Phosphatase-defective DevS sensor kinase mutants permit constitutive expression of DevR-regulated dormancy genes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The DevR–DevS/DosR–DosS two-component system of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, that comprises of DevS sensor kinase and DevR response regulator, is essential for bacterial adaptation to hypoxia by inducing dormancy regulon expression. The dominant phosphatase activity of DevS under aerobic conditions enables tight negative control, whereas its kinase function activates DevR under hypoxia to induce the dormancy regulon. A net balance in these...