The fic domain: regulation of cell signaling by adenylylation

We show that the secreted antigen, IbpA, of the respiratory pathogen Histophilus somni induces cytotoxicity in mammalian cells via its Fic domains. Fic domains are defined by a core HPFxxGNGR motif and are conserved from bacteria to humans. We demonstrate that the Fic domains of IbpA catalyze a unique reversible adenylylation event that uses ATP to add an adenosine monophosphate (AMP) moiety to a conserved tyrosine residue in the switch I region of Rho GTPases. This modification requires the conserved histidine of the Fic core motif and renders Rho GTPases inactive. We further demonstrate that the only human protein containing a Fic domain, Huntingtin yeast-interacting protein E (HYPE), also adenylylates Rho GTPases in vitro. Thus, we classify Fic domain-containing proteins as a class of Enzymes that mediate Bacterial pathogenesis as well as a previously unrecognized eukaryotic posttranslational modification that may regulate key signaling events.