The Protein-Protein Interaction Network Reveals a Novel Role of the Signal Transduction Protein PII in the Control of c-di-GMP Homeostasis in Azospirillum brasilense
Edileusa C. M. Gerhardt, Erick Parize, Fernanda Sbaraini Gravina, Flávia Sirotheau Corrêa Pontes, Adrian Richard Schenberger Santos, Gillize Aparecida Telles de Araujo, Ana Caroline Goedert, Alysson H. Urbanski, Maria Berenice Reynaud Steffens, Leda S. Chubatsu, Fábio O. Pedrosa, Emanuel Maltempi de Souza, Karl Forchhammer, Elena E. Ganusova, Gladys Alexandre, Gustavo A. de Souza, Luciano F. Huergo
Abstract
The PII proteins sense and integrate important metabolic signals which reflect the cellular nutrition and energy status. Such extraordinary ability was capitalized by nature in such a way that the various PII proteins regulate different facets of metabolism by controlling the activity of a range of target proteins by protein-protein interactions. Here, we determined the PII protein interaction network in the plant growth-promoting nitrogen-fixing bacterium Azospirillum brasilense . The interactome data along with metabolome analysis suggest that PII functions as a master metabolic regulator hub. We provide evidence that PII proteins act to regulate c-di-GMP levels in vivo and cell motility and adherence behaviors.