Sandbox Reserved 1070: Difference between revisions

Diguanylate cyclases, class 2 transferase enzymes, catalyze the production of cyclic dimeric-guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP), important to signal transduction as a second messenger. Signal transduction is the process of sending signals through cells to promote responses most commonly through phosphorylation or dephosphorylation events. Enzyme DgcZ from ''E. coli'' acts a catalyst to synthesize cyclic di-GMP from two substrate guanosine triphosphate (GTP) molecules to aid in communication of signals throughout the bacteria. C-di-GMP is a second messenger in the production of poly-β-1,6-N-acetylglucosamine (poly-GlcNAc), a polysaccharide required for ''E. coli'' biofilm production. This biofilm allows ''E. coli'' to adhere to extracellular surfaces. The DgcZ protein is composed of two domains: the catalytic glycine-glycine-glutamate-glutamate-phenylalanine (GGEEF) domain responsible for synthesizing c-di-GMP and the regulatory chemoreceptor zinc binding (CZB) domain comprising two zinc binding sites. DgcZ binds zinc with sub-femtomolar affinity. When zinc is bound, the CZB and GGEEF domains adopt conformations that inhibit DgcZ function.