Title
A Refined Model of the Prototypical Salmonella SPI-1 T3SS Basal Body Reveals the Molecular Basis for Its Assembly
Author
Julien R. C. Bergeron, Liam J. Worrall, Nikolaos G. Sgourakis, Frank DiMaio, Richard A. Pfuetzner, Heather B. Felise, Marija Vuckovic, Angel C. Yu, Samuel I. Miller, David Baker, Natalie C. J. Strynadka
Year
2013
Journal
PLoS Pathogens
Abstract
The T3SS injectisome is a syringe-shaped macromolecular assembly found in pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria that allows for the direct delivery of virulence effectors into host cells. It is composed of a “basal body”, a lock-nut structure spanning both bacterial membranes, and a “needle” that protrudes away from the bacterial surface. A hollow channel spans throughout the apparatus, permitting the translocation of effector proteins from the bacterial cytosol to the host plasma membrane. The basal body is composed largely of three membrane-embedded proteins that form oligomerized concentric rings. Here, we report the crystal structures of three domains of the prototypical Salmonella SPI-1 basal body, and use a new approach incorporating symmetric flexible backbone docking and EM data to produce a model for their oligomeric assembly. The obtained models, validated by biochemical and in vivo assays, reveal the molecular details of the interactions driving basal body assembly, and notably demonstrate a conserved oligomerization mechanism.
Instrument
J-810
Keywords
Circular dichroism, Secondary structure, Biochemistry