Phenotypic plasticity: the role of a phosphatase family in the genetic
regulation of Bacilli
Abstract
In the last two decades, an increasing number of bacterial species have
been recognized that are able to generate a phenotypically diverse
population that shares an identical genotype. This ability is dependent
on a complex genetic regulatory network that includes cellular and
environmental signals, as well as stochastic elements. Among
Bacilli, a broadly distributed family of Rap (Response-regulator
aspartyl phosphate) phosphatases is known to modulate the function of
the main phenotypic heterogeneity regulators by controlling their
phosphorylation. Even more, their related extracellular Phr (Phosphatase
regulator) peptides function as quorum sensing signals, creating a
cell-cell communication network that regulates the phenotypic
development of the entire population. In this review, we examine the
role that the Rap phosphatases and their Phr peptides play in the
regulation of B. subtilis phenotypic differentiation, and in
other members of the Bacillus genus. We also highlight the
contribution of these regulatory elements to the fitness of bacterial
cells and mobile genetic elements, e.g. prophages and conjugative
vectors.