| 1. |
- Breidenstein, Annika, et al.
(författare)
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PrgE: an OB-fold protein from plasmid pCF10 with striking differences to prototypical bacterial SSBs
- 2024
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Ingår i: Life Science Alliance. - : Life Science Alliance. - 2575-1077. ; 7:8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A major pathway for horizontal gene transfer is the transmission of DNA from donor to recipient cells via plasmid-encoded type IV secretion systems (T4SSs). Many conjugative plasmids encode for a single-stranded DNA-binding protein (SSB) together with their T4SS. Some of these SSBs have been suggested to aid in establishing the plasmid in the recipient cell, but for many, their function remains unclear. Here, we characterize PrgE, a proposed SSB from the Enterococcus faecalis plasmid pCF10. We show that PrgE is not essential for conjugation. Structurally, it has the characteristic OB-fold of SSBs, but it has very unusual DNA-binding properties. Our DNA-bound structure shows that PrgE binds ssDNA like beads on a string supported by its N-terminal tail. In vitro studies highlight the plasticity of PrgE oligomerization and confirm the importance of the N-terminus. Unlike other SSBs, PrgE binds both double- and single-stranded DNA equally well. This shows that PrgE has a quaternary assembly and DNA-binding properties that are very different from the prototypical bacterial SSB, but also different from eukaryotic SSBs.
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| 2. |
- Breidenstein, Annika, et al.
(författare)
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Structural and functional characterization of TraI from pKM101 reveals basis for DNA processing
- 2023
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Ingår i: Life Science Alliance. - : Life Science Alliance, LLC. - 2575-1077. ; 6:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Type 4 secretion systems are large and versatile protein machineries that facilitate the spread of antibiotic resistance and other virulence factors via horizontal gene transfer. Conjugative type 4 secretion systems depend on relaxases to process the DNA in preparation for transport. TraI from the well-studied conjugative plasmid pKM101 is one such relaxase. Here, we report the crystal structure of the trans-esterase domain of TraI in complex with its substrate oriT DNA, highlighting the conserved DNA-binding mechanism of conjugative relaxases. In addition, we present an apo structure of the trans-esterase domain of TraI that includes most of the flexible thumb region. This allows us for the first time to visualize the large conformational change of the thumb subdomain upon DNA binding. We also characterize the DNA binding, nicking, and religation activity of the trans-esterase domain, helicase domain, and full-length TraI. Unlike previous indications in the literature, our results reveal that the TraI trans-esterase domain from pKM101 behaves in a conserved manner with its homologs from the R388 and F plasmids.
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| 3. |
- Ehrenbolger, Kai Patric, 1991-
(författare)
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Nanoscopic adventures : unraveling macromolecular complexes in infectious diseases via integrative structural biology
- 2024
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis focuses on understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of infectious diseases, which claim nearly 9 million lives annually. The research centers on critical analysis of pathogen mechanisms and drug resistance. I have mainly focused on two clades of pathogens: Enterococcus faecalis and microsporidia. E. faecalis is a key nosocomial opportunistic pathogen, and microsporidia are a group of emerging fungal pathogens that considerably impact the environment and economy, causing, among other things, the decline of honeybee populations. In this thesis, I have combined biochemistry and cryo-electron microscopy to perform an in-depth molecular analysis of crucial protein complexes that drive the infectivity of these organisms. In E. faecalis, the primary drug efflux pump, EfrCD, is examined to gain insight into its role in antibiotic resistance. Microsporidia often have a drastically reduced genome and display altered macromolecular structures due to their parasitic lifestyle. The research aims to provide insights into the regulation of translational processes in microsporidia by comparing the dormant spore stage to the active intracellular stage and looking closely into the infection mechanism. In the publication “Deep mutational scan of a drug efflux pump reveals its structure– function landscape,” I determined the structure of EfrCD and several of its conformations to understand better how this protein complex contributes to E. faecalis' multidrug resistance. In further research, our focus moved to Microsporidia. During our work on the “Structure of the reduced microsporidian proteasome bound by PI31-like peptides in dormant spores” and “Differences in structure and hibernation mechanism highlight diversification of the microsporidian ribosome,” we solved the structure of the endogenous microsporidian ribosome as well as multiple versions of the proteasome; the dormant form of 20S proteasome and the active form of the 20S and 26S proteasome. This gave a deeper understanding of how microsporidia could highly reduce those conserved macromolecular complexes. By discovering novel inhibitors, we were also able to understand how those energy- demanding molecular machines can efficiently regulate themselves. Furthermore, we investigated the specialized infection organ of microsporidia, known as the polar tube. As part of the paper titled "Ribosome clustering and surface layer reorganization in the microsporidian host-invasion apparatus," I contributed by performing proteomic analysis of the endogenously affinity-purified polar tubes using a native affinity tag I discovered. Additionally, I identified potential protein-protein interactions of the polar tube proteins. This complemented the work performed on the dynamics and ultrastructure remodeling of the polar tube during germination through light microscopy and cryo-electron tomography. We observed a cargo-filled state with organized arrays of ribosomes clustered along the thin tube wall and an empty post-translocation state with a thicker wall. The findings of this thesis work expand our understanding of pathogen biology and open up new possibilities for addressing drug development and drug resistance, a significant global health challenge.
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| 4. |
- Espaillat, Akbar, master, 1988-, et al.
(författare)
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A distinctive family of L,D-transpeptidases catalyzing L-Ala-mDAP crosslinks in Alpha- and Betaproteobacteria
- 2024
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Ingår i: Nature Communications. - : Springer Nature. - 2041-1723. ; 15:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The bacterial cell-wall peptidoglycan is made of glycan strands crosslinked by short peptide stems. Crosslinks are catalyzed by DD-transpeptidases (4,3-crosslinks) and LD-transpeptidases (3,3-crosslinks). However, recent research on non-model species has revealed novel crosslink types, suggesting the existence of uncharacterized enzymes. Here, we identify an LD-transpeptidase, LDTGo, that generates 1,3-crosslinks in the acetic-acid bacterium Gluconobacter oxydans. LDTGo-like proteins are found in Alpha- and Betaproteobacteria lacking LD3,3-transpeptidases. In contrast with the strict specificity of typical LD- and DD-transpeptidases, LDTGo can use non-terminal amino acid moieties for crosslinking. A high-resolution crystal structure of LDTGo reveals unique features when compared to LD3,3-transpeptidases, including a proline-rich region that appears to limit substrate access, and a cavity accommodating both glycan chain and peptide stem from donor muropeptides. Finally, we show that DD-crosslink turnover is involved in supplying the necessary substrate for LD1,3-transpeptidation. This phenomenon underscores the interplay between distinct crosslinking mechanisms in maintaining cell wall integrity in G. oxydans.
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| 5. |
- Irazoki, Oihane, et al.
(författare)
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D-amino acids signal a stress-dependent run-away response in Vibrio cholerae
- 2023
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Ingår i: Nature Microbiology. - : Springer Nature. - 2058-5276. ; 8:8, s. 1549-1560
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To explore favourable niches while avoiding threats, many bacteria use a chemotaxis navigation system. Despite decades of studies on chemotaxis, most signals and sensory proteins are still unknown. Many bacterial species release d-amino acids to the environment; however, their function remains largely unrecognized. Here we reveal that d-arginine and d-lysine are chemotactic repellent signals for the cholera pathogen Vibrio cholerae. These d-amino acids are sensed by a single chemoreceptor MCPDRK co-transcribed with the racemase enzyme that synthesizes them under the control of the stress-response sigma factor RpoS. Structural characterization of this chemoreceptor bound to either d-arginine or d-lysine allowed us to pinpoint the residues defining its specificity. Interestingly, the specificity for these d-amino acids appears to be restricted to those MCPDRK orthologues transcriptionally linked to the racemase. Our results suggest that d-amino acids can shape the biodiversity and structure of complex microbial communities under adverse conditions.
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| 6. |
- Jäger, Franziska, et al.
(författare)
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Structure of the enterococcal T4SS protein PrgL reveals unique dimerization interface in the VirB8 protein family
- 2022
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Ingår i: Structure. - : Elsevier BV. - 0969-2126 .- 1878-4186. ; 30:6, s. 876-885.e5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Multidrug-resistant bacteria pose serious problems in hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). Most antibiotic resistance genes are acquired via conjugative gene transfer, mediated by type 4 secretion systems (T4SS). Although most multidrug-resistant bacteria responsible for HAIs are of Gram-positive origin, with enterococci being major contributors, mostly Gram-negative T4SSs have been characterized. Here, we describe the structure and organization of PrgL, a core protein of the T4SS channel, encoded by the pCF10 plasmid from Enterococcus faecalis. The structure of PrgL displays similarity to VirB8 proteins of Gram-negative T4SSs. In vitro experiments show that the soluble domain alone is enough to drive both dimerization and dodecamerization, with a dimerization interface that differs from all other known VirB8-like proteins. In vivo experiments verify the importance of PrgL dimerization. Our findings provide insight into the molecular building blocks of Gram-positive T4SS, highlighting similarities but also unique features in PrgL compared to other VirB8-like proteins.
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| 7. |
- Järvå, Michael A., et al.
(författare)
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Polymer Adhesin Domains in Gram-Positive Cell Surface Proteins
- 2020
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Microbiology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 1664-302X. ; 11
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Surface proteins in Gram-positive bacteria are often involved in biofilm formation, host-cell interactions, and surface attachment. Here we review a protein module found in surface proteins that are often encoded on various mobile genetic elements like conjugative plasmids. This module binds to different types of polymers like DNA, lipoteichoic acid and glucans, and is here termed polymer adhesin domain. We analyze all proteins that contain a polymer adhesin domain and classify the proteins into distinct classes based on phylogenetic and protein domain analysis. Protein function and ligand binding show class specificity, information that will be useful in determining the function of the large number of so far uncharacterized proteins containing a polymer adhesin domain.
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| 8. |
- Lassinantti, Lena, et al.
(författare)
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Enterococcal PrgU Provides Additional Regulation of Pheromone-Inducible Conjugative Plasmids
- 2021
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Ingår i: mSphere. - : American Society for Microbiology (ASM). - 2379-5042. ; 6:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Efficient horizontal gene transfer of the conjugative plasmid pCF10 from Enterococcus faecalis depends on the expression of its type 4 secretion system (T4SS) genes, controlled by the PQ promoter. Transcription from the PQ promoter is tightly regulated, partially to limit cell toxicity caused by overproduction of PrgB, a T4SS adhesin. PrgU plays an important role in regulating this toxicity by decreasing PrgB levels. PrgU has an RNA-binding fold, prompting us to test whether PrgU exerts its regulatory control through binding of prgQ transcripts. We used a combination of in vivo methods to quantify PrgU effects on prgQ transcripts at both single-cell and population levels. PrgU function requires a specific RNA sequence within an intergenic region (IGR) about 400 bp downstream of PQ. PrgU interaction with the IGR reduces levels of downstream transcripts. Single-cell expression analysis showed that cells expressing prgU decreased transcript levels more rapidly than isogenic prgU-minus cells. PrgU bound RNA in vitro without sequence specificity, suggesting that PrgU requires a specific RNA structure or one or more host factors for selective binding in vivo. PrgU binding to its IGR target might recruit RNase(s) for targeted degradation of downstream transcripts or reduce elongation of nascent transcripts beyond the IGR.IMPORTANCE: Bacteria utilize type 4 secretion systems (T4SS) to efficiently transfer DNA between donor and recipient cells, thereby spreading genes encoding antibiotic resistance as well as various virulence factors. Regulation of expression of the T4SS proteins and surface adhesins in Gram-positive bacteria is crucial, as some of these are highly toxic to the cell. The significance of our research lies in identifying the novel mechanism by which PrgU performs its delicate fine-tuning of the expression levels. As prgU orthologs are present in various conjugative plasmids and transposons, our results are likely relevant to understanding of diverse clinically important transfer systems.
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| 9. |
- Lassinantti, Lena, 1993-
(författare)
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Exploring the mechanistic details of Gram-positive Type 4 Secretion Systems
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Hospital acquired (i.e. nosocomial) infections and antibiotic resistance are large issues in the world today, with about 1.3 million people estimated to have died from antibiotic resistant infections in 2019 alone, and these problems are on the rise. Type 4 Secretion Systems (T4SSs) are complex nanomachineries commonly found on conjugative plasmids. T4SSs are a major route for the translocation of genes encoding for antibiotic resistance and other virulence factors. These systems have primarily been studied in Gram-negative (G-) bacteria even though Gram-positive (G+) bacteria stand for about half of the nosocomial infections. To develop ways to limit the spread of both antibiotic resistance and virulence factors, we need to gain fundamental knowledge of T4SSs in G+ bacteria.Our work has focused on the conjugative plasmid pCF10 from the G+ bacteria Enterococcus faecalis where all the genes needed for the T4SS are under the regulation of one promoter named PQ. Most G+ T4SSs consist of three groups of proteins, namely the DNA transfer and replication (Dtr) proteins, the channel proteins and the adhesin proteins. In my work, I have focused my attention specifically on i) the regulatory protein PrgU, ii) the Dtr protein PcfF, and iii) the adhesin protein PrgB. These three proteins provide insights into three different parts of the T4SS. PrgU is part of the regulatory process of T4SS expression and has been shown to inhibit cell-toxicity mitigated by PrgB. The Dtr protein PcfF is needed for the formation of the relaxosome complex critical for conjugative transfer of the plasmid, and PrgB is involved in cellular aggregation events and is also a known virulence factor. Interestingly, increased levels of PrgB have been shown to be toxic to the cells. To inhibit PrgB induced cell toxicity, its production needs to be tightly regulated.The aims of my PhD thesis were to examine conjugation complexes belonging to Type 4 Secretion Systems in Gram-positive bacteria and to determine their function, molecular structures, and regulation. By using a combination of in vivo and in vitro methods we have; i) showed that PrgU binds to the IGR located downstream of the PQ promoter, and that the deletion of prgU in pCF10 containing cells produces increased mRNA levels of the full prgQ transcript, ii) solved the crystal structure of PcfF and identified residues that are important for the interaction with the relaxase and the origin of transfer (oriT) DNA in vitro, and confirmed this by biochemical assays and, iii) solved the entire structure of PrgB using a combination of X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM and performed in vivo assays to confirm its functions.
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| 10. |
- Martínez-Carranza, Markel, 1992-, et al.
(författare)
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Synaptotagmin Binding to Botulinum Neurotoxins
- 2020
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Ingår i: Biochemistry. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0006-2960 .- 1520-4995. ; 59:4, s. 491-498
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are exceptionally toxic proteins that cause paralysis but are also extensively used as treatment for various medical conditions. Most BoNTs bind two receptors on neuronal cells, namely, a ganglioside and a protein receptor. Differences in the sequence between the protein receptors from different species can impact the binding affinity and toxicity of the BoNTs. Here we have investigated how BoNT/B, /DC, and /G, all three toxins that utilize synaptotagmin I and II (Syt-I and Syt-II, respectively) as their protein receptors, bind to Syt-I and -II of mouse/rat, bovine, and human origin by isothermal titration calorimetry analysis. BoNT/G had the highest affinity for human Syt-I, and BoNT/DC had the highest affinity for bovine Syt-II. As expected, BoNT/B, /DC, and /G showed very low levels of binding to human Syt-II. Furthermore, we carried out saturation transfer difference (STD) and STD-TOCSY NMR experiments that revealed the region of the Syt peptide in direct contact with BoNT/G, which demonstrate that BoNT/G recognizes the Syt peptide in a model similar to that in the established BoNT/B-Syt-II complex. Our analyses also revealed that regions outside the Syt peptide’s toxin-binding region are important for the helicity of the peptide and, therefore, the binding affinity.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Schmitt, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
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Enterococcal PrgA Extends Far Outside the Cell and Provides Surface Exclusion to Protect against Unwanted Conjugation
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Molecular Biology. - : Elsevier. - 0022-2836 .- 1089-8638. ; 432:20, s. 5681-5695
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Horizontal gene transfer between Gram-positive bacteria leads to a rapid spread of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance. This transfer is often facilitated via type 4 secretion systems (T4SS), which frequently are encoded on conjugative plasmids. However, donor cells that already contain a particular conjugative plasmid resist acquisition of a second copy of said plasmid. They utilize different mechanisms, including surface exclusion for this purpose. Enterococcus faecalis PrgA, encoded by the conjugative plasmid pCF10, is a surface protein that has been implicated to play a role in both virulence and surface exclusion, but the mechanism by which this is achieved has not been fully explained. Here, we report the structure of full-length PrgA, which shows that PrgA protrudes far out from the cell wall (approximately 40 nm), where it presents a protease domain. In vivo experiments show that PrgA provides a physical barrier to cellular adhesion, thereby reducing cellular aggregation. This function of PrgA contributes to surface exclusion, reducing the uptake of its cognate plasmid by approximately one order of magnitude. Using variants of PrgA with mutations in the catalytic site we show that the surface exclusion effect is dependent on the activity of the protease domain of PrgA. In silico analysis suggests that PrgA can interact with another enterococcal adhesin, PrgB, and that these two proteins have co-evolved. PrgB is a strong virulence factor, and PrgA is involved in post-translational processing of PrgB. Finally, competition mating experiments show that PrgA provides a significant fitness advantage to plasmid-carrying cells.
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| 13. |
- Segawa, Takaya, et al.
(författare)
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Two ABC transport systems carry out peptide uptake in Enterococcus faecalis : Their roles in growth and in uptake of sex pheromones
- 2021
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Ingår i: Molecular Microbiology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0950-382X .- 1365-2958. ; 116:2, s. 459-469
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Enterococcal pheromone-inducible plasmids encode a predicted OppA-family secreted lipoprotein. In the case of plasmid pCF10, the protein is PrgZ, which enhances the mating response to cCF10 pheromone. OppA proteins generally function with associated OppBCDF ABC transporters to import peptides. In this study, we analyzed the potential interactions of PrgZ with two host-encoded Opp transporters using two pheromone-inducible fluorescent reporter constructs. Based on our results, we propose renaming these loci opp1 (OG1RF_10634-10639) and opp2 (OG1RF_12366-12370). We also examined the ability of the Opp1 and Opp2 systems to mediate import in the absence of PrgZ. Cells expressing PrgZ were able to import pheromone if either opp1 or opp2 was functional, but not if both opp loci were disrupted. In the absence of PrgZ, pheromone import was dependent on a functional opp2 system, including opp2A. Comparative structural analysis of the peptide-binding pockets of PrgZ, Opp1A, Opp2A, and the related Lactococcus lactis OppA protein, suggested that the robust pheromone-binding ability of PrgZ relates to a nearly optimal fit of the hydrophobic peptide, whereas binding ability of Opp2A likely results from a more open, promiscuous peptide-binding pocket similar to L. lactis OppA.
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| 14. |
- Sun, Wei-Sheng, et al.
(författare)
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Structural foundation for the role of enterococcal PrgB in conjugation, biofilm formation, and virulence
- 2023
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Ingår i: eLIFE. - : eLife Sciences Publications Ltd. - 2050-084X. ; 12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Type 4 Secretion Systems are a main driver for the spread of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors in bacteria. In Gram-positives, these secretion systems often rely on surface adhesins to enhance cellular aggregation and mating-pair formation. One of the best studied adhesins is PrgB from the conjugative plasmid pCF10 of Enterococcus faecalis, which has been shown to play major roles in conjugation, biofilm formation, and importantly also in bacterial virulence. Since prgB orthologs exist on a large number of conjugative plasmids in various different species, this makes PrgB a model protein for this widespread virulence factor. After characterizing the polymer adhesin domain of PrgB previously, we here report the structure for almost the entire remainder of PrgB, which reveals that PrgB contains four immunoglobulin (Ig)-like domains. Based on this new insight, we re-evaluate previously studied variants and present new in vivo data where specific domains or conserved residues have been removed. For the first time, we can show a decoupling of cellular aggregation from biofilm formation and conjugation in prgB mutant phenotypes. Based on the presented data, we propose a new functional model to explain how PrgB mediates its different functions. We hypothesize that the Ig-like domains act as a rigid stalk that presents the polymer adhesin domain at the right distance from the cell wall.
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| 15. |
- Verma, Apoorv, et al.
(författare)
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Insights into the evolution of enzymatic specificity and catalysis : from Asgard archaea to human adenylate kinases
- 2022
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Ingår i: Science Advances. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 2375-2548. ; 8:44
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Enzymatic catalysis is critically dependent on selectivity, active site architecture, and dynamics. To contribute insights into the interplay of these properties, we established an approach with NMR, crystallography, and MD simulations focused on the ubiquitous phosphotransferase adenylate kinase (AK) isolated from Odinarchaeota (OdinAK). Odinarchaeota belongs to the Asgard archaeal phylum that is believed to be the closest known ancestor to eukaryotes. We show that OdinAK is a hyperthermophilic trimer that, contrary to other AK family members, can use all NTPs for its phosphorylation reaction. Crystallographic structures of OdinAK-NTP complexes revealed a universal NTP-binding motif, while 19F NMR experiments uncovered a conserved and rate-limiting dynamic signature. As a consequence of trimerization, the active site of OdinAK was found to be lacking a critical catalytic residue and is therefore considered to be "atypical." On the basis of discovered relationships with human monomeric homologs, our findings are discussed in terms of evolution of enzymatic substrate specificity and cold adaptation.
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