Journal of Undergraduate Research
Keywords
phosphorylation, conformational changes, PhoB, Escherichia coli
College
Life Sciences
Department
Microbiology and Molecular Biology
Abstract
All bacteria must have a way to control cell functions when their outside environment changes. E.coli uses a phosphate signaling pathway to accomplish this. In the bacterial cell membrane, there are proteins that take up phosphate from the environment, transports it into the cell, and triggers transcription of certain genes. The system is comprised of an ATP-dependent transport system which consists of a periplasmic substrate binding protein, PstS, three membrane proteins, PstC, PstA, and PstB, a regulator, PhoU, a transmembrane histidine kinase, PhoR, and a response regulator PhoB. In this system, the response regulator, PhoB is phosphorlated and then activates transcription of Pho regulon genes. PhoB must undergo a conformational change after being phosporalated which makes it active. It is the purpose of this project to investigate these conformational changes by mapping changes in protease accessibility upon PhoB phosphorylation.
Recommended Citation
Sparks, Allison and McCleary, Dr. William
(2013)
"Phosphorylation dependent Conformational changes of PhoB in Escherichia coli,"
Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2013:
Iss.
1, Article 1195.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2013/iss1/1195