ligand binding sensor domain of KinB and related sensor histidine kinases
The ligand binding sensor domain of KinB and related sensor histidine kinases forms a homodimer and binds to an as yet uncharacterized ligand, most likely via the dimerization interface, a feature that appears to be conserved in this domain superfamily. In the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, quorum sensing has been shown to repress biofilm formation and virulence by activating expression of genes encoding the KinB-AlgB two-component system. The response regulator phospho-AlgB represses biofilm and virulence genes, while histidine kinase KinB dephosphorylates and thereby inactivates AlgB; the stimulus for KinB is as yet unknown.