RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Reciprocal Control of Motility and Biofilm Formation by the PdhS2 Two-Component Sensor Kinase of Agrobacterium tumefaciens JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 148429 DO 10.1101/148429 A1 Jason E. Heindl A1 Daniel Crosby A1 Sukhdev Brar A1 Daniel Merenich A1 Aaron M. Buechlein A1 Eric L. Bruger A1 Christopher M. Waters A1 Clay Fuqua YR 2017 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/06/09/148429.abstract AB A core phosphorelay pathway that directs developmental transitions and cellular asymmetries in Agrobacterium tumefaciens putatively includes two overlapping, integrated phosphorelays. One of these phosphorelays putatively includes at least four histidine sensor kinase homologues, DivJ, PleC, PdhS1, and PdhS2, and at least two response regulators, DivK and PleD. Previously we demonstrated that PdhS2 reciprocally regulates biofilm formation and swimming motility. In the current study we further dissect the role and regulatory impact of PdhS2 in A. tumefaciens revealing that PdhS2-dependent effects on attachment and motility require the response regulator, DivK, but do not require PdhS2 autokinase or phosphotransfer activities. We also demonstrate that PdhS2 regulation of biofilm formation is dependent upon multiple diguanylate cyclases, including PleD, DgcA, and DgcB, implying that PdhS2 regulation of this process intersects with pathways regulating levels of the second messenger cyclic diguanylate monophosphate (cdGMP). Finally, we show that upon cell division a GFP fusion to PdhS2 dynamically localizes to the new pole of the bacterium suggesting that PdhS2 controls processes in the daughter cell compartment of predivisional cells. These observations suggest that PdhS2 negatively regulates DivK, and possibly PleD, activity to control developmental processes in the daughter cell compartment of predivisional cells, as well as in newly released motile daughter cells.IMPORTANCE Bacterial developmental processes, including morphological transformations as well as behavioral transitions, are tightly regulated. In many Alphaproteobacteria cell division and development are coordinated by a suite of conserved histidine kinases and their partnered regulatory proteins. Here we describe how the histidine kinase PdhS2 genetically interacts with a single-domain response regulator, DivK, and the intracellular signal cyclic diguanylate monophosphate. PdhS2 dynamically localizes to the new pole of recently divided cells and negatively regulates processes that ultimately lead to attachment and subsequent biofilm formation in Agrobacterium tumefaciens. These findings expand our understanding of the links between cell division and developmental control in A. tumefaciens and related Alphaproteobacteria.