Transmitter and receiver modules in bacterial signaling proteins

Abstract

Prokaryotes are capable of sophisticated sensory behaviors. We have detected sequence motifs in bacterial signaling proteins that may act as transmitter or receiver modules in mediating protein-protein communication. These modules appear to retain their functional identities in many protein hosts, implying that they are structurally independent elements. We propose that the fundamental activity characterizing these domains is specific recognition and association of matched modules, accompanied by conformational changes in one or both of the interacting elements. Signal propagation is a natural consequence of this behavior. The versatility of this information-processing strategy is evident in the chemotaxis machinery of Escherichia coli, where proteins containing transmitters or receivers are linked in "dyadic relays" to form complex signaling networks.