Specificity in Bacterial Two-Component Signaling

Mark Goulian (UPenn)

Abstract

Two-component systems are one of the major modes of signal transduction in bacteria. In their simplest forms, these regulatory circuits are characterized by two proteins - an upstream histidine kinase and a downstream response regulator. They mediate responses to diverse environmental signals and play a central role in regulating many aspects of microbial physiology. Two-component circuits have been uncovered in remarkable numbers within individual organisms and across different bacterial species. This raises interesting questions regarding how inappropriate cross-talk between homologous circuits is kept to a minimum. I will present some of our recent work in which we have explored design aspects of the simplest examples of these circuits in E. coli. I will primarily focus on mechanisms that provide insulation against cross-talk.

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