Vibrio cholerae VpsT Regulates Matrix Production and Motility by Directly Sensing Cyclic di-GMP.
Krasteva, P.V., Fong, J.C., Shikuma, N.J., Beyhan, S., Navarro, M.V., Yildiz, F.H., Sondermann, H.(2010) Science 327: 866-868
- PubMed: 20150502 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1181185
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
3KLN, 3KLO - PubMed Abstract: 
Microorganisms can switch from a planktonic, free-swimming life-style to a sessile, colonial state, called a biofilm, which confers resistance to environmental stress. Conversion between the motile and biofilm life-styles has been attributed to increased levels of the prokaryotic second messenger cyclic di-guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP), yet the signaling mechanisms mediating such a global switch are poorly understood. Here we show that the transcriptional regulator VpsT from Vibrio cholerae directly senses c-di-GMP to inversely control extracellular matrix production and motility, which identifies VpsT as a master regulator for biofilm formation. Rather than being regulated by phosphorylation, VpsT undergoes a change in oligomerization on c-di-GMP binding.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Department of Molecular Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.