Guo XP, Yan HQ, Yang W, Yin Z, Vadyvaloo V, Zhou D, Sun YC. A frameshift in
Yersinia pestis rcsD alters canonical Rcs signalling to preserve flea-mammal plague transmission cycles.
eLife 2023;
12:83946. [PMID:
37010269 DOI:
10.7554/elife.83946]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple genetic changes in the enteric pathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis have driven the emergence of Yesinia pestis, the arthropod-borne, etiological agent of plague. These include developing the capacity for biofilm-dependent blockage of the flea foregut to enable transmission by flea bite. Previously, we showed that pseudogenisation of rcsA, encoding a component of the Rcs signalling pathway, is an important evolutionary step facilitating Y. pestis flea-borne transmission. Additionally, rcsD, another important gene in the Rcs system, harbours a frameshift mutation. Here, we demonstrated that this rcsD mutation resulted in production of a small protein composing the C-terminal RcsD histidine-phosphotransferase domain (designated RcsD-Hpt) and full-length RcsD. Genetic analysis revealed that the rcsD frameshift mutation followed the emergence of rcsA pseudogenisation. It further altered the canonical Rcs phosphorylation signal cascade, fine-tuning biofilm production to be conducive with retention of the pgm locus in modern lineages of Y. pestis. Taken together, our findings suggest that a frameshift mutation in rcsD, is an important evolutionary step that fine-tuned biofilm production to ensure perpetuation of flea-mammal plague transmission cycles.
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