Download MendeleyActivation mechanism of the full-length histidine kinase LvrB from pathogenic Leptospira.
Agustoni, E., Mechaly, A., Dalla Rizza, J., Beriashvili, D., Pluhackova, K., Isaikina, P., Trajtenberg, F., Muntener, T., Wunder Jr., E.A., Ko, A.I., Schirmer, T., Buschiazzo, A., Hiller, S.(2026) Nat Commun 17
- PubMed: 41991510 Search on PubMedSearch on PubMed Central
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-71783-4
- Primary Citation Related Structures:
8VC9 - PubMed Abstract:
Pathogenic Leptospira modulate their virulence via the Lvr signaling system, with the histidine kinase LvrB being a central element. LvrB is a prototype of Rec-controlled histidine kinases, which are frequently found in bacterial two-component systems, and yet whose regulatory mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we report full-length structures of LvrB in different states uncovering its mechanism of activation. Kinase-inactive LvrB is a symmetric homodimer, with its catalytic domains rigidly clasped onto the central helical domain. Phosphorylation of the N-terminal Rec domains induces coiled-coil formation of the central αS helices thereby breaking symmetry through liberation of the catalytic domains into a dynamic, auto-phosphorylation competent state. We further identified LvrB's downstream effector partner LvrC, an anti-σ factor that reprograms the transcription of hundreds of virulence genes. Our findings set a mechanistic paradigm for Rec-controlled histidine kinases enabling the design of virulence inhibitors.
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Organizational Affiliation:
