TY - JOUR
T1 - Message from a human gut symbiont
T2 - Sensitivity is a prerequisite for sharing
AU - Xu, Jian
AU - Chiang, Herbert C.
AU - Bjursell, Magnus K.
AU - Gordon, Jeffrey I.
PY - 2004/1
Y1 - 2004/1
N2 - Microbial genome sequencing projects are beginning to provide insights about the molecular foundations of human-bacterial symbioses. The intestine contains our largest collection of symbionts, where members of Bacteroides comprise ∼25% of the microbiota in adults. The recently defined proteome of a prominent human intestinal symbiont, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, contains an elaborate environmental-sensing apparatus. This apparatus includes an unprecedented number of extracytoplasmic function (ECF) σ-factors, and a large collection of novel hybrid two-component systems composed of membrane-spanning periplasmic proteins with histidine kinase, phosphoacceptor, response regulator receiver and DNA-binding domains. These sensors are linked to the organism's large repertoire of genes involved in acquiring and processing dietary polysaccharides ('the glycobiome'). This arrangement illustrates how a successful symbiont has evolved strategies for detecting and responding to conditions in its niche so that it can sustain beneficial relationships with its microbial and human partners.
AB - Microbial genome sequencing projects are beginning to provide insights about the molecular foundations of human-bacterial symbioses. The intestine contains our largest collection of symbionts, where members of Bacteroides comprise ∼25% of the microbiota in adults. The recently defined proteome of a prominent human intestinal symbiont, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, contains an elaborate environmental-sensing apparatus. This apparatus includes an unprecedented number of extracytoplasmic function (ECF) σ-factors, and a large collection of novel hybrid two-component systems composed of membrane-spanning periplasmic proteins with histidine kinase, phosphoacceptor, response regulator receiver and DNA-binding domains. These sensors are linked to the organism's large repertoire of genes involved in acquiring and processing dietary polysaccharides ('the glycobiome'). This arrangement illustrates how a successful symbiont has evolved strategies for detecting and responding to conditions in its niche so that it can sustain beneficial relationships with its microbial and human partners.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0347360212&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.tim.2003.11.007
DO - 10.1016/j.tim.2003.11.007
M3 - Review article
C2 - 14700548
AN - SCOPUS:0347360212
VL - 12
SP - 21
EP - 28
JO - Trends in Microbiology
JF - Trends in Microbiology
SN - 0966-842X
IS - 1
ER -