A divergent CheW confers plasticity to nucleoid-associated chemosensory arrays

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008533
• Publication Date: 2019-12-20T13:32:20Z
• Authors: Annick Guiseppi; Juan Jesus Vicente; Julien Herrou; Deborah Byrne; Aurelie Barneoud; Audrey Moine; Leon Espinosa; Marie-Jeanne Basse; Virginie Molle; Tâm Mignot; Philippe Roche; Emilia M. F. Maur...
• Keywords: Nucleoid; Myxococcus xanthus

Chemosensory systems are highly organized signaling pathways that allow bacteria to adapt environmental changes. The Frz chemosensory system from M. xanthus possesses two CheW-like proteins, FrzA (the core CheW) and FrzB. We found FrzB does not interact with FrzE cognate CheA) as it lacks the amino acid region responsible for this interaction. FrzB, instead, acts upstream of FrzCD in regulation chemotaxis behaviors activates pathway by allowing formation distribution multiple clusters on nucleoid. These results, together, show lack CheA-interacting confers new functions small protein.