Chand, NikhileshClatworthy, AnneHung, Deborah2019-10-132012Chand, Nikhilesh S., Anne E. Clatworthy, and Deborah T. Hung. 2012. “The Two-Component Sensor KinB Acts as a Phosphatase To Regulate Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Virulence.” Journal of Bacteriology 194 (23): 6537–47. doi:10.1128/JB.01168-12.0021-91931067-88321098-5530http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:41542758Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that is capable of causing both acute and chronic infections. P. aeruginosa virulence is subject to sophisticated regulatory control by two-component systems that enable it to sense and respond to environmental stimuli. We recently reported that the two-component sensor KinB regulates virulence in acute P. aeruginosa infection. Furthermore, it regulates acute-virulence-associated phenotypes such as pyocyanin production, elastase production, and motility in a manner independent of its kinase activity. Here we show that KinB regulates virulence through the global sigma factor AlgU, which plays a key role in repressing P. aeruginosa acute-virulence factors, and through its cognate response regulator AlgB. However, we show that rather than phosphorylating AlgB, KinB's primary role in the regulation of virulence is to act as a phosphatase to dephosphorylate AlgB and alleviate phosphorylated AlgB's repression of acute virulence.en-USJournal Article2019-10-1310.1128/JB.01168-12