Phosphoproteome Study of Escherichia coli Devoid of Ser/Thr Kinase YeaG During the Metabolic Shift From Glucose to Malate

Understanding phosphorylation-mediated regulation of metabolic enzymes, pathways, and cell phenotypes under metabolic shifts represents a major challenge. The kinases associated with most phosphorylation sites and the link between phosphorylation and enzyme activity remain unknown. In this study, we performed stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC)-based proteome and phosphoproteome analysis of Escherichia coli ΔyeaG, a strain lacking a poorly characterized serine/threonine kinase YeaG, to decipher kinase-substrate interactions and the effects on metabolic phenotype during shifts from glucose to malate. The starting point of our analysis was the identification of physiological conditions under which ΔyeaG exhibits a clear phenotype. By metabolic profiling, we discovered that ΔyeaG strain has a significantly shorter lag phase than the wild type during metabolic shift from glucose to malate. Under those conditions, our SILAC analysis revealed several proteins that were differentially phosphorylated in the ΔyeaG strain. By focusing on metabolic enzymes potentially involved in central carbon metabolism, we narrowed down our search for putative YeaG substrates and identified isocitrate lyase AceA as the direct substrate of YeaG. YeaG was capable of phosphorylating AceA in vitro only in the presence of malate, suggesting that this phosphorylation event is indeed relevant for glucose to malate shift. There is currently not enough evidence to firmly establish the exact mechanism of this newly observed regulatory phenomenon. However, our study clearly exemplifies the usefulness of SILAC-based approaches in identifying proteins kinase substrates, when applied in physiological conditions relevant for the activity of the protein kinase in question.

Substrate Specificity of the Bacillus subtilis BY-Kinase PtkA Is Controlled by Alternative Activators: TkmA and SalA

Bacterial protein-tyrosine kinases (BY-kinases) are known to regulate different aspects of bacterial physiology, by phosphorylating cellular protein substrates. Physiological cues that trigger BY-kinases activity are largely unexplored. In Proteobacteria, BY-kinases contain a cytosol-exposed catalytic domain and a transmembrane activator domain in a single polypeptide chain. In Firmicutes, the BY-kinase catalytic domain and the transmembrane activator domain exist as separate polypeptides. We have previously speculated that this architecture might enable the Firmicutes BY-kinases to interact with alternative activators, and thus account for the observed ability of these kinases to phosphorylate several distinct classes of protein substrates. Here, we present experimental evidence that supports this hypothesis. We focus on the model Firmicute-type BY-kinase PtkA from Bacillus subtilis, known to phosphorylate several different protein substrates. We demonstrate that the transcriptional regulator SalA, hitherto known as a substrate of PtkA, can also act as a PtkA activator. In doing so, SalA competes with the canonical PtkA activator, TkmA. Our results suggest that the respective interactions of SalA and TkmA with PtkA favor phosphorylation of different protein substrates in vivo and in vitro. This observation may contribute to explaining how specificity is established in the seemingly promiscuous interactions of BY-kinases with their cellular substrates.

Tyrosine 601 of Bacillus subtilis DnaK Undergoes Phosphorylation and Is Crucial for Chaperone Activity and Heat Shock Survival

In order to screen for cellular substrates of the Bacillus subtilis BY-kinase PtkA, and its cognate phosphotyrosine-protein phosphatase PtpZ, we performed a triple Stable Isotope Labeling by Amino acids in Cell culture-based quantitative phosphoproteome analysis. Detected tyrosine phosphorylation sites for which the phosphorylation level decreased in the ΔptkA strain and increased in the ΔptpZ strain, compared to the wild type (WT), were considered as potential substrates of PtkA/PtpZ. One of those sites was the residue tyrosine 601 of the molecular chaperone DnaK. We confirmed that DnaK is a substrate of PtkA and PtpZ by in vitro phosphorylation and dephosphorylation assays. In vitro, DnaK Y601F mutant exhibited impaired interaction with its co-chaperones DnaJ and GrpE, along with diminished capacity to hydrolyze ATP and assist the re-folding of denatured proteins. In vivo, loss of DnaK phosphorylation in the mutant strain dnaK Y601F, or in the strain overexpressing the phosphatase PtpZ, led to diminished survival upon heat shock, consistent with the in vitro results. The decreased survival of the mutant dnaK Y601F at an elevated temperature could be rescued by complementing with the WT dnaK allele expressed ectopically. We concluded that the residue tyrosine 601 of DnaK can be phosphorylated and dephosphorylated by PtkA and PtpZ, respectively. Furthermore, Y601 is important for DnaK chaperone activity and heat shock survival of B. subtilis.

Exploring the diversity of protein modifications: special bacterial phosphorylation systems

Protein modifications not only affect protein homeostasis but can also establish new cellular protein functions and are important components of complex cellular signal sensing and transduction networks. Among these post-translational modifications, protein phosphorylation represents the one that has been most thoroughly investigated. Unlike in eukarya, a large diversity of enzyme families has been shown to phosphorylate and dephosphorylate proteins on various amino acids with different chemical properties in bacteria. In this review, after a brief overview of the known bacterial phosphorylation systems, we focus on more recently discovered and less widely known kinases and phosphatases. Namely, we describe in detail tyrosine- and arginine-phosphorylation together with some examples of unusual serine-phosphorylation systems and discuss their potential role and function in bacterial physiology, and regulatory networks. Investigating these unusual bacterial kinase and phosphatases is not only important to understand their role in bacterial physiology but will help to generally understand the full potential and evolution of protein phosphorylation for signal transduction, protein modification and homeostasis in all cellular life.

Analysis of nucleotide diphosphate sugar dehydrogenases reveals family and group-specific relationships

UDP‐glucose dehydrogenase (UDPGDH), UDP‐N‐acetyl‐mannosamine dehydrogenase (UDPNAMDH) and GDP‐mannose dehydrogenase (GDPMDH) belong to a family of NAD⁺‐linked 4‐electron‐transfering oxidoreductases called nucleotide diphosphate sugar dehydrogenases (NDP‐SDHs). UDPGDH is an enzyme responsible for converting UDP‐d‐glucose to UDP‐d‐glucuronic acid, a product that has different roles depending on the organism in which it is found. UDPNAMDH and GDPMDH convert UDP‐N‐acetyl‐mannosamine to UDP‐N‐acetyl‐mannosaminuronic acid and GDP‐mannose to GDP‐mannuronic acid, respectively, by a similar mechanism to UDPGDH. Their products are used as essential building blocks for the exopolysaccharides found in organisms like Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Few studies have investigated the relationships between these enzymes. This study reveals the relationships between the three enzymes by analysing 229 amino acid sequences. Eighteen invariant and several other highly conserved residues were identified, each serving critical roles in maintaining enzyme structure, coenzyme binding or catalytic function. Also, 10 conserved motifs that included most of the conserved residues were identified and their roles proposed. A phylogenetic tree demonstrated relationships between each group and verified group assignment. Finally, group entropy analysis identified novel conservations unique to each NDP‐SDH group, including residue positions critical to NDP‐sugar substrate interaction, enzyme structure and intersubunit contact. These positions may serve as targets for future research.

Enzymes

UDP‐glucose dehydrogenase (UDPGDH, EC 1.1.1.22).

Effects of Phosphorylation of β Subunits of Phycocyanins on State Transition in the Model Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (hereafter Synechocystis) is a model cyanobacterium and has been used extensively for studies concerned with photosynthesis and environmental adaptation. Although dozens of protein kinases and phosphatases with specificity for Ser/Thr/Tyr residues have been predicted, only a few substrate proteins are known in Synechocystis. In this study, we report 194 in vivo phosphorylation sites from 149 proteins in Synechocystis, which were identified using a combination of peptide pre-fractionation, TiO(2) enrichment and liquid chromatograpy-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. These phosphorylated proteins are implicated in diverse biological processes, such as photosynthesis. Among all identified phosphoproteins involved in photosynthesis, the β subunits of phycocyanins (CpcBs) were found to be phosphorylated on Ser22, Ser49, Thr94 and Ser154. Four non-phosphorylated mutants were constructed by using site-directed mutagenesis. The in vivo characterization of the cpcB mutants showed a slower growth under high light irradiance and displayed fluorescence quenching to a lower level and less efficient energy transfer inside the phycobilisome (PBS). Notably, the non-phosphorylated mutants exhibited a slower state transition than the wild type. The current results demonstrated that the phosphorylation status of CpcBs affects the energy transfer and state transition of photosynthesis in Synechocystis. This study provides novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of protein phosphorylation in the regulation of photosynthesis in cyanobacteria and may facilitate the elucidation of the entire regulatory network by linking kinases to their physiological substrates.

Structural Characterization of CalS8, a TDP-α-D-Glucose Dehydrogenase Involved in Calicheamicin Aminodideoxypentose Biosynthesis

Classical UDP-glucose 6-dehydrogenases (UGDHs; EC 1.1.1.22) catalyze the conversion of UDP-α-d-glucose (UDP-Glc) to the key metabolic precursor UDP-α-d-glucuronic acid (UDP-GlcA) and display specificity for UDP-Glc. The fundamental biochemical and structural study of the UGDH homolog CalS8 encoded by the calicheamicin biosynthetic gene is reported and represents one of the first studies of a UGDH homolog involved in secondary metabolism. The corresponding biochemical characterization of CalS8 reveals CalS8 as one of the first characterized base-permissive UGDH homologs with a >15-fold preference for TDP-Glc over UDP-Glc. The corresponding structure elucidations of apo-CalS8 and the CalS8·substrate·cofactor ternary complex (at 2.47 and 1.95 Å resolution, respectively) highlight a notably high degree of conservation between CalS8 and classical UGDHs where structural divergence within the intersubunit loop structure likely contributes to the CalS8 base permissivity. As such, this study begins to provide a putative blueprint for base specificity among sugar nucleotide-dependent dehydrogenases and, in conjunction with prior studies on the base specificity of the calicheamicin aminopentosyltransferase CalG4, provides growing support for the calicheamicin aminopentose pathway as a TDP-sugar-dependent process.

Bacillus subtilis SalA is a phosphorylation-dependent transcription regulator that represses scoC and activates the production of the exoprotease AprE

Bacillus subtilis Mrp family protein SalA has been shown to indirectly promote the production of the exoprotease AprE by inhibiting the expression of scoC, which codes for a repressor of aprE. The exact mechanism by which SalA influences scoC expression has not been clarified previously. We demonstrate that SalA possesses a DNA-binding domain (residues 1-60), which binds to the promoter region of scoC. The binding of SalA to its target DNA depends on the presence of ATP and is stimulated by phosphorylation of SalA at tyrosine 327. The B. subtilis protein-tyrosine kinase PtkA interacts specifically with the C-terminal domain of SalA in vivo and in vitro and is responsible for activating its DNA binding via phosphorylation of tyrosine 327. In vivo, a mutant mimicking phosphorylation of SalA (SalA Y327E) exhibited a strong repression of scoC and consequently overproduction of AprE. By contrast, the non-phosphorylatable SalA Y327F and the ΔptkA exhibited the opposite effect, stronger expression of scoC and lower production of the exoprotease. Interestingly, both SalA and PtkA contain the same ATP-binding Walker domain and have thus presumably arisen from the common ancestral protein. Their regulatory interplay seems to be conserved in other bacteria.

Evolution of bacterial protein-tyrosine kinases and their relaxed specificity toward substrates

It has often been speculated that bacterial protein-tyrosine kinases (BY-kinases) evolve rapidly and maintain relaxed substrate specificity to quickly adopt new substrates when evolutionary pressure in that direction arises. Here, we report a phylogenomic and biochemical analysis of BY-kinases, and their relationship to substrates aimed to validate this hypothesis. Our results suggest that BY-kinases are ubiquitously distributed in bacterial phyla and underwent a complex evolutionary history, affected considerably by gene duplications and horizontal gene transfer events. This is consistent with the fact that the BY-kinase sequences represent a high level of substitution saturation and have a higher evolutionary rate compared with other bacterial genes. On the basis of similarity networks, we could classify BY kinases into three main groups with 14 subgroups. Extensive sequence conservation was observed only around the three canonical Walker motifs, whereas unique signatures proposed the functional speciation and diversification within some subgroups. The relationship between BY-kinases and their substrates was analyzed using a ubiquitous substrate (Ugd) and some Firmicute-specific substrates (YvyG and YjoA) from Bacillus subtilis. No evidence of coevolution between kinases and substrates at the sequence level was found. Seven BY-kinases, including well-characterized and previously uncharacterized ones, were used for experimental studies. Most of the tested kinases were able to phosphorylate substrates from B. subtilis (Ugd, YvyG, and YjoA), despite originating from very distant bacteria. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that BY-kinases have evolved relaxed substrate specificity and are probably maintained as rapidly evolving platforms for adopting new substrates.

Protein-tyrosine phosphorylation in Bacillus subtilis: a 10-year retrospective

The discovery of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins in Bacillus subtilis in the year 2003 was followed by a decade of intensive research activity. Here we provide an overview of the lessons learned in that period. While the number of characterized kinases and phosphatases involved in reversible protein-tyrosine phosphorylation in B. subtilis has remained essentially unchanged, the number of proteins known to be targeted by this post-translational modification has increased dramatically. This is mainly due to phosphoproteomics and interactomics studies, which were instrumental in identifying new tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins. Despite their structural similarity, the two B. subtilis protein-tyrosine kinases (BY-kinases), PtkA and PtkB (EpsB), seem to accomplish different functions in the cell. The PtkB is encoded by a large operon involved in exopolysaccharide production, and its main role appears to be the control of this process. The PtkA seems to have a more complex role; it phosphorylates and regulates a large number of proteins involved in the DNA, fatty acid and carbon metabolism and engages in physical interaction with other types of kinases (Ser/Thr kinases), leading to mutual phosphorylation. PtkA also seems to respond to several activator proteins, which direct its activity toward different substrates. In that respect PtkA seems to function as a highly connected signal integration device.

Cross-phosphorylation of bacterial serine/threonine and tyrosine protein kinases on key regulatory residues

Bacteria possess protein serine/threonine and tyrosine kinases which resemble eukaryal kinases in their capacity to phosphorylate multiple substrates. We hypothesized that the analogy might extend further, and bacterial kinases may also undergo mutual phosphorylation and activation, which is currently considered as a hallmark of eukaryal kinase networks. In order to test this hypothesis, we explored the capacity of all members of four different classes of serine/threonine and tyrosine kinases present in the firmicute model organism Bacillus subtilis to phosphorylate each other in vitro and interact with each other in vivo. The interactomics data suggested a high degree of connectivity among all types of kinases, while phosphorylation assays revealed equally wide-spread cross-phosphorylation events. Our findings suggest that the Hanks-type kinases PrkC, PrkD, and YabT exhibit the highest capacity to phosphorylate other B. subtilis kinases, while the BY-kinase PtkA and the two-component-like kinases RsbW and SpoIIAB show the highest propensity to be phosphorylated by other kinases. Analysis of phosphorylated residues on several selected recipient kinases suggests that most cross-phosphorylation events concern key regulatory residues. Therefore, cross-phosphorylation events are very likely to influence the capacity of recipient kinases to phosphorylate substrates downstream in the signal transduction cascade. We therefore conclude that bacterial serine/threonine and tyrosine kinases probably engage in a network-type behavior previously described only in eukaryal cells.

Interaction of bacterial fatty-acid-displaced regulators with DNA is interrupted by tyrosine phosphorylation in the helix-turn-helix domain

Bacteria possess transcription regulators (of the TetR family) specifically dedicated to repressing genes for cytochrome P450, involved in oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Interaction of these repressors with operator sequences is disrupted in the presence of fatty acids, and they are therefore known as fatty-acid-displaced regulators. Here, we describe a novel mechanism of inactivating the interaction of these proteins with DNA, illustrated by the example of Bacillus subtilis regulator FatR. FatR was found to interact in a two-hybrid assay with TkmA, an activator of the protein-tyrosine kinase PtkA. We show that FatR is phosphorylated specifically at the residue tyrosine 45 in its helix-turn-helix domain by the kinase PtkA. Structural modelling reveals that the hydroxyl group of tyrosine 45 interacts with DNA, and we show that this phosphorylation reduces FatR DNA binding capacity. Point mutants mimicking phosphorylation of FatR in vivo lead to a strong derepression of the fatR operon, indicating that this regulatory mechanism works independently of derepression by polyunsaturated fatty acids. Tyrosine 45 is a highly conserved residue, and PtkA from B. subtilis can phosphorylate FatR homologues from other bacteria. This indicates that phosphorylation of tyrosine 45 may be a general mechanism of switching off bacterial fatty-acid-displaced regulators.

The UDP-glucose dehydrogenase of Escherichia coli K-12 displays substrate inhibition by NAD that is relieved by nucleotide triphosphates

UDP-glucose dehydrogenase (Ugd) generates UDP-glucuronic acid, an important precursor for the production of many hexuronic acid-containing bacterial surface glycostructures. In Escherichia coli K-12, Ugd is important for biosynthesis of the environmentally regulated exopolysaccharide known as colanic acid, whereas in other E. coli isolates, the same enzyme is required for production of the constitutive group 1 capsular polysaccharides, which act as virulence determinants. Recent studies have implicated tyrosine phosphorylation in the activation of Ugd from E. coli K-12, although it is not known if this is a feature shared by bacterial Ugd proteins. The activities of Ugd from E. coli K-12 and from the group 1 capsule prototype (serotype K30) were compared. Surprisingly, for both enzymes, site-directed Tyr → Phe mutants affecting the previously proposed phosphorylation site retained similar kinetic properties to the wild-type protein. Purified Ugd from E. coli K-12 had significant levels of NAD substrate inhibition, which could be alleviated by the addition of ATP and several other nucleotide triphosphates. Mutations in a previously identified UDP-glucuronic acid allosteric binding site decreased the binding affinity of the nucleotide triphosphate. Ugd from E. coli serotype K30 was not inhibited by NAD, but its activity still increased in the presence of ATP.

Bacterial tyrosine kinases: evolution, biological function and structural insights

Reversible protein phosphorylation is a major mechanism in the regulation of fundamental signalling events in all living organisms. Bacteria have been shown to possess a versatile repertoire of protein kinases, including histidine and aspartic acid kinases, serine/threonine kinases, and more recently tyrosine and arginine kinases. Tyrosine phosphorylation is today recognized as a key regulatory device of bacterial physiology, linked to exopolysaccharide production, virulence, stress response and DNA metabolism. However, bacteria have evolved tyrosine kinases that share no resemblance with their eukaryotic counterparts and are unique in exploiting the ATP/GTP-binding Walker motif to catalyse autophosphorylation and substrate phosphorylation on tyrosine. These enzymes, named BY-kinases (for Bacterial tYrosine kinases), have been identified in a majority of sequenced bacterial genomes, and to date no orthologues have been found in Eukarya. The aim of this review was to present the most recent knowledge about BY-kinases by focusing primarily on their evolutionary origin, structural and functional aspects, and emerging regulatory potential based on recent bacterial phosphoproteomic studies.

Analysis of the serine/threonine/tyrosine phosphoproteome of the pathogenic bacterium Listeria monocytogenes reveals phosphorylated proteins related to virulence

Phosphorylation is the most common and widely studied post-translational protein modification in bacteria. It plays an important role in all kinds of cellular processes and controls key regulatory mechanisms, including virulence in certain pathogens. To gain insight into the role of protein phosphorylation in the pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, the serine (Ser), threonine (Thr) and tyrosine (Tyr) phosphoproteome of this bacterium was determined. We used the "gel free" proteomic approach with high accuracy mass spectrometry after enrichment of phosphopeptides. A total of 143 sites of phosphorylation were clearly identified, on 155 unique peptides of 112 phosphoproteins. The Ser/Thr/Tyr phosphorylation site distribution was 93:43:7. All identified phosphopeptides are monophosphorylated, except one and many identified phosphoproteins are related to virulence, translation, phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system, glycolysis and stress response. A description of these phosphoproteins is provided together with a comparison of the phosphosites in the L. monocytogenes proteins and in their homologues of other bacteria for which the phosphoproteome has been determined. Compared with the previous studies, we noticed a more extended conservation of the phosphorylation sites in glycolytic enzymes as well as ribosomal proteins.

Site-specific analysis of bacterial phosphoproteomes

Protein phosphorylation on serine, threonine and tyrosine is established as an important regulatory modification in bacteria. A growing number of studies employing mass spectrometry-based proteomics report large protein phosphorylation datasets, providing precise evidence for in-vivo phosphorylation that is especially suitable for functional follow-up. Here, we provide an overview of the strategies currently used in bacterial phosphoproteomics, with an emphasis on gel-free proteomics and approaches that enable global detection of phosphorylation sites in bacterial proteins. The proteomics technology has matured sufficiently to permit routine characterization of phosphoproteomes and phosphopeptides with high sensitivity; we argue that the next challenge in the field will be the large-scale detection of protein kinase and phosphatase substrates and their integration into regulatory networks of the bacterial cell.

Structure analysis of the Staphylococcus aureus UDP-N-acetyl-mannosamine dehydrogenase Cap5O involved in capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis

Bacterial UDP-sugar dehydrogenases are part of the biosynthesis pathway of extracellular polysaccharides. These compounds act as important virulence factors by protecting the cell from opsonophagocytosis and complement-mediated killing. In Staphylococcus aureus, the protein Cap5O catalyzes the oxidation of UDP-N-acetyl-mannosamine to UDP-N-acetyl-mannosaminuronic acid. Cap5O is crucial for the production of serotype 5 capsular polysaccharide that prevents the interaction of bacteria with both phagocytic and nonphagocytic eukaryotic cells. However, details of its catalytic mechanism remain unknown. We thus crystallized Cap5O and solved the first structure of an UDP-N-acetyl-mannosamine dehydrogenase. This study revealed that the catalytic cysteine makes a disulfide bond that has never been observed in other structurally characterized members of the NDP-sugar dehydrogenase family. Biochemical and mutagenesis experiments demonstrated that the formation of this disulfide bridge regulates the activity of Cap5O. We also identified two arginine residues essential for Cap5O activity. Previous data suggested that Cap5O is activated by tyrosine phosphorylation, so we characterized the phosphorylation site and examined the underlying regulatory mechanism.

Bacillus subtilis two-component system sensory kinase DegS is regulated by serine phosphorylation in its input domain

Bacillus subtilis two-component system DegS/U is well known for the complexity of its regulation. The cytosolic sensory kinase DegS does not receive a single predominant input signal like most two-component kinases, instead it integrates a wide array of metabolic inputs that modulate its activity. The phosphorylation state of the response regulator DegU also does not confer a straightforward “on/off” response; it is fine-tuned and at different levels triggers different sub-regulons. Here we describe serine phosphorylation of the DegS sensing domain, which stimulates its kinase activity. We demonstrate that DegS phosphorylation can be carried out by at least two B. subtilis Hanks-type kinases in vitro, and this stimulates the phosphate transfer towards DegU. The consequences of this process were studied in vivo, using phosphomimetic (Ser76Asp) and non-phosphorylatable (Ser76Ala) mutants of DegS. In a number of physiological assays focused on different processes regulated by DegU, DegS S76D phosphomimetic mutant behaved like a strain with intermediate levels of DegU phosphorylation, whereas DegS S76A behaved like a strain with lower levels of DegU phophorylation. These findings suggest a link between DegS phosphorylation at serine 76 and the level of DegU phosphorylation, establishing this post-translational modification as an additional trigger for this two-component system.

Bacillus subtilis BY-kinase PtkA controls enzyme activity and localization of its protein substrates

Bacillus subtilis BY-kinase PtkA was previously shown to phosphorylate, and thereby regulate the activity of two classes of protein substrates: UDP-glucose dehydrogenases and single-stranded DNA-binding proteins. Our recent phosphoproteome study identified nine new tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins in B. subtilis. We found that the majority of these proteins could be phosphorylated by PtkA in vitro. Among these new substrates, single-stranded DNA exonuclease YorK, and aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase Asd were activated by PtkA-dependent phosphorylation. Because enzyme activity was not affected in other cases, we used fluorescent protein tags to study the impact of PtkA on localization of these proteins in vivo. For several substrates colocalization with PtkA was observed, and more importantly, the localization pattern of the proteins enolase, YjoA, YnfE, YvyG, Ugd and SsbA was dramatically altered in DeltaptkA background. Our results confirm that PtkA can control enzyme activity of its substrates in some cases, but also reveal a new mode of action for PtkA, namely ensuring correct cellular localization of its targets.

Crystal structures of Wzb of Escherichia coli and CpsB of Streptococcus pneumoniae, representatives of two families of tyrosine phosphatases that regulate capsule assembly

Many Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria utilize polysaccharide surface layers called capsules to evade the immune system; consequently, the synthesis and export of the capsule are a potential therapeutic target. In Escherichia coli K-30, the integral membrane tyrosine autokinase Wzc and the cognate phosphatase Wzb have been shown to be key for both synthesis and assembly of capsular polysaccharides. In the Gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, the CpsCD complex is analogous to Wzc and the phosphatase CpsB is the corresponding cognate phosphatase. The phosphatases are known to dephosphorylate their corresponding autokinases, yet despite their functional equivalence, they share no sequence homology. We present the structure of Wzb in complex with phosphate and high-resolution structures of apo-CpsB and a phosphate-complexed CpsB. We show that both proteins are active toward Wzc and thereby demonstrate that CpsB is not specific for CpsCD. CpsB is a novel enzyme and represents the first solved structure of a tyrosine phosphatase from a Gram-positive bacterium. Wzb and CpsB have completely different structures, suggesting that they must operate by very different mechanisms. Although the mechanism of Wzb can be inferred from previous studies, CpsB appears to have a tyrosine phosphatase mechanism not observed before. We propose a chemical mechanism for CpsB based on site-directed mutagenesis and structural data.