Two-component systems (TCS) are protein machineries that enable cells to respond to input signals. Histidine kinases (HK) are the sensory component, transferring information toward downstream response regulators (RR). HKs transfer phosphoryl groups to their specific RRs, but also dephosphorylate them, overall ensuring proper signaling. The mechanisms by which HKs discriminate between such disparate directions, are yet unknown. We now disclose crystal structures of the HK:RR complex DesK:DesR from Bacillus subtilis, comprising snapshots of the phosphotransfer and the dephosphorylation reactions. The HK dictates the reactional outcome through conformational rearrangements that include the reactive histidine. The phosphotransfer center is asymmetric, poised for dissociative nucleophilic substitution. The structural bases of HK phosphatase/phosphotransferase control are uncovered, and the unexpected discovery of a dissociative reactional center, sheds light on the evolution of TCS phosphotransfer reversibility. Our findings should be applicable to a broad range of signaling systems and instrumental in synthetic TCS rewiring.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.21422.001

Response regulators are proteins that undergo transient phosphorylation, connecting specific signals to adaptive responses. Remarkably, the molecular mechanism of response regulator activation remains elusive, largely because of the scarcity of structural data on multidomain response regulators and histidine kinase/response regulator complexes. We now address this question by using a combination of crystallographic data and functional analyses in vitro and in vivo, studying DesR and its cognate sensor kinase DesK, a two-component system that controls membrane fluidity in Bacillus subtilis. We establish that phosphorylation of the receiver domain of DesR is allosterically coupled to two distinct exposed surfaces of the protein, controlling noncanonical dimerization/tetramerization, cooperative activation, and DesK binding. One of these surfaces is critical for both homodimerization- and kinase-triggered allosteric activations. Moreover, DesK induces a phosphorylation-independent activation of DesR in vivo, uncovering a novel and stringent level of specificity among kinases and regulators. Our results support a model that helps to explain how response regulators restrict phosphorylation by small-molecule phosphoryl donors, as well as cross talk with noncognate sensors.

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f Metallo-beta-lactamases (MBLs) are broad-spectrum, Zn(II)-dependent lactamases able to confer resistance to virtually every ␤-lactam antibiotic currently available. The large diversity of active-site structures and metal content among MBLs from different sources has limited the design of a pan-MBL inhibitor. GOB-18 is a divergent MBL from subclass B3 that is expressed by the opportunistic Gram-negative pathogen Elizabethkingia meningoseptica. This MBL is atypical, since several residues conserved in B3 enzymes (such as a metal ligand His) are substituted in GOB enzymes. Here, we report the crystal structure of the periplasmic di-Zn(II) form of GOB-18. This enzyme displays a unique active-site structure, with residue Gln116 coordinating the Zn1 ion through its terminal amide moiety, replacing a ubiquitous His residue. This situation contrasts with that of B2 MBLs, where an equivalent His116Asn substitution leads to a di-Zn(II) inactive species. Instead, both the mono-and di-Zn(II) forms of GOB-18 are active against penicillins, cephalosporins, and carbapenems. In silico docking and molecular dynamics simulations indicate that residue Met221 is not involved in substrate binding, in contrast to Ser221, which otherwise is conserved in most B3 enzymes. These distinctive features are conserved in recently reported GOB orthologues in environmental bacteria. These findings provide valuable information for inhibitor design and also posit that GOB enzymes have alternative functions.T he expression of ␤-lactamases is the main mechanism of bacterial resistance against ␤-lactam antibiotics. These enzymes catalyze the hydrolysis of the amide bond in the ␤-lactam ring characteristic of this family of drugs (1-5). MBLs are metal-dependent hydrolases which generally use Zn(II) as a Lewis acid to activate a water molecule for the nucleophilic attack. These enzymes are refractive to clinically employed lactamase inhibitors (1) and have a particular relevance in the clinical setting as they can hydrolyze a broad spectrum of ␤-lactam substrates, being able to inactivate carbapenems, the "last-resort" antibiotics in antibacterial therapy (6).MBLs have been classified into subclasses B1, B2, and B3 based on sequence identity (7). Crystal structures of MBLs from the three subclasses have revealed that these enzymes present a common ␣␤/␤␣ sandwich fold, with the active site located within a groove at the interface between these two halves (1-6). The Zn(II)-binding residues vary among different subclasses, giving rise to diverse metal site architectures and metal contents required for activity (1-6). B1 and B3 MBLs are broad-spectrum enzymes that hydrolyze penicillins, cephalosporins, and carbapenems with a wide variety of in vitro catalytic efficiencies, displaying a broad range of resistance profiles in vivo (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)8). The di-Zn(II) form of B1 MBLs has been shown to be the active form in the bacterial periplasm, despite contradictory data obtained from in vitro studies (8-10). These enzymes display a conserved metal binding m...