Plasmid pBD and the corresponding derivatives encoding the KdpD-Usp chimeras were introduced into E. coli LMG194, and protein overproduction was induced by arabinose. As shown in Fig. 3, all hybrid proteins were produced in nearly the same concentration, except KdpD-UspE. Even when this construct was put under control of the strong tac promoter (E. coli TKR2000/pPV5-3/UspE), we were not able to detect KdpD-UspE. UspE contains two Usp domains in tandem. Therefore, it is conceivable that insertion of this protein causes major structural changes hindering

membrane insertion. For that reason KdpD-UspE was not further characterized in vivo or in vitro. Figure 3 Detection of the KdpD-Usp chimeras. E. coli strain LMG194 was transformed with the pBD plasmids encoding the different KdpD-Usp Belinostat chimeras or buy Semaxanib the empty vector pBAD18 (vector control). Overproduction of the indicated proteins was achieved by addition of 0.2% (w/v) arabinose. Cells were harvested in the mid-logarithmic growth phase, disrupted by addition of SDS-sample buffer [36], and subjected to a 10% SDS-gel. The KdpD chimeras

were detected by immunoblotting with polyclonal antibodies against KdpD. The Mizoribine datasheet response of KdpD-Usp chimeras to salt stress UspC has been identified as a scaffolding protein for the KdpD/KdpE signaling cascade under salt stress [19]. The different KdpD chimeras were tested for their functionality in vivo. For this purpose, we used the E. coli strain HAK006 that carries a fusion of the upstream region of the kdpFABC operon with a promoterless lacZ gene as a reporter strain [12, 16]. Since the copy number of regulatory proteins is very critical in signal transduction,

E. coli HAK006 was transformed with plasmid pBD and its derivatives, encoding the KdpD-Usp chimeras under control of the arabinose promoter. When cells are grown in the absence of the inducer arabinose and in the presence Edoxaban of the repressor glucose, the small amount of KdpD proteins produced is optimal to complement a kdpD null strain [16]. Cells harboring these pBD derivatives were grown in minimal medium of higher osmolarity imposed by the addition of 0.4 M NaCl, and β-galactosidase activities were determined as a measure of kdpFABC expression. KdpD-UspC, Salmocoli-KdpD and Agrocoli-KdpD were able to induce kdpFABC expression 20 to150-fold, respectively, in presence of salt stress compared to no stress (Fig. 4). The highest induction level was produced by KdpD-UspC (150-fold induction). Cells producing Salmocoli-KdpD and Agrocoli-KdpD responded to salt stress, however the induction level was lower (20 to 60-fold induction) compared to cells producing wild-type KdpD (130-fold induction). In contrast, KdpD-UspA, KdpD-UspD, KdpD-UspF, KdpD-UspG, Streptocoli-KdpD, and Pseudocoli-KdpD were unable to sense an increased osmolarity. Figure 4 The response of different KdpD-Usp chimeras to salt stress. Plasmids expressing the indicated proteins were transformed in E.