Two-component system regulon plasticity in bacteria: a concept emerging from phenotypic analysis of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis response regulator mutants.

In bacteria, the most rapid and efficient means of adapting gene transcription to extracellular stresses often involves sophisticated systems referred to as two-component systems (2CSs). Although highly conserved throughout the bacterial world, some of these systems may control distinct cell events and have differing contributions to virulence, depending on the species considered. This chapter summarizes the work performed by our group--from the initial PhoP-PhoQ and PmrA-PmrB studies to the most recent genome-scale preliminary analyses--in an attempt to highlight the contribution of 2CS regulon plasticity to the acquisition of some of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis' specific features.