Response regulator YycF essential for bacterial growth: X-ray crystal structure of the DNA-binding domain and its PhoB-like DNA recognition motif.

A response regulator YycF and its cognate sensor kinase YycG constitute the two-component signal transduction system essential for growth of Gram-positive bacteria with a low GC content. We have determined the X-ray crystal structure of the effector domain of Bacillus subtilis YycF involved in DNA binding. The structure, containing a winged helix-turn-helix motif, was found to be very similar to that of the response regulator PhoB from Escherichia coli. Specific binding of YycF to the PhoB-regulated alkaline phosphatase promoter was also demonstrated.