第二信使cAMP在细菌压力应激与毒力调节中的作用

Roles of the second messenger cAMP in bacterial stress responses and virulence regulation

摘要:

不同类型的第二信使分子在细菌生理活动中发挥着重要作用。环腺苷酸(3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate, cAMP)作为核苷类第二信使在细菌中普遍存在。正常生理条件下cAMP在细菌胞内的合成与代谢存在动态平衡，并通过与其受体蛋白(cAMP receptor protein, Crp)形成的复合体发挥转录调节作用。本文综述了cAMP-Crp在致死胁迫、细菌群体竞争和生物膜形成中的压力应激调节机制，以及cAMP在不同病原菌中影响毒力的作用途径，并呼吁研究者关注细菌cAMP响应宿主或外界环境变化的上游途径。全面了解cAMP介导的细菌应激和毒力调控，可能有助于细菌感染的防控与治疗。

Abstract:

Second messengers play important roles in the physiological activities of bacteria. 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) as a second messenger exists ubiquitously in bacteria. Under normal physiological conditions, the synthesis and metabolism of cAMP in bacterial cells are in dynamic balance, and cAMP functions as a transcription regulator by forming complexes with its receptor protein Crp. This article reviews the regulatory mechanisms of cAMP-Crp in lethal stress response, bacterial population competition, and biofilm formation, as well as the pathways through which cAMP affects the virulence of different pathogens. It calls for researchers to pay attention to the upstream pathways of bacterial cAMP in response to host or external environmental changes. Comprehensively understanding the cAMP-mediated bacterial stress responses and virulence regulation may contribute to the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections.