SipA, a novel type of protein from Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942, binds to the kinase domain of NblS.

Cyanobacteria respond to nutrient stress conditions by degrading their light-harvesting complexes for photosynthesis, a process regulated in Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942 by the sensor histidine kinase non-bleaching sensor (NblS). In yeast two-hybrid screenings for proteins interacting with NblS we have identified a novel type of protein, named SipA for NblS interacting protein A. Specific binding between NblS and SipA is observed with both yeast and bacterial two-hybrid systems. Additional yeast two-hybrid screenings with SipA as bait further confirmed the specificity of the interaction and allowed us to map their determinants to the ATP-binding domain of NblS. Strong conservation and coevolution of both NblS and SipA in cyanobacteria further suggests the importance of SipA in the context of the NblS signal transduction network.