cell envelope-associated functions in Sinorhizobium meliloti

Although diminutive in size, bacteria possess highly diverse and spatially confined cellular structures. Two related alphaproteobacteria, Sinorhizobium meliloti and Caulobacter crescentus, serve as models for investigating the genetic basis of morphological variations. S. meliloti, a symbiont of leguminous plants, synthesizes multiple flagella and no prosthecae, whereas C. crescentus, a freshwater bacterium, has a single polar flagellum and stalk. The podJ gene, originally identified in C. crescentus for its role in polar organelle development, is split into two adjacent open reading frames, podJ1 and podJ2, in S. meliloti. Deletion of podJ1 interferes with flagellar motility, exopolysaccharide production, cell envelope integrity, cell division and normal morphology, but not symbiosis. As in C. crescentus, the S. meliloti PodJ1 protein appears to act as a polarity beacon and localizes to the newer cell pole. Microarray analysis indicates that podJ1 affects the expression of at least 129 genes, the majority of which correspond to observed mutant phenotypes. Together, phenotypic characterization, microarray analysis and suppressor identification suggest that PodJ1 controls a core set of conserved elements, including flagellar and pili genes, the signalling proteins PleC and DivK, and the transcriptional activator TacA, while alternative downstream targets have evolved to suit the distinct lifestyles of individual species.

Regulatory systems controlling motility and gene transfer agent production and release in Rhodobacter capsulatus

Production of the gene transfer agent of Rhodobacter capsulatus, RcGTA, is dependent upon several cellular regulatory systems, including a putative phosphorelay involving the CtrA and CckA proteins. These proteins are also involved in flagellar motility in R. capsulatus. The interactions of proteins in this system are best understood in Caulobacter crescentus where CtrA is activated by phosphorylation by the CckA-ChpT phosphorelay. CtrA~P activity is further controlled by SciP, which represses ctrA transcription and CtrA activation of transcription. We show that R. capsulatus chpT and cckA mutants both have greatly reduced motility and RcGTA activity. Unlike the ctrA mutant where RcGTA gene transcription is absent, the decrease in RcGTA activity is because of reduced release of RcGTA from the cells. The sciP mutant is not affected for RcGTA production but our results support the C. crescentus model of SciP repression of flagellar motility genes. We show that both unphosphorylated and phosphorylated CtrA can activate RcGTA gene expression, while CtrA~P seems to be required for release of the particle and expression of motility genes. This has led us to a new model of how this regulatory system controls motility and production of RcGTA in R. capsulatus.

Analysis of the CtrA pathway in Magnetospirillum reveals an ancestral role in motility in alphaproteobacteria

Developmental events across the prokaryotic life cycle are highly regulated at the transcriptional and posttranslational levels. Key elements of a few regulatory networks are conserved among phylogenetic groups of bacteria, although the features controlled by these conserved systems are as diverse as the organisms encoding them. In this work, we probed the role of the CtrA regulatory network, conserved throughout the Alphaproteobacteria, in the magnetotactic bacterium Magnetospirillum magneticum strain AMB-1, which possesses unique intracellular organization and compartmentalization. While we have shown that CtrA in AMB-1 is not essential for viability, it is required for motility, and its putative phosphorylation state dictates the ability of CtrA to activate the flagellar biosynthesis gene cascade. Gene expression analysis of strains expressing active and inactive CtrA alleles points to the composition of the extended CtrA regulon, including both direct and indirect targets. These results, combined with a bioinformatic study of the AMB-1 genome, enabled the prediction of an AMB-1-specific CtrA binding site. Further, phylogenetic studies comparing CtrA sequences from alphaproteobacteria in which the role of CtrA has been experimentally examined reveal an ancestral role of CtrA in the regulation of motility and suggest that its essential functions in other alphaproteobacteria were acquired subsequently.

Insights into the CtrA regulon in development of stress resistance in obligatory intracellular pathogen Ehrlichia chaffeensis

Ehrlichia chaffeensis is an obligate intracellular bacterium that causes human monocytic ehrlichiosis. Ehrlichiae have a biphasic developmental cycle consisting of dense-cored cells (DCs) and reticulate cells (RCs). Isolated DCs are more stress resistant and infectious than RCs. Here, we report that a response regulator, CtrA was upregulated in human monocytes at the late growth stage when DCs develop. E. chaffeensis CtrA bound to the promoters of late-stage transcribed genes: ctrA, ompA (peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein), bolA (stress-induced morphogen) and surE (stationary-phase survival protein), which contain CtrA-binding motifs, and transactivated ompA, surE and bolA promoter-lacZ fusions in Escherichia coli. OmpA was predominantly expressed in DCs. E. chaffeensis binding to and subsequent infection of monocytes were inhibited by anti-OmpA IgG. E. chaffeensis BolA bound to the promoters of genes encoding outer surface proteins TRP120 and ECH_1038, which were expressed in DCs, and transactivated trp120 and ECH_1038 promoter-lacZ fusions. E. chaffeensis bolA complemented a stress-sensitive E. coli bolA mutant. E. coli expressing E. chaffeensis SurE exhibited increased resistance to osmotic stress. Our results suggest that E. chaffeensis CtrA plays a role in co-ordinating development of the stress resistance for passage from the present to the next host cells through its regulon.

A CtrA homolog affects swarming motility and encystment in Rhodospirillum centenum

The α-proteobacterium, Rhodospirillum centenum, has a complex life cycle that allows adaptation to different environments. Transitions between vegetative swim cell and swarmer cell types depend on whether the organism is growing in liquid surroundings or on a solid substrate. Moreover, starvation can induce vegetative cells to differentiate into quiescent cysts. This paper describes the results of our investigation into the role of a putative DNA-binding response regulator that is homologous to CtrA, the cell cycle regulator from Caulobacter crescentus. Deletion of ctrA from the R. centenum genome resulted in a viable strain with impaired swarming motility coupled with an increased tendency to form cysts. Conversely, overexpression of wild type CtrA or a phosphomimetic allele, CtrAD51E, suppressed cyst cell formation, whereas overexpression of a CtrAD51A allele failed to suppress encystment but did prevent swarming motility. Thus, we propose that CtrA participates within a two-component signal transduction pathway that promotes swarming motility while contributing to the suppression of cyst cell formation.

The gene transfer agent of Rhodobacter capsulatus

When Rhodobacter capsulatus cultures enter the stationary phase of growth, particles of the gene transfer agent (RcGTA) are released from cells. The morphology of RcGTA resembles that of a small, tailed bacteriophage, with a protein capsid surrounding a ~4 kb linear, double-stranded fragment of DNA. However, the DNA present consists of random segments of the R. capsulatus genome, which may be transferred to another strain of R. capsulatus. The recipient in RcGTA-mediated gene transduction may acquire new alleles and thus express a new phenotype. The genes encoding the structural proteins of the RcGTA are clustered on the R. capsulatus chromosome, whereas genes that encode proteins that regulate the production of RcGTA are scattered around the chromosome. These regulatory proteins include a homoserine lactone synthase (GtaI) that produces a quorum-sensing signal, a two-component sensor-kinase protein (CckA), and a two-component response regulator protein (CtrA). We review the proposed evolutionary origin of RcGTA, as well as environmental and cellular factors involved in the induction of this unusual process of genetic exchange.

Getting in the loop: regulation of development in Caulobacter crescentus

Caulobacter crescentus is an aquatic Gram-negative alphaproteobacterium that undergoes multiple changes in cell shape, organelle production, subcellular distribution of proteins, and intracellular signaling throughout its life cycle. Over 40 years of research has been dedicated to this organism and its developmental life cycles. Here we review a portion of many developmental processes, with particular emphasis on how multiple processes are integrated and coordinated both spatially and temporally. While much has been discovered about Caulobacter crescentus development, areas of potential future research are also highlighted.

The diversity and evolution of cell cycle regulation in alpha-proteobacteria: a comparative genomic analysis

Background

In the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus, CtrA coordinates DNA replication, cell division, and polar morphogenesis and is considered the cell cycle master regulator. CtrA activity varies during cell cycle progression and is modulated by phosphorylation, proteolysis and transcriptional control. In a phosphorylated state, CtrA binds specific DNA sequences, regulates the expression of genes involved in cell cycle progression and silences the origin of replication. Although the circuitry regulating CtrA is known in molecular detail in Caulobacter, its conservation and functionality in the other alpha-proteobacteria are still poorly understood.

Results

Orthologs of Caulobacter factors involved in the regulation of CtrA were systematically scanned in genomes of alpha-proteobacteria. In particular, orthologous genes of the divL-cckA-chpT-ctrA phosphorelay, the divJ-pleC-divK two-component system, the cpdR-rcdA-clpPX proteolysis system, the methyltransferase ccrM and transcriptional regulators dnaA and gcrA were identified in representative genomes of alpha-proteobacteria. CtrA, DnaA and GcrA binding sites and CcrM putative methylation sites were predicted in promoter regions of all these factors and functions controlled by CtrA in all alphas were predicted.

Conclusions

The regulatory cell cycle architecture was identified in all representative alpha-proteobacteria, revealing a high diversification of circuits but also a conservation of logical features. An evolutionary model was proposed where ancient alphas already possessed all modules found in Caulobacter arranged in a variety of connections. Two schemes appeared to evolve: a complex circuit in Caulobacterales and Rhizobiales and a simpler one found in Rhodobacterales.

Loss of the response regulator CtrA causes pleiotropic effects on gene expression but does not affect growth phase regulation in Rhodobacter capsulatus

The purple nonsulfur photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus has been extensively studied for its metabolic versatility as well as for production of a gene transfer agent called RcGTA. Production of RcGTA is highest in the stationary phase of growth and requires the response regulator protein CtrA. The CtrA protein in Caulobacter crescentus has been thoroughly studied for its role as an essential, master regulator of the cell cycle. Although the CtrA protein in R. capsulatus shares a high degree of sequence similarity with the C. crescentus protein, it is nonessential and clearly plays a different role in this bacterium. We have used transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of wild-type and ctrA mutant cultures to identify the genes dysregulated by the loss of CtrA in R. capsulatus. We have also characterized gene expression differences between the logarithmic and stationary phases of growth. Loss of CtrA has pleiotropic effects, with dysregulation of expression of approximately 6% of genes in the R. capsulatus genome. This includes all flagellar motility genes and a number of other putative regulatory proteins but does not appear to include any genes involved in the cell cycle. Quantitative proteomic data supported 88% of the CtrA transcriptome results. Phylogenetic analysis of CtrA sequences supports the hypothesis of an ancestral ctrA gene within the alphaproteobacteria, with subsequent diversification of function in the major alphaproteobacterial lineages.

Role of the Sinorhizobium meliloti global regulator Hfq in gene regulation and symbiosis

The RNA-binding protein Hfq is a global regulator which controls diverse cellular processes in bacteria. To begin understanding the role of Hfq in the Sinorhizobium meliloti-Medicago truncatula nitrogen-fixing symbiosis, we defined free-living and symbiotic phenotypes of an hfq mutant. Over 500 transcripts were differentially accumulated in the hfq mutant of S. meliloti Rm1021 when grown in a shaking culture. Consistent with transcriptome-wide changes, the hfq mutant displayed dramatic alterations in metabolism of nitrogen-containing compounds, even though its carbon source utilization profiles were nearly identical to the wild type. The hfq mutant had reduced motility and was impaired for growth at alkaline pH. A deletion of hfq resulted in a reduced symbiotic efficiency, although the mutant was still able to initiate nodule development and differentiate into bacteroids.

Sinorhizobium meliloti CpdR1 is critical for co-ordinating cell cycle progression and the symbiotic chronic infection

ATP-driven proteolysis plays a major role in regulating the bacterial cell cycle, development and stress responses. In the nitro -fixing symbiosis with host plants, Sinorhizobium meliloti undergoes a profound cellular differentiation, including endoreduplication of the ome. The regulatory mechanisms governing the alterations of the S. meliloti cell cycle in planta are largely unknown. Here, we report the characterization of two cpdR homologues, cpdR1 and cpdR2, of S. meliloti that encode single-domain response regulators. In Caulobacter crescentus, CpdR controls the polar localization of the ClpXP protease, thereby mediating the regulated proteolysis of key protein(s), such as CtrA, involved in cell cycle progression. The S. meliloti cpdR1-null mutant can invade the host cytoplasm, however, the intracellular bacteria are unable to differentiate into bacteroids. We show that S. meliloti CpdR1 has a polar localization pattern and a role in ClpX positioning similar to C. crescentus CpdR, suggesting a conserved function of CpdR proteins among alpha-proteobacteria. However, in S. meliloti, free-living cells of the cpdR1-null mutant show a striking morphology of irregular coccoids and aberrant DNA replication. Thus, we demonstrate that CpdR1 mediates the co-ordination of cell cycle events, which are critical for both the free-living cell division and the differentiation required for the chronic intracellular infection.