2′,3′-Cyclic Mononucleotide Metabolism and Possible Roles in Bacterial Physiology

Abstract

Novel intracellular small molecules, 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide monophosphates (2′,3′-cNMPs), have recently been discovered within both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Within plants and mammals, wounding has been found to increase levels of 2′,3′-cNMPs. Initial studies in prokaryotes have identified both intra- and extracellular 2′,3′-cNMPs within bacterial culture, with recent work demonstrating that 2′,3′-cNMP levels affect bacterial gene expression to impact phenotypes such as biofilm formation. The enzyme responsible for 2′,3′-cNMP production in Escherichia coli has been identified and proteins potentially involved in 2′,3′-cNMP hydrolysis are currently under investigation. Furthermore, the development of tools to modulate 2′,3′-cNMP levels in bacteria now allows for directly probing the effects of altered 2′,3′-cNMP concentrations in bacteria. Controlled perturbation of 2′,3′-cNMP pools in tandem with gene expression analyses highlighted potential signaling pathways and identify other proteins involved in 2′,3′-cNMP metabolism and sensing. By dissecting the cellular roles of 2′,3′-cNMPs within bacteria, these ongoing studies highlight novel pathways within prokaryotes which potentially can be engineered to control bacterial proliferation.