The NmpRSTU multi-component signaling system of <i>Myxococcus xanthus</i> regulates expression of an oxygen utilization regulon

Bacteria use two-component signaling systems (TCSs) to respond to a multitude of environmental signals and subsequently regulate complex cellular physiology and behaviors. <i>Myxococcus xanthus</i> is a ubiquitous soil bacterium that encodes numerous two-component systems to respond to the conditions of its soil environment and coordinate multicellular behaviors such as coordinated motility, microbial predation, fruiting body development, and sporulation. To better understand how this bacterium uses a two-component system that has been linked to the sensing of oxygen concentrations, NmpRSTU, we determined the gene regulatory network of this system. We identified several genes regulated by NmpR that are likely important in oxygen utilization and for the <i>M. xanthus</i> response to varied oxygen concentrations in the dynamic soil environment.