Effect of histamine on the signal transduction of the AtoS–AtoC two component system and involvement in poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate biosynthesis in Escherichia coli

AtoS–AtoC two-component system acts directly on the atoDAEB operon transcription to regulate the biosynthesis of short-chain poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate. This study sought to investigate the effect of histamine and compound 48/80 on the regulation of AtoS–AtoC two-component system in Escherichia coli K-12 MA255 (speC −, speB −) and the isogenic E. coli strains BW25113 (atoSC +) and BW28878 (ΔatoSC) transformed with plasmids carrying related genes. Histamine or compound 48/80 induced or tended to reduce atoC transcription, respectively, while neither compound showed any effect on atoDAEB operon transcription. Moreover, histamine down-regulated poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate biosynthesis, whereas compound 48/80 up-regulated its biosynthesis, maximal induction being obtained in the presence of multiple copies of AtoS–AtoC. Interestingly, co-administration of histamine counteracted this inductive effect of compound 48/80. The reported data provide the first evidence for a differential modulator role of histamine and compound 48/80 on the AtoS–AtoC two-component system signaling in potentially pathogenic bacteria, leading to a new perspective on their symbiotic behavior.