ChiS is a noncanonical DNA-binding hybrid sensor kinase that directly regulates the chitin utilization program in Vibrio cholerae

Abstract T wo- c omponent signal transduction s ystems (TCSs) represent a major mechanism that bacteria use to sense and respond to their environment. Prototypical TCSs are composed of a membrane-embedded histidine kinase (HK), which senses an environmental stimulus and subsequently phosphorylates a cognate partner protein called a response regulator (RR) that regulates gene expression in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. Vibrio cholerae uses the hybrid HK ChiS to activate the expression of the chitin utilization program, which is critical for the survival of this facultative pathogen in its aquatic reservoir. A cognate RR for ChiS has not been identified and the mechanism of ChiS-dependent signal transduction remains unclear. Here, we show that ChiS is a noncanonical membrane-embedded one-component system that can both sense chitin and directly regulate gene expression via a cryptic DNA binding domain. Unlike prototypical TCSs, we find that ChiS DNA binding is diminished, rather than stimulated, by phosphorylation. Finally, we provide evidence that ChiS likely activates gene expression by directly recruiting RNA polymerase. Together, this work addresses the mechanism of action for a major transcription factor in V. cholerae and highlights the versatility of signal transduction systems in bacterial species. Significance Statement From bacteria to humans, the ability to properly respond to environmental cues is critical for survival. The cholera pathogen Vibrio cholerae uses one protein, ChiS, to sense chitin in its environmental reservoir to regulate the expression of genes that are critical for the survival and evolution of this pathogen in this niche. Here, we study how the chitin sensor ChiS works, and discover that it regulates gene expression in an unexpected and unorthodox manner. Thus, this study uncovers how the major regulator ChiS works in this important human pathogen and highlights the versatile mechanisms that living systems use to respond to their environment.