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Microbial Cyclic GMP-AMP Signaling Pathways

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Microbial Cyclic Di-Nucleotide Signaling

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Abstract

Cyclic dinucleotides are key second messengers essential for bacteria to adapt and thrive in different environments. The recently identified bacterial cyclic dinucleotide second messenger, 3′,3′-cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP), was first discovered in Vibrio cholerae. A cGAMP isomer is also found in eukaryotes, and most of the current research on cGAMP biology is focused on its role in mammalian innate immunity regulation. In contrast, how cGAMP regulates its targets and the physiological roles of cGAMP signaling in bacteria are not well understood. Here, we summarize our current knowledge of microbial cGAMP signaling pathways. We review how this unique second messenger was discovered in the current pandemic strains of V. cholerae and how the first bacterial cGAMP protein target was identified. We discuss the potential roles of cGAMP signaling in membrane metabolism, gene regulation, pathogenesis, and evolution of V. cholerae as well as in other bacteria. We also compare the similarities and differences in microbial and eukaryotic cGAMP signaling pathways. Finally, we discuss the outlook of microbial cGAMP signaling research in the context of basic microbiology as well as in studying host–pathogen interactions.

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Author notes

  1. Miriam S. Ramliden and Geoffrey B. Severin contributed equally to this chapter.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    Miriam S. Ramliden, Brendan J. O’Hara & Wai-Leung Ng

  2. Graduate Program in Molecular Microbiology, Tufts Sackler School of Biomedical Sciences, Boston, MA, USA

    Miriam S. Ramliden, Brendan J. O’Hara & Wai-Leung Ng

  3. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Geoffrey B. Severin

  4. Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Christopher M. Waters

Authors
  1. Miriam S. Ramliden
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  2. Geoffrey B. Severin
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  3. Brendan J. O’Hara
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  4. Christopher M. Waters
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  5. Wai-Leung Ng
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wai-Leung Ng .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biochemistry and Agricultural Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan

    Shan-Ho Chou

  2. Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Nicolas Guiliani

  3. Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA

    Vincent T. Lee

  4. Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Ute Römling

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Ramliden, M.S., Severin, G.B., O’Hara, B.J., Waters, C.M., Ng, WL. (2020). Microbial Cyclic GMP-AMP Signaling Pathways. In: Chou, SH., Guiliani, N., Lee, V., Römling, U. (eds) Microbial Cyclic Di-Nucleotide Signaling. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33308-9_35

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