PA5346 a novel protease adaptor protein controlling biofilm formation and motility in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

PA5346 was previously reported to be a central regulator controlling biofilm formation and motility in the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. However, its mode of regulation remained unknown. Apparently. deletion in PA5346 completely abolished P. aeruginosa biofilm formation and enhanced its motility, phenotypes which correlate with low ci-di-GMP levels. During our current study we reviled that all phenotypes can be related to PA5346 regulation over a central transcription factor associated with the Gac/Rsm and cyclic-di-GMP signaling networks. Our results highlight that the regulation is on the protein level and that PA5346 can directly bind the transcription factor and act as a protease adaptor protein leading to its rapid degradation. Taken together this is a first demonstration of a protease adaptor protein in controlling biofilm formation in P. aeruginosa and it highlights the ability to utilize post translation regulation to better govern this complicated process.