Bacterial Transcriptional Regulators: A Road Map for Functional, Structural, and Biophysical Characterization

The different niches through which bacteria move during their life cycle require a fast response to the many environmental queues they encounter. The sensing of these stimuli and their correct response is driven primarily by transcriptional regulators. This kind of protein is involved in sensing a wide array of chemical species, a process that ultimately leads to the regulation of gene transcription. The allosteric-coupling mechanism of sensing and regulation is a central aspect of biological systems and has become an important field of research during the last decades. In this review, we summarize the state-of-the-art techniques applied to unravel these complex mechanisms. We introduce a roadmap that may serve for experimental design, depending on the answers we seek and the initial information we have about the system of study. We also provide information on databases containing available structural information on each family of transcriptional regulators. Finally, we discuss the recent results of research about the allosteric mechanisms of sensing and regulation involving many transcriptional regulators of interest, highlighting multipronged strategies and novel experimental techniques. The aim of the experiments discussed here was to provide a better understanding at a molecular level of how bacteria adapt to the different environmental threats they face.

Automated summary

The movement of bacteria in different niches during their life cycle requires a rapid response to environmental cues. This response is primarily driven by transcriptional regulators, which sense and respond to a wide range of chemical species, ultimately regulating gene transcription. The allosteric-coupling mechanism of sensing and regulation is a central aspect of biological systems and has been a focus of research in recent decades. This review summarizes the state-of-the-art techniques used to understand these mechanisms and provides a roadmap for experimental design based on the desired answers and initial information about the system of study. The review also highlights recent research on allosteric mechanisms of sensing and regulation, discussing the use of multiple strategies and novel experimental techniques. The aim of these experiments is to gain a molecular-level understanding of how bacteria adapt to environmental threats.