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- Costa, Tiago R D, et al.
(author)
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YopD self-assembly and binding to LcrV facilitate type III secretion activity by Yersinia pseudotuberculosis
- 2010
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In: Journal of Biological Chemistry. - : American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. - 0021-9258 .- 1083-351X. ; 285:33, s. 25269-25284
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- YopD-like translocator proteins encoded by several Gram-negative bacteria are important for type III secretion-dependent delivery of anti-host effectors into eukaryotic cells. This probably depends on their ability to form pores in the infected cell plasma membrane, through which effectors may gain access to the cell interior. In addition, Yersinia YopD is a negative regulator essential for the control of effector synthesis and secretion. As a prerequisite for this functional duality, YopD may need to establish molecular interactions with other key T3S components. A putative coiled-coil domain and an alpha-helical amphipathic domain, both situated in the YopD C terminus, may represent key protein-protein interaction domains. Therefore, residues within the YopD C terminus were systematically mutagenized. All 68 mutant bacteria were first screened in a variety of assays designed to identify individual residues essential for YopD function, possibly by providing the interaction interface for the docking of other T3S proteins. Mirroring the effect of a full-length yopD gene deletion, five mutant bacteria were defective for both yop regulatory control and effector delivery. Interestingly, all mutations clustered to hydrophobic amino acids of the amphipathic domain. Also situated within this domain, two additional mutants rendered YopD primarily defective in the control of Yop synthesis and secretion. Significantly, protein-protein interaction studies revealed that functionally compromised YopD variants were also defective in self-oligomerization and in the ability to engage another translocator protein, LcrV. Thus, the YopD amphipathic domain facilitates the formation of YopD/YopD and YopD/LcrV interactions, two critical events in the type III secretion process.
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2. |
- Doherty, Gary J., et al.
(author)
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The endocytic protein GRAF1 is directed to cell-matrix adhesion sites and regulates cell spreading
- 2011
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In: Molecular Biology of the Cell. - Bethesda : American Society for Cell Biology. - 1059-1524 .- 1939-4586. ; 22:22, s. 4380-4389
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The rho GTPase-activating protein GTPase regulator associated with focal adhesion kinase-1 (GRAF1) remodels membranes into tubulovesicular clathrin-independent carriers (CLICs) mediating lipid-anchored receptor endocytosis. However, the cell biological functions of this highly prevalent endocytic pathway are unclear. In this article, we present biochemical and cell biological evidence that GRAF1 interacted with a network of endocytic and adhesion proteins and was found enriched at podosome-like adhesions and src-induced podosomes. We further demonstrate that these sites comprise microdomains of highly ordered lipid enriched in GRAF1 endocytic cargo. GRAF1 activity was upregulated in spreading cells and uptake via CLICs was concentrated at the leading edge of migrating cells. Depletion of GRAF1, which inhibits CLIC generation, resulted in profound defects in cell spreading and migration. We propose that GRAF1 remodels membrane microdomains at adhesion sites into endocytic carriers, facilitating membrane turnover during cell morphological changes.
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- Rompikuntal, Pramod K., et al.
(author)
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Outer Membrane Vesicle-Mediated Export of Processed PrtV Protease from Vibrio cholerae
- 2015
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In: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 10:7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are known to release from almost all Gram-negative bacteria during normal growth. OMVs carry different biologically active toxins and enzymes into the surrounding environment. We suggest that OMVs may therefore be able to transport bacterial proteases into the target host cells. We present here an analysis of the Vibrio cholerae OMV-associated protease PrtV. Methodology/Principal Findings In this study, we demonstrated that PrtV was secreted from the wild type V. cholerae strain C6706 via the type II secretion system in association with OMVs. By immunoblotting and electron microscopic analysis using immunogold labeling, the association of PrtV with OMVs was examined. We demonstrated that OMV-associated PrtV was biologically active by showing altered morphology and detachment of cells when the human ileocecum carcinoma (HCT8) cells were treated with OMVs from the wild type V. cholerae strain C6706 whereas cells treated with OMVs from the prtV isogenic mutant showed no morphological changes. Furthermore, OMV-associated PrtV protease showed a contribution to bacterial resistance towards the antimicrobial peptide LL-37. Conclusion/Significance Our findings suggest that OMVs released from V. cholerae can deliver a processed, biologically active form of PrtV that contributes to bacterial interactions with target host cells.
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5. |
- Åhlund, Monika K, et al.
(author)
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Directed screen of Francisella novicida virulence determinants using Drosophila melanogaster
- 2010
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In: Infection and Immunity. - : ASM International. - 0019-9567 .- 1098-5522. ; 78:7, s. 3118-3128
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Francisella tularensis is a highly virulent, facultative intracellular human pathogen whose virulence mechanisms are not well understood. Occasional outbreaks of tularemia and the potential use of F. tularensis as a bioterrorist agent warrant better knowledge about the pathogenicity of this bacterium. Thus far, genome-wide in vivo screens for virulence factors have been performed in mice, all however restricted by the necessity to apply competition-based, negative-selection assays. We wanted to individually evaluate putative virulence determinants suggested by such assays and performed directed screening of 249 F. novicida transposon insertion mutants by using survival of infected fruit flies as a measure of bacterial virulence. Some 20% of the genes tested were required for normal virulence in flies; most of these had not previously been investigated in detail in vitro or in vivo. We further characterized their involvement in bacterial proliferation and pathogenicity in flies and in mouse macrophages. Hierarchical cluster analysis of mutant phenotypes indicated a functional linkage between clustered genes. One cluster grouped all but four genes of the Francisella pathogenicity island and other loci required for intracellular survival. We also identified genes involved in adaptation to oxidative stress and genes which might induce host energy wasting. Several genes related to type IV pilus formation demonstrated hypervirulent mutant phenotypes. Collectively, the data demonstrate that the bacteria in part use similar virulence mechanisms in mammals as in Drosophila melanogaster but that a considerable proportion of the virulence factors active in mammals are dispensable for pathogenicity in the insect model.
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