Bacterial adhesins: common themes and variations in architecture and assembly

Identification of a gene encoding heat-resistant agglutinin in Escherichia coli as a putative virulence factor in urinary tract infection

Escherichia coli causes the vast majority of urinary tract infections (UTI) in both ambulatory and hospital patients. Several uropathogenic virulence factors have been identified, but half of all E. coli isolates that cause UTI have none or only one of the known virulence factors. Thus, it is reasonable to presume that other bacterial factors may be important in UTI pathogenesis. In order to find additional uropathogenic E. coli genes, we used genomic subtraction to identify DNA regions present in a uropathogenic strain of E. coli (1128-11). Genomic subtraction yielded 40 tester-specific fragments, including a novel heat-resistant agglutinin (hra) gene fragment. hra occurred in 55% of 486 UTI strains compared to 28% of 165 rectal strains (P = 0.001). The hra gene in 1128-11 was cloned, sequenced, and found to have 91% homology to the hra gene from E. coli meningitis strain RS218. The genetic organization of genes flanking hra in 1128-11 is distinct from the hra found in E. coli strains J96 and RS218. In our UTI and rectal specimen collections, hra was positively associated with a number of known virulence genes, including pathogenicity island genes hly and cnf, which are absent in 1128-11. The presence of hra in 1128-11 independent of hly/cnf suggests multiple mechanisms by which hra can be acquired by pathogenic E. coli strains. The flanking genes suggest that in 1128-11, hra may be part of a novel variant of a pathogenicity island V.

Lipooligosaccharide-deficient Neisseria meningitidis shows altered pilus-associated characteristics

Molecular interaction between host mucosal surfaces and outer membrane components of microbes is crucial in the infection process. The outer membrane of pathogenic Neisseria contains surface molecules such as pili, PilC, and Opa and a monolayer of lipooligosaccharide (LOS), all of which are involved in the interaction with host cells. Pili mediate the initial attachment to human epithelial cells, which is followed by tight contact between bacteria and the eucaryotic cells, leading to bacterial invasion. To further examine the basis for bacterium-host cell contact, we constructed an LOS-deficient Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C mutant. LOS deficiency was without exception accompanied by altered colony opacity and morphology, which most likely represented an "on" switch for Opa540 expression, and by reduced levels of the iron-regulated proteins FetA and FbpA. We show here that LOS is essential for pilus-associated adherence but dispensable for fiber formation and twitching motility. The absence of attachment to epithelial cells could not be attributed to altered levels of piliation or defects in the pilus adhesion phenotype. Further, LOS mutants do not invade host cells and have lost the natural competence for genetic transformation.

Chaperone priming of pilus subunits facilitates a topological transition that drives fiber formation

Periplasmic chaperones direct the assembly of adhesive, multi-subunit pilus fibers that play critical roles in bacterial pathogenesis. Pilus assembly occurs via a donor strand exchange mechanism in which the N-terminal extension of one subunit replaces the chaperone G(1) strand that transiently occupies a groove in the neighboring subunit. Here, we show that the chaperone primes the subunit for assembly by holding the groove in an open, activated conformation. During donor strand exchange, the subunit undergoes a topological transition that triggers the closure of the groove and seals the N-terminal extension in place. It is this topological transition, made possible only by the priming action of the chaperone that drives subunit assembly into the fiber.

Exploring the 3D molecular architecture of Escherichia coli type 1 pili

An integrated approach combining information gained by Fourier transformation, linear Markham superposition (real space) and mass-per-length measurement by scanning transmission electron microscopy was used to analyze the helical structure of the rod-like type 1 pili expressed by uropathogenic Escherichia coli strain W3110. The 3D reconstruction calculated from the experimental data showed the pili to be 6.9nm wide, right-handed helical tubes with a 19.31(+/-0.34)nm long helical repeat comprising 27 FimA monomers associated head-to-tail in eight turns of the genetic one-start helix. Adjacent turns of the genetic helix are connected via three binding sites making the pilus rod rather stiff. In situ immuno-electron microscopy experiments showed the minor subunit (FimH) mediating pilus adhesion to bladder epithelial cells to be the distal protein of the pilus tip, which had a spring-like appearance at higher magnification. The subunits FimG and FimF connect FimH to the FimA rod, the sequential orientation being FimA-FimF-FimG-FimH. The electron density map calculated at 18A resolution from an atomic model of the pilus rod (built using the pilin domain FimH together with the G1 strand of FimC as a template for FimA and applying the optimal helical parameters determined to the head-to-tail interaction model for pilus assembly) was practically identical with that of the actual 3D reconstruction.

Escherichia coli DegP protease cleaves between paired hydrophobic residues in a natural substrate: the PapA pilin

The DegP protein, a multifunctional chaperone and protease, is essential for clearance of denatured or aggregated proteins from the inner-membrane and periplasmic space in Escherichia coli. To date, four natural targets for DegP have been described: colicin A lysis protein, pilin subunits and MalS from E. coli, and high-molecular-weight adherence proteins from Haemophilus influenzae. In vitro, DegP has shown weak protease activity with casein and several other nonnative substrates. We report here the identification of the major pilin subunit of the Pap pilus, PapA, as a natural DegP substrate and demonstrate binding and proteolysis of this substrate in vitro. Using overlapping peptide arrays, we identified three regions in PapA that are preferentially cleaved by DegP. A 7-mer peptide was found to be a suitable substrate for cleavage by DegP in vitro. In vitro proteolysis of model peptide substrates revealed that cleavage is dependent upon the presence of paired hydrophobic amino acids; moreover, cleavage was found to occur between the hydrophobic residues. Finally, we demonstrate that the conserved carboxyl-terminal sequence in pilin subunits, although not a cleavage substrate for DegP, activates the protease and we propose that the activating peptide is recognized by DegP's PDZ domains.

Identification of a localization factor for the polar positioning of bacterial structural and regulatory proteins

Polar pili biogenesis in Caulobacter involves the asymmetric localization of the CpaE and CpaC components of the pili-specific secretion apparatus to one pole of the predivisional cell followed by the biosynthesis of the pili filaments in the daughter swarmer cell. The histidine kinase signaling protein, PleC, that controls the temporal accumulation of the PilA pilin subunit is asymmetrically localized to the pole at which pili are assembled. Here we identify a protein, PodJ, that provides the positional information for the polar localization of both PleC and CpaE. The PodJ protein was found to exist in two forms, a truncated 90-kDa and a full-length 110-kDa form, each controlling a different aspect of polar development and each localizing to the cell poles at a specific time in the cell cycle. When active PleC is delocalized in a DeltapodJ mutant, the accumulation of PilA, the downstream target of PleC signaling, is impaired, providing evidence that the polar localization of this histidine kinase stimulates the response signaled by a two-component system.

A dynamically localized histidine kinase controls the asymmetric distribution of polar pili proteins

Each cell division in Caulobacter crescentus is asymmetric, yielding a swarmer cell with several polar pili and a non-piliated stalked cell. To identify factors contributing to the asymmetric biogenesis of polar pili, cytological studies of pilus assembly components were performed. We show here that the CpaC protein, which is thought to form the outer membrane pilus secretion channel, and its assembly factor, CpaE, are localized to the cell pole prior to the polymerization of the pilus filament. We demonstrate that the PleC histidine kinase, a two-component signal transduction protein shown previously to localize to the piliated cell pole before and during pilus assembly, controls the accumulation of the pilin subunit, PilA. Using an inactive form of PleC (PleCH610A) that lacks the catalytic histidine residue, we provide evidence that PleC activity is responsible for the asymmetric distribution of CpaE and itself to only one of the two cell poles. Thus, a polar signal transduction protein controls its own asymmetric location as well as that of a factor assembling a polar organelle.

Identification of MrpI as the sole recombinase that regulates the phase variation of MR/P fimbria, a bladder colonization factor of uropathogenic Proteus mirabilis

Proteus mirabilis is a common cause of urinary tract infection (UTI) in individuals with structural abnormalities or long-term catheterization. The expression of mannose-resistant/Proteus-like (MR/P) fimbria is phase variable because of the inversion of a 251 bp DNA fragment that carries the promoter for the mrp operon. Previous studies have shown that mrpI, which is transcribed divergently from the mrp operon, encodes a recombinase capable of switching the orientation of this invertible element. In this study, we constructed isogenic mrpI null mutants from a clinical isolate of P. mirabilis, HI4320. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based invertible element assay revealed that the isogenic mrpI null mutants were locked in one phase, either expressing (locked on) MR/P fimbriae or not (locked off), which indicated that MrpI was the sole recombinase that regulated the phase variation of MR/P fimbria. The locked-on and locked-off mutants were evaluated for virulence in the CBA mouse model of ascending UTI by co-challenges with each other and with the wild-type strain. Results from these experiments demonstrated conclusively that the MR/P fimbria was a critical bladder colonization factor of uropathogenic P. mirabilis and also suggested that the ability to switch off the expression of MR/P fimbria might be important for kidney colonization.

Export of autotransported proteins proceeds through an oligomeric ring shaped by C-terminal domains

An investigation was made into the oligomerization, the ability to form pores and the secretion-related properties of the 45 kDa C-terminal domain of the IgA protease (C-IgAP) from Neisseria gonorrhoeae. This protease is the best studied example of the autotransporters (ATs), a large family of exoproteins from Gram-negative bacteria that includes numerous virulence factors from human pathogens. These proteins contain an N-terminal passenger domain that em bodies the secreted polypeptide, while the C-domain inserts into the outer membrane (OM) and trans locates the linked N-module into the extracellular medium. Here we report that purified C-IgAP forms an oligomeric complex of approximately 500 kDa with a ring-like structure containing a central cavity of approximately 2 nm diameter that is the conduit for the export of the N-domains. These data overcome the previous model for ATs, which postulated the passage of the N-module through the hydrophilic channel of the beta-barrel of each monomeric C-domain. Our results advocate a secretion mechanism not unlike other bacterial export systems, such as the secretins or fimbrial ushers, which rely on multimeric complexes assembled in the OM.

Structural basis of tropism of Escherichia coli to the bladder during urinary tract infection

The first step in the colonization of the human urinary tract by pathogenic Escherichia coli is the mannose-sensitive binding of FimH, the adhesin present at the tip of type 1 pili, to the bladder epithelium. We elucidated crystallographically the interactions of FimH with D-mannose. The unique site binding pocket occupied by D-mannose was probed using site-directed mutagenesis. All but one of the mutants examined had greatly diminished mannose-binding activity and had also lost the ability to bind human bladder cells. The binding activity of the mono-saccharide D-mannose was delineated from this of mannotriose (Man(alpha 1-3)[Man(alpha 1-6)]Man) by generating mutants that abolished D-mannose binding but retained mannotriose binding activity. Our structure/function analysis demonstrated that the binding of the monosaccharide alpha-D-mannose is the primary bladder cell receptor for uropathogenic E. coli and that this event requires a highly conserved FimH binding pocket. The residues in the FimH mannose-binding pocket were sequenced and found to be invariant in over 200 uropathogenic strains of E. coli. Only enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) possess a sequence variation within the mannose-binding pocket of FimH, suggesting a naturally occurring mechanism of attenuation in EHEC bacteria that would prevent them from being targeted to the urinary tract.

Attachment of Staphylococcus aureus to eukaryotic cells and experimental pitfalls in staphylococcal adherence assays: a critical appraisal

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterial species with pathogenic potential to both humans and animals. The primary natural niche is said to be the human vestibulum nasi from where bacterial cells may spread to the environment or additional anatomical sites such as the perineum or the hands, where residence is usually transient. Apparently, S. aureus is capable of a precise and balanced interaction with specific types of eukaryotic nasal cells. Although a wide variety of important bacterial ligands and possible eukaryote receptors have been described, the precise mechanisms leading to persistent bacterial colonization and, even more importantly, associated infection have not yet been elucidated in detail. This may be a consequence of the fact that most of the adherence factors have been studied individually in simplified in vitro systems, not taking the complexity of multi-factorial in vivo cell-cell interactions into account. An overall scheme of the initial and sequential interactions leading to S. aureus colonization of eukaryotic cell surfaces has not yet emerged. This review concisely describes the current state of affairs in the multi-disciplinary field of staphylococcal adherence research. Specific emphasis is placed upon the pros and cons of the various artificial, mostly in vitro models employed to study the interaction between bacterial and human or animal cells.

Binding of milk oligosaccharides by several enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains isolated from calves

Milk oligosaccharides have been proposed to play an important role in newborn defense, blocking bacterial adhesion to the intestinal mucosa and preventing infections. Some studies have been performed on human milk oligosaccharides. Here we checked whether bovine milk oligosaccharides would achieve the same protective action against the most common calf enteric pathogens. Seven enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains, isolated from diarrheic calves, were selected. All strains managed to agglutinate horse erythrocytes, and we therefore used the inhibition of hemagglutination in the presence of oligosaccharides as an indicator of the union between oligosaccharide and bacterial adhesins. Oligosaccharides from different stages of bovine lactation and standard oligosaccharides were assayed. Midlactation milk, in particular that corresponding to the transition period, proved to be the most efficient at inhibiting hemagglutination. The standard oligosaccharides used pointed to the preference of several strains (K99-, F41-, and F17-fimbriated) for alpha2,6-linked sialic acid. By contrast, B23 fimbriae exhibited higher affinity for alpha2,3-sialylated isomers and B64 seemed to require N-acetylglucosamine for binding. Our results suggest a general trend for milk oligosaccharides. Probably they participate in the protection of newborn mammals from pathogens.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae PilV, a type IV pilus-associated protein essential to human epithelial cell adherence

Type IV pili (Tfp) of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the Gram-negative etiologic agent of gonorrhea, facilitate colonization of the human host. Tfp are assumed to play a key role in the initial adherence to human epithelial cells by virtue of the associated adhesin protein PilC. To examine the structural and functional basis for adherence in more detail, we identified potential genes encoding polypeptides sharing structural similarities to PilE (the Tfp subunit) within the N. gonorrhoeae genome sequence database. We show here that a fiber subunit-like protein, termed PilV, is essential to organelle-associated adherence but dispensable for Tfp biogenesis and other pilus-related phenotypes, including autoagglutination, competence for natural transformation, and twitching motility. The adherence defect in pilV mutants cannot be attributed to reduced levels of piliation, defects in fiber anchoring to the bacterial cell surface, or to unstable pilus expression related to organelle retraction. PilV is expressed at low levels relative to PilE and copurifies with Tfp fibers in a PilC-dependent fashion. Purified Tfp from pilV mutants contain PilC adhesin at reduced levels. Taken together, these data support a model in which PilV functions in adherence by promoting the functional display of PilC in the context of the pilus fiber.

Characterization of the adhesin of Escherichia coli F18 fimbriae

Previous research has suggested that the adhesin encoded by the F18 fimbrial operon in Escherichia coli is either the FedE or FedF protein. In this work, we show that anti-FedF antibodies, unlike anti-FedE serum, were able to inhibit E. coli adhesion to porcine enterocytes. Moreover, specific adhesion to enterocytes was shown with purified FedF-maltose binding protein.

Vibrio fischeri outer membrane protein OmpU plays a role in normal symbiotic colonization

The nascent light-emitting organ of newly hatched juveniles of the Hawaiian sepiolid squid Euprymna scolopes is specifically colonized by cells of Vibrio fischeri that are obtained from the ambient seawater. The mechanisms that promote this specific, cooperative colonization are likely to require a number of bacterial and host-derived factors and activities, only some of which have been described to date. A characteristic of many host-pathogen associations is the presence of bacterial mechanisms that allow attachment to specific tissues. These mechanisms have been well characterized and often involve bacterial fimbriae or outer membrane proteins (OMPs) that act as adhesins, the expression of which has been linked to virulence regulators such as ToxR in Vibrio cholerae. Analogous or even homologous mechanisms are probably operative in the initiation and persistence of cooperative bacterial associations, although considerably less is known about them. We report the presence in V. fischeri of ompU, a gene encoding a 32.5-kDa protein homolog of two other OMPs, OmpU of V. cholerae (50.8% amino acid sequence identity) and OmpL of Photobacterium profundum (45.5% identity). A null mutation introduced into the V. fischeri ompU resulted in the loss of an OMP with an estimated molecular mass of about 34 kDa; genetic complementation of the mutant strain with a DNA fragment containing only the ompU gene restored the production of this protein. The expression of the V. fischeri OmpU was not significantly affected by either (i) iron or phosphate limitation or (ii) a mutation that renders V. fischeri defective in the synthesis of a homolog of the OMP-regulatory protein ToxR. The ompU mutant grew normally in complex nutrient media but was more susceptible to growth inhibition in the presence of either anionic detergents or the antimicrobial peptide protamine sulfate. Interestingly, colonization experiments showed that the ompU null mutant initiated a symbiotic association with juvenile light organ tissue with only about 60% of the effectiveness of the parent strain. When colonization did occur, it proceeded more slowly and resulted in an approximately fourfold-smaller bacterial population. Surprisingly, there was no evidence that in a mixed infection with its parent, the ompU-defective strain had a competitive disadvantage, suggesting that the presence of the parent strain provided a shared compensatory activity. Thus, the OmpU protein appears to play a role in the normal process by which V. fischeri initiates its colonization of the nascent light organ of juvenile squids.

flp-1, the first representative of a new pilin gene subfamily, is required for non-specific adherence of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, a Gram-negative bacterium responsible for localized juvenile periodontitis and other infections such as endocarditis, produces long fibrils of bundled pili that are believed to mediate non-specific, tenacious adherence to surfaces. Previous investigations have implicated an abundant, small ( approximately 6.5 kDa), fibril-associated protein (Flp/Fap) as the primary fibril subunit. Here, we report studies on fibril structure and on the function and evolution of Flp. High-resolution electron microscopy of adherent clinical strain CU1000N revealed long bundles of 5- to 7-nm-diameter pili, whose subunits appear to be arranged in a helical array similar to that observed for type IV pili in other bacteria. Fibrils were found to be associated with the bacterial cell surface and smaller structures thought to be membrane vesicles. A modified version of the CU1000N Flp1 polypeptide with the T7-TAG epitope fused to its C-terminus was expressed in the wild-type strain, and the presence of the modified Flp1 in fibrils was confirmed by immunogold electron microscopy with monoclonal antibody to T7-TAG. To determine the importance of Flp1 in fibril formation and cell adherence, we used transposon IS903phikan to isolate insertion mutations in the flp-1 gene (formerly designated flp). Mutants with insertions early in flp-1 fail to produce fibrils and do not adhere to surfaces. Both fibril production and adherence were restored by cloned flp-1 in trans, thus providing the first evidence that flp-1 is required for fibril formation and tight, non-specific adherence. One mutant was found to have an insertion near the 3' end of flp-1 that results in the expression of a truncated and altered C-terminus of Flp1. This mutant produced short, unbundled pili, and its adherence to surfaces was significantly less than that of wild-type bacteria. These findings and related observations with the Flp1-T7-TAG protein indicate that the C-terminus of Flp1 is important for the bundling and adherence properties of pili. Extensive sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analysis of 61 predicted prepilin genes of bacteria revealed flp-1 to be a member of a novel and widespread subfamily of type IV prepilin genes. Thus, Flp pili are likely to be expressed by diverse bacterial species. Furthermore, we found that it is common for bacterial genomes to contain multiple alleles of flp-like genes, including the open reading frame (flp-2, previously designated orfA) immediately downstream of flp-1 in A. actinomycetemcomitans. The duplication and divergence of flp genes in bacteria may be important to the diversification of the colonization properties of these organisms.

Repression of bacterial motility by a novel fimbrial gene product

Proteus mirabilis is a common uropathogen in patients with long-term catheterization or with structural or functional abnormalities in the urinary tract. The mannose-resistant, Proteus-like (MR/P) fimbriae and flagellum are among virulence factors of P.mirabilis that contribute to its colonization in a murine model of ascending urinary tract infection. mrpJ, the last of nine genes of the mrp operon, encodes a 107 amino acid protein that contains a putative helix-turn-helix domain. Using transcriptional lacZ fusions integrated into the chromosome and mutagenesis studies, we demonstrate that MrpJ represses transcription of the flagellar regulon and thus reduces flagella synthesis when MR/P fimbriae are produced. The repression of flagella synthesis by MrpJ is confirmed by electron microscopy. However, a gel mobility shift assay indicates that MrpJ does not bind directly to the regulatory region of the flhDC operon. The isogenic mrpJ null mutant of wild-type P.mirabilis strain HI4320 is attenuated in the murine model. Our data also indicate that PapX encoded by a pap (pyelonephritis- associated pilus) operon of uropathogenic Escherichia coli is a functional homolog of MrpJ.

Characterization of the CsfC and CsfD proteins involved in the biogenesis of CS5 pili from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli

The region required for biosynthesis of CS5 pili consists of six csf genes, with csfA encoding the major subunit. In this study, we describe the characterization of two of the genes constituting the region, csfC and csfD, but also identify the true morphology of the CS5 pilus by high resolution electron microscopy. CsfD was shown to be essential in the initiation of CS5 pilus biogenesis, did not possess any chaperone-like activity for the major subunit, and was an integral minor component of the pilus structure. Studies on CsfD translocation across the outer membrane in Escherichia coli K-12 using a csfA mutant also showed that CsfD is likely to be the first pilin subunit assembled. A specific in-frame deletion in the csfC gene resulted in the complete absence of cell surface CS5 pili and prevented the translocation of CsfA and CsfD pilins across the outer membrane. Specific cell localization studies showed an accumulation of CsfC in the outer membranes of E. coli K-12, while complementation experiments with homologous outer membrane assembly genes from CS1 and CFA/I pili systems were unable to restore assembly of CS5 pili. The CS5 pilus was shown to be a 2 nm flexible fibrillar structure, which adopted a predominantly open helical conformation under the electron microscope.

Structure and characterization of AgfB from Salmonella enteritidis thin aggregative fimbriae

The agfBAC operon of Salmonella enteritidis encodes thin aggregative fimbriae, fibrous, polymeric structures primarily composed of AgfA fimbrins. Although uncharacterized, AgfB shows a 51 % overall amino acid sequence similarity to AgfA. Using AgfB epitope-specific antiserum, AgfB was detected as a minor component of whole, purified fimbriae. Like AgfA, AgfB was released from purified fimbriae by >70 % formic acid, whereupon both AgfA-AgfA and AgfA-AgfB dimers as well as monomers were detected. This suggested that AgfB may form specific, highly stable, structural associations with AgfA in native fimbrial filaments, associations that were weakened in structurally unstable fibers derived from AgfA chimeric fimbrial mutants. Detailed sequence comparisons between AgfA and AgfB showed that AgfB harbored a similar fivefold repeated sequence pattern (x(6)QxGx(2)NxAx(3)Q), and contained structural motifs similar to the parallel beta helix model proposed for AgfA. Molecular modeling of AgfB revealed a 3D structure remarkably similar to that of AgfA, the structures differing principally in the surface disposition of non-conserved, basic, acidic and non-polar residues. Thus AgfB is a fimbrin-like structural homologue of AgfA and an integral, minor component of native thin aggregative fimbrial fibers. AgfB from an agfA deletion strain was detected as a non-fimbrial, SDS-insoluble form in the supernatant and was purified. AgfA from an agfB deletion strain was found in both SDS-soluble and insoluble, non-fimbrial forms. No AgfA-AgfA dimers were detected in the absence of AgfB. Fimbriae formation by intercellular complementation between agfB and agfA deletion strains could not be shown under a variety of conditions, indicating that AgfA and AgfB are not freely diffusible in S. enteritidis. This has important implications on the current assembly hypothesis for thin aggregative fimbriae.

Characterization of Escherichia coli type 1 pilus mutants with altered binding specificities

PCR mutagenesis and a unique enrichment scheme were used to obtain two mutants, each with a single lesion in fimH, the chromosomal gene that encodes the adhesin protein (FimH) of Escherichia coli type 1 pili. These mutants were noteworthy in part because both were altered in the normal range of cell types bound by FimH. One mutation altered an amino acid at a site previously shown to be involved in temperature-dependent binding, and the other altered an amino acid lining the predicted FimH binding pocket.

Common and contrasting themes of plant and animal diseases

Recent studies in bacterial pathogenesis reveal common and contrasting mechanisms of pathogen virulence and host resistance in plant and animal diseases. This review presents recent developments in the study of plant and animal pathogenesis, with respect to bacterial colonization and the delivery of effector proteins to the host. Furthermore, host defense responses in both plants and animals are discussed in relation to mechanisms of pathogen recognition and defense signaling. Future studies will greatly add to our understanding of the molecular events defining host-pathogen interactions.

Structural basis of the interaction of the pyelonephritic E. coli adhesin to its human kidney receptor

PapG is the adhesin at the tip of the P pilus that mediates attachment of uropathogenic Escherichia coli to the uroepithelium of the human kidney. The human specific allele of PapG binds to globoside (GbO4), which consists of the tetrasaccharide GalNAc beta 1-3Gal alpha 1-4Gal beta 1-4Glc linked to ceramide. Here, we present the crystal structures of a binary complex of the PapG receptor binding domain bound to GbO4 as well as the unbound form of the adhesin. The biological importance of each of the residues involved in binding was investigated by site-directed mutagenesis. These studies provide a molecular snapshot of a host-pathogen interaction that determines the tropism of uropathogenic E. coli for the human kidney and is critical to the pathogenesis of pyelonephritis.

The chaperone/usher pathways of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: identification of fimbrial gene clusters (cup) and their involvement in biofilm formation

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an important opportunistic human pathogen, persists in certain tissues in the form of specialized bacterial communities, referred to as biofilm. The biofilm is formed through series of interactions between cells and adherence to surfaces, resulting in an organized structure. By screening a library of Tn5 insertions in a nonpiliated P. aeruginosa strain, we identified genes involved in early stages of biofilm formation. One class of mutations identified in this study mapped in a cluster of genes specifying the components of a chaperone/usher pathway that is involved in assembly of fimbrial subunits in other microorganisms. These genes, not previously described in P. aeruginosa, were named cupA1-A5. Additional chaperone/usher systems (CupB and CupC) have been also identified in the genome of P. aeruginosa PAO1; however, they do not appear to play a role in adhesion under the conditions where the CupA system is expressed and functions in surface adherence. The identification of these putative adhesins on the cell surface of P. aeruginosa suggests that this organism possess a wide range of factors that function in biofilm formation. These structures appear to be differentially regulated and may function at distinct stages of biofilm formation, or in specific environments colonized by this organism.

In vivo dynamics of type 1 fimbria regulation in uropathogenic Escherichia coli during experimental urinary tract infection

Escherichia coli is the primary cause of uncomplicated infections of the urinary tract including cystitis. More serious infections, characterized as acute pyelonephritis, can also develop. Type 1 fimbriae of E. coli contribute to virulence in the urinary tract; however, only recently has the expression of the type 1 fimbriae been investigated in vivo using molecular techniques. Transcription of type 1 fimbrial genes is controlled by a promoter that resides on a 314-bp invertible element capable of two orientations. One places the promoter in the ON orientation, allowing for transcription; the other places the promoter in the OFF orientation, preventing transcription. A PCR-based assay was developed to measure the orientation of the invertible element during an experimental urinary tract infection in mice. Using this assay, it was found that the percentage of the population ON in urine samples correlated with the respective CFU per gram of bladder (P = 0.0006) but not with CFU per gram of kidney (P > 0.069). Cystitis isolates present in the urine of mice during the course of infection had a higher percentage of their invertible elements in the ON orientation than did pyelonephritis isolates (85 and 34%, respectively, at 24 h; P < 0.0001). In general, cystitis isolates, unlike pyelonephritis isolates, were more likely to maintain their invertible elements in the ON orientation for the entire period of infection. E. coli cells expressing type 1 fimbriae, expelled in urine, were shown by scanning electron microscopy to be densely packed on the surface of uroepithelial cells. These results suggest that expression of type 1 fimbriae is more critical for cystitis strains than for pyelonephritis strains in the early stages of an infection during bladder colonization.

Secretion of recombinant proteins via the chaperone/usher pathway in Escherichia coli

F1 antigen (Caf1) of Yersinia pestis is assembled via the Caf1M chaperone/Caf1A usher pathway. We investigated the ability of this assembly system to facilitate secretion of full-length heterologous proteins fused to the Caf1 subunit in Escherichia coli. Despite correct processing of a chimeric protein composed of a modified Caf1 signal peptide, mature human interleukin-1beta (hIL-1beta), and mature Caf1, the processed product (hIL-1beta:Caf1) remained insoluble. Coexpression of this chimera with a functional Caf1M chaperone led to the accumulation of soluble hIL-1beta:Caf1 in the periplasm. Soluble hIL-1beta:Caf1 reacted with monoclonal antibodies directed against structural epitopes of hIL-1beta. The results indicate that Caf1M-induced release of hIL-1beta:Caf1 from the inner membrane promotes folding of the hIL-1beta domain. Similar results were obtained with the fusion of Caf1 to hIL-1beta receptor antagonist or to human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Following coexpression of the hIL-1beta:Caf1 precursor with both the Caf1M chaperone and Caf1A outer membrane protein, hIL-1beta:Caf1 could be detected on the cell surface of E. coli. These results demonstrate for the first time the potential application of the chaperone/usher secretion pathway in the transport of subunits with large heterogeneous N-terminal fusions. This represents a novel means for the delivery of correctly folded heterologous proteins to the periplasm and cell surface as either polymers or cleavable monomeric domains.

JlpA, a novel surface-exposed lipoprotein specific to Campylobacter jejuni, mediates adherence to host epithelial cells

A 1116 bp open reading frame (ORF), designated jlpA, encoding a novel species-specific lipoprotein of Campylobacter jejuni TGH9011, was identified from recombinant plasmid pHIP-O. The jlpA gene encodes a polypeptide (JlpA) of 372 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 42.3 kDa. JlpA contains a typical signal peptide and lipoprotein processing site at the N-terminus. The presence of a lipid moiety on the JlpA molecule was confirmed by the incorporation of [3H]-palmitic acid. Immunoblotting analysis of cell surface extracts prepared using glycine-acid buffer (pH 2.2) and proteinase K digestion of whole cells indicated that JlpA is a surface-exposed lipoprotein in C. jejuni. JlpA is loosely associated with the cell surface, as it is easily extracted from the C. jejuni outer membrane by detergents, such as sarcosyl and Triton X-100. JlpA is released to the culture medium, and its concentration increases in a time-dependent fashion. The adherence of both insertion and deletion mutants of jlpA to HEp-2 epithelial cells was reduced compared with that of parental C. jejuni TGH9011. Adherence of C. jejuni to HEp-2 cells was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner when the bacterium was preincubated with anti-GST-JlpA antibodies or when HEp-2 cells were preincubated with JlpA protein. A ligand-binding immunoblotting assay showed that JlpA binds to HEp-2 cells, which suggests that JlpA is C. jejuni adhesin.

Bile-induced 'pili' in Campylobacter jejuni are bacteria-independent artifacts of the culture medium

In 1996, it was reported that the enteric pathogen Campylobacter jejuni produces pilus-like appendages in response to bile salts such as deoxycholate (DOC), and that the formation of these appendages requires the putative peptidase PspA. Pili were known to be important virulence determinants in other pathogenic bacteria but had never before been observed for C. jejuni. We report here that these appendages are not pili, but are instead a bacteria-independent morphological artifact of the growth medium. Furthermore, the pspA gene is not required for their formation. Broth cultures containing a threshold concentration of DOC inoculated with no bacteria produced identical abundant, fibrous, pilus-like structures as those cultures that had been inoculated with C. jejuni. These fibres were also found in growth media from DOC-containing pspA:CmR mutant cultures. These results are consistent with the absence of candidate pilin monomers in protein gel analyses as well as the dearth of pilin-like genes and pilus formation gene clusters in the C. jejuni genome.

Lack of adherence of clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to asialo-GM(1) on epithelial cells

Numerous studies have reported that asialo-GM(1), gangliotetraosylceramide, or moieties serve as epithelial cell receptors for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Usually this interaction is confirmed with antibodies to asialo-GM(1). However, few, if any, of these reports have evaluated the binding of fresh clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa to asialo-GM(1) or the specificity of the antibodies for the asialo-GM(1) antigen. We confirmed that asialo-GM(1) dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide could be added to the apical membrane of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells growing as a polarized epithelium on Transwell membranes (J. C. Comolli, L. L. Waite, K. E. Mostov, and J. N. Engel, Infect. Immun. 67:3207-3214, 1999) and that such treatment enhanced the binding of P. aeruginosa strain PA103. However, no other P. aeruginosa strain, including eight different clinical isolates, exhibited enhanced binding to asialo-GM(1)-treated cells. Studies with commercially available antibodies to asialo-GM(1) showed that these preparations had high titers of antibody to P. aeruginosa antigens, including whole cells, purified lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and pili. Inhibition studies showed that adsorption of an antiserum to asialo-GM(1) with P. aeruginosa cells could remove the reactivity of antibodies to asialo-GM(1), and adsorption of this serum with asialo-GM(1) removed antibody binding to P. aeruginosa LPS. Antibodies in sera raised to asialo-GM(1) were observed to bind to P. aeruginosa cells by immunoelectron microscopy. Antibodies to asialo-GM(1) inhibited formation of a biofilm by P. aeruginosa in the absence of mammalian cells, indicating a direct inhibition of bacterial cell-cell interactions. These findings demonstrate that asialo-GM(1) is not a major cellular receptor for clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa and that commercially available antibodies raised to this antigen contain high titers of antibody to multiple P. aeruginosa antigens, which do not interfere with the binding of P. aeruginosa to mammalian cells but possibly interfere with the binding of P. aeruginosa cells to each other.

Immunogold labeling of Hrp pili of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato assembled in minimal medium and in planta

Hypersensitive reaction and pathogenicity (hrp) genes are required for Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) DC3000 to cause disease in susceptible tomato and Arabidopsis thaliana plants and to elicit the hypersensitive response in resistant plants. The hrp genes encode a type III protein secretion system known as the Hrp system, which in Pst DC3000 secretes HrpA, HrpZ, HrpW, and AvrPto and assembles a surface appendage, named the Hrp pilus, in hrp-gene-inducing minimal medium. HrpA has been suggested to be the Hrp pilus structural protein on the basis of copurification and mutational analyses. In this study, we show that an antibody against HrpA efficiently labeled Hrp pili, whereas antibodies against HrpW and HrpZ did not. Immunogold labeling of bacteria-infected Arabidopsis thaliana leaf tissue with an Hrp pilus antibody revealed a characteristic lineup of gold particles around bacteria and/or at the bacterium-plant contact site. These results confirm that HrpA is the major structural protein of the Hrp pilus and provide evidence that Hrp pili are assembled in vitro and in planta.

The gaf fimbrial gene cluster of Escherichia coli expresses a full-size and a truncated soluble adhesin protein

The GafD lectin of the G (F17) fimbriae of diarrhea-associated Escherichia coli was overexpressed and purified from the periplasm of E. coli by affinity chromatography on GlcNAc-agarose. The predicted mature GafD peptide comprises 321 amino acids, but the predominant form of GafD recovered from the periplasm was 19,092 Da in size and corresponded to the 178 N-terminal amino acid residues, as judged by mass spectrometry and amino acid sequencing, and was named DeltaGafD. Expression of gafD from the cloned gaf gene cluster in DegP-, Lon-, and OmpT-deficient recombinant strains did not significantly decrease the formation of DeltaGafD. The peptide was also detected in the periplasm of the wild-type E. coli strain from which the gaf gene cluster originally was cloned. We expressed gafD fragments encoding C-terminally truncated peptides. Peptides GafD1-252, GafD1-224, GafD1-189, and the GafD1-178, isolated from the periplasm by affinity chromatography, had apparent sizes closely similar to that of DeltaGafD. Only trace amounts of truncated forms with expected molecular sizes were detected in spheroplasts. In contrast, the shorter GafD1-157 peptide was detected in spheroplasts but not in the periplasm, indicating that it was poorly translocated or was degraded by periplasmic proteases. Pulse-chase assays using gafD indicated that DeltaGafD was processed from GafD and is not a primary translation product. The DeltaGafD peptide was soluble by biochemical criteria and exhibited specific binding to GlcNAc-agarose. Inhibition assays with mono- and oligosaccharides gave a similar inhibition pattern in the hemagglutination by the G-fimbria-expressing recombinant E. coli strain and in the binding of [(14)C]DeltaGafD to GlcNAc-agarose. DeltaGafD bound specifically to laminin, a previously described tissue target for the G fimbria. Our results show that a soluble, protease-resistant subdomain of GafD exhibits receptor-binding specificity similar to that for intact G fimbriae and that it is formed when gafD is expressed alone or from the gaf gene cluster.

An extended hydrophobic interactive surface of Yersinia pestis Caf1M chaperone is essential for subunit binding and F1 capsule assembly

A single polypeptide subunit, Caf1, polymerizes to form a dense, poorly defined structure (F1 capsule) on the surface of Yersinia pestis. The caf-encoded assembly components belong to the chaperone-usher protein family involved in the assembly of composite adhesive pili, but the Caf1M chaperone itself belongs to a distinct subfamily. One unique feature of this subfamily is the possession of a long, variable sequence between the F1 beta-strand and the G1 subunit binding beta-strand (FGL; F1 beta-strand to G1 beta-strand long). Deletion and insertion mutations confirmed that the FGL sequence was not essential for folding of the protein but was absolutely essential for function. Site-specific mutagenesis of individual residues identified Val-126, in particular, together with Val-128 as critical residues for the formation of a stable subunit-chaperone complex and the promotion of surface assembly. Differential effects on periplasmic polymerization of the subunit were also observed with different mutants. Together with the G1 strand, the FGL sequence has the potential to form an interactive surface of five alternating hydrophobic residues on Caf1M chaperone as well as in seven of the 10 other members of the FGL subfamily. Mutation of the absolutely conserved Arg-20 to Ser led to drastic reduction in Caf1 binding and surface assembled polymer. Thus, although Caf1M-Caf1 subunit binding almost certainly involves the basic principle of donor strand complementation elucidated for the PapD-PapK complex, a key feature unique to the chaperones of this subfamily would appear to be capping via high-affinity binding of an extended hydrophobic surface on the respective single subunits.

Crystal structure of the hexameric traffic ATPase of the Helicobacter pylori type IV secretion system

The type IV secretion system of Helicobacter pylori consists of 10--15 proteins responsible for transport of the transforming protein CagA into target epithelial cells. Secretion of CagA crucially depends on the hexameric ATPase, HP0525, a member of the VirB11-PulE family. We present the crystal structure of a binary complex of HP0525 bound to ADP. Each monomer consists of two domains formed by the N- and C-terminal halves of the sequence. ADP is bound at the interface between the two domains. In the hexamer, the N- and C-terminal domains form two rings, which together form a chamber open on one side and closed on the other. A model is proposed in which HP0525 functions as an inner membrane pore, the closure and opening of which is regulated by ATP binding and ADP release.

New fimbrial gene cluster of S-fimbrial adhesin family

Fimbrial adhesins that mediate attachment to host cells are produced by most virulent Escherichia coli isolates. These virulence factors play an important role in the initial stages of bacterial colonization and also in determination of the host and tissue specificity. Isolates belonging to serotype O78 are known to cause a large variety of clinical syndromes in farm animals and humans and have been shown to produce several types of adherence fimbriae. We studied the fimbrial adhesin from an avian septicemic E. coli isolate of serotype O78. Analysis of the genetic organization of the fac (fimbria of avian E. coli) gene cluster indicates that it belongs to the S-fimbrial adhesin family. Seven open reading frames coding for major and minor structural subunits were identified, and most of them showed a high degree of homology to the corresponding Sfa and Foc determinants. The least-conserved open reading frame was facS, encoding a protein known to play an important role in determining adherence specificity in other S-fimbrial gene clusters.

An interactive web-based Pseudomonas aeruginosa genome database: discovery of new genes, pathways and structures

Using the complete genome sequence of Pseudomonas: aeruginosa PAO1, sequenced by the Pseudomonas: Genome Project (ftp://ftp.pseudomonas. com/data/pacontigs.121599), a genome database (http://pseudomonas. bit.uq.edu.au/) has been developed containing information on more than 95% of all ORFs in Pseudomonas: aeruginosa. The database is searchable by a variety of means, including gene name, position, keyword, sequence similarity and Pfam domain. Automated and manual annotation, nucleotide and peptide sequences, Pfam and SMART domains (where available), Medline and GenBank links and a scrollable, graphical representation of the surrounding genomic landscape are available for each ORF. Using the database has revealed, among other things, that P. aeruginosa contains four chemotaxis systems, two novel general secretion pathways, at least three loci encoding F17-like thin fimbriae, six novel filamentous haemagglutinin-like genes, a number of unusual composite genetic loci related to vgr/RHS: elements in Escherichia coli, a number of fix-like genes encoding a micro-oxic respiration system, novel biosynthetic pathways and 38 genes containing domains of unknown function (DUF1/DUF2). It is anticipated that this database will be a useful bioinformatic tool for the Pseudomonas: community that will continue to evolve.

Chaperone-assisted pilus assembly and bacterial attachment

Bacterial pili assembled by the chaperone-usher pathway can mediate microbial attachment, an early step in the establishment of an infection, by binding specifically to sugars present in host tissues. Recent work has begun to reveal the structural basis both of chaperone function in the biogenesis of these pili and of bacterial attachment.

The T-pilus of Agrobacterium tumefaciens

T-pilus biogenesis uses a conserved transmembrane nucleoprotein- and protein-transport apparatus for the transport of cyclic T-pilin subunits to the Agrobacterium cell surface. T-pilin subunits are processed from full-length VirB2 pro-pilin into a cyclized peptide, a rapid reaction that is Agrobacterium specific and can occur in the absence of Ti-plasmid genes.

The genome sequence of the plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa. The Xylella fastidiosa Consortium of the Organization for Nucleotide Sequencing and Analysis

Xylella fastidiosa is a fastidious, xylem-limited bacterium that causes a range of economically important plant diseases. Here we report the complete genome sequence of X. fastidiosa clone 9a5c, which causes citrus variegated chlorosis--a serious disease of orange trees. The genome comprises a 52.7% GC-rich 2,679,305-base-pair (bp) circular chromosome and two plasmids of 51,158 bp and 1,285 bp. We can assign putative functions to 47% of the 2,904 predicted coding regions. Efficient metabolic functions are predicted, with sugars as the principal energy and carbon source, supporting existence in the nutrient-poor xylem sap. The mechanisms associated with pathogenicity and virulence involve toxins, antibiotics and ion sequestration systems, as well as bacterium-bacterium and bacterium-host interactions mediated by a range of proteins. Orthologues of some of these proteins have only been identified in animal and human pathogens; their presence in X. fastidiosa indicates that the molecular basis for bacterial pathogenicity is both conserved and independent of host. At least 83 genes are bacteriophage-derived and include virulence-associated genes from other bacteria, providing direct evidence of phage-mediated horizontal gene transfer.

PapD-like chaperones provide the missing information for folding of pilin proteins

A fundamental question in molecular biology is how proteins fold into domains that can serve as assembly modules for building up large macromolecular structures. The biogenesis of pili on the surface of Gram-negative bacteria requires the orchestration of a complex process that includes protein synthesis, folding via small chaperones, secretion, and assembly. The results presented here support the hypothesis that pilus subunit folding and biogenesis proceed via mechanisms termed donor strand complementation and donor strand exchange. Here we show that the steric information necessary for pilus subunit folding is not contained in one polypeptide sequence. Rather, the missing information is transiently donated by a strand of a small chaperone to allow folding. Providing the missing information for folding, via a 13-amino acid peptide extension to the C-terminal end of a pilus subunit, resulted in the production of a protein that no longer required the chaperone to fold. This mechanism of small periplasmic chaperone function described here deviates from classical hsp60 chaperone-assisted folding.

Identification and cell cycle control of a novel pilus system in Caulobacter crescentus

Pilus assembly in CAULOBACTER: crescentus occurs during a short period of the cell cycle and pili are only present at the flagellar pole of the swarmer cell. Here we report a novel assay to visualize pili by light microscopy that led to the purification of CAULOBACTER: pili and the isolation of a cluster of seven genes, including the major pilin subunit gene pilA. This gene cluster encodes a novel group of pilus assembly proteins. We have shown that the pilA promoter is activated late in the cell cycle and that transcription of the pilin subunit plays an important role in the timing of pilus assembly. pilA transcription is regulated by the global two-component response regulator CtrA, which is essential for the expression of multiple cell cycle events, providing a direct link between assembly of the pilus organelle and bacterial cell cycle control.

Secretion of virulence determinants by the general secretory pathway in gram-negative pathogens: an evolving story

Secretion of proteins by the general secretory pathway (GSP) is a two-step process requiring the Sec translocase in the inner membrane and a separate substrate-specific secretion apparatus for translocation across the outer membrane. Gram-negative bacteria with pathogenic potential use the GSP to deliver virulence factors into the extracellular environment for interaction with the host. Well-studied examples of virulence determinants using the GSP for secretion include extracellular toxins, pili, curli, autotransporters, and crystaline S-layers. This article reviews our current understanding of the GSP and discusses examples of terminal branches of the GSP which are utilized by factors implicated in bacterial virulence.

Structure and function of bacterial outer membrane proteins: barrels in a nutshell

The outer membrane protects Gram-negative bacteria against a harsh environment. At the same time, the embedded proteins fulfil a number of tasks that are crucial to the bacterial cell, such as solute and protein translocation, as well as signal transduction. Unlike membrane proteins from all other sources, integral outer membrane proteins do not consist of transmembrane alpha-helices, but instead fold into antiparallel beta-barrels. Over recent years, the atomic structures of several outer membrane proteins, belonging to six families, have been determined. They include the OmpA membrane domain, the OmpX protein, phospholipase A, general porins (OmpF, PhoE), substrate-specific porins (LamB, ScrY) and the TonB-dependent iron siderophore transporters FhuA and FepA. These crystallographic studies have yielded invaluable insight into and decisively advanced the understanding of the functions of these intriguing proteins. Our review is aimed at discussing their common principles and peculiarities as well as open questions associated with them.

Type III machines of Gram-negative bacteria: delivering the goods

Many Gram-negative pathogens use a type III secretion machine to translocate protein toxins across the bacterial cell envelope. Pathogenic Yersinia spp. export at least 14 Yop proteins via a type III machine, which recognizes secretion substrates by signals encoded in yop mRNA or chaperones bound to unfolded Yop proteins. During infection, substrate recognition appears to be regulated in a manner that allows the Yersinia type III pathway to direct Yops to the bacterial envelope, the extracellular medium or into the cytosol of host cells.

Immunocytochemistry of the AfaE adhesin and AfaD invasin produced by pathogenic Escherichia coli strains during interaction of the bacteria with HeLa cells by high-resolution scanning electron microscopy

We used a recent scanning electron microscope equipped with field emission gun and highly sensitive detectors to develop a fast and simple protocol for double immunogold staining using 10- and 15-nm gold particles. We used this approach to analyse the afimbrial adhesive sheath produced by pathogenic Escherichia coli interacting with the surface of epithelial cells. We demonstrated that AfaE adhesin and AfaD invasin were exposed at the bacterial surface during the interaction. This method could be easily and widely extended to the study of the early invasion process of many bacterial and viral pathogens, by immunocytochemical probing.

Role of Bordetella bronchiseptica fimbriae in tracheal colonization and development of a humoral immune response

Fimbriae are filamentous, cell surface structures which have been proposed to mediate attachment of Bordetella species to respiratory epithelium. Bordetella bronchiseptica has four known fimbrial genes: fim2, fim3, fimX, and fimA. While these genes are unlinked on the chromosome, their protein products are assembled and secreted by a single apparatus encoded by the fimBCD locus. The fimBCD locus is embedded within the fha operon, whose genes encode another putative adhesin, filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA). We have constructed a Fim(-) B. bronchiseptica strain, RB63, by introducing an in-frame deletion extending from fimB through fimD. Western blot analysis showed that RB63 is unable to synthesize fimbriae but is unaffected for FHA expression. Using this mutant, we assessed the role of fimbriae in pathogenesis in vitro and in vivo in natural animal hosts. Although RB63 was not significantly defective in its ability to adhere to various tissue culture cell lines, including human laryngeal HEp-2 cells, it was considerably altered in its ability to cause respiratory tract infections in rats. The number of DeltafimBCD bacteria recovered from the rat trachea at 10 days postinoculation was significantly decreased compared to that of wild-type B. bronchiseptica and was below the limit of detection at 30 and 60 days postinoculation. The number of bacteria recovered from the nasal cavity and larynx was not significantly different between RB63 and the wild-type strain at any time point. The ability of fimbriae to mediate initial attachment to tracheal tissue was tested in an intratracheal inoculation assay. Significantly fewer RB63 than wild-type bacteria were recovered from the tracheas at 24 h after intratracheal inoculation. These results demonstrate that fimbriae are involved in enhancing the ability of B. bronchiseptica to establish tracheal colonization and are essential for persistent colonization at this site. Interestingly, anti-Bordetella serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels were significantly lower in animals infected with RB63 than in animals infected with wild-type B. bronchiseptica at 10 days postinoculation. Even at 30 days postinoculation, RB63-infected animals had lower serum anti-Bordetella antibody titers in general. This disparity in antibody profiles suggests that fimbriae are also important for the induction of a humoral immune response.

Interactions among components of the Salmonella flagellar export apparatus and its substrates

We have examined the cytoplasmic components (FliH, FliI and FliJ) of the type III flagellar protein export apparatus, plus the cytoplasmic domains (FlhAC and FlhBC) of two of its six membrane components. FliH, FlhAC and FliJ, when overproduced, caused inhibition of motility of wild-type cells and inhibition of the export of substrates such as the hook protein FlgE. Co-overproduction of FliH and FliI substantially relieved the inhibition caused by FliH, suggesting that it is excess free FliH that is inhibitory and that FliH and FliI form a complex. We purified His-FLAG-tagged versions of: (i) export components FliH, FliI, FliJ, FlhAC and FlhBC; (ii) rod/hook-type export substrates FlgB (rod protein), FlgE (hook protein), FlgD (hook capping protein) and FliE (basal body protein); and (iii) filament-type export substrates FlgK and FlgL (hook-filament junction proteins) and FliC (flagellin). We tested for protein-protein interactions by affinity blotting. In many cases, a given protein interacted with more than one other component, indicating that there are likely to be multiple dynamic interactions or interactions that involve more than two components. Interactions of FlhBC with rod/hook-type substrates were strong, whereas those with filament-type substrates were very weak; this may reflect the role of FlhB in substrate specificity switching. We propose a model for the flagellar export apparatus in which FlhA and FlhB and the other four integral membrane proteins of the apparatus form a complex at the base of the flagellar motor. A soluble complex of at least three proteins (FliH, FliI and FliJ) bind the protein to be exported and then interact with the complex at the motor to deliver the protein, which is then exported in an ATP-dependent process mediated by FliI.

From rags to riches: insights from the first genomic sequence of a plant pathogenic bacterium

The recently published genomic sequence of Xylella fastidiosa is the first for a free-living plant pathogen and provides clues to mechanisms of pathogenesis and survival in insect vectors. The sequence data should lead to improved control of this pathogen.

Vir proteins stabilize VirB5 and mediate its association with the T pilus of Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Three VirB proteins (VirB1*, VirB2, and VirB5) have been implicated as putative components of the T pilus from Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which likely mediates binding to plant cells followed by transfer of genetic material. Recently, VirB2 was indeed shown to be its major component (E.-M. Lai and C. I. Kado, J. Bacteriol. 180:2711-2717, 1998). Here, the influence of other Vir proteins on the stability and cellular localization of VirB1*, VirB2, and VirB5 was analyzed. Solubility of VirB1* and membrane association of VirB2 proved to be inherent features of these proteins, independent of virulence gene induction. In contrast, cellular levels of VirB5 were strongly reduced in the absence of other Vir proteins, indicating its stabilization by protein-protein interactions. The assembly and composition of the T pilus were analyzed in nopaline strain C58(pTiC58), its flagellum-free derivative NT1REB(pJK270), and octopine strain A348(pTiA6) following optimized virulence gene induction on solid agar medium. In all strains VirB2 was the major pilus component and VirB5 cofractionated during several purification steps, such as ultracentrifugation, gel filtration, and sucrose gradient centrifugation. VirB5 may therefore be directly involved in pilus assembly, possibly as minor component. In contrast, secreted VirB1* showed no association with the T pilus. In-frame deletions in genes virB1, virB2, virB5, and virB6 blocked the formation of virulence gene-dependent extracellular high-molecular-weight structures. Thus, an intact VirB machinery as well as VirB2 and VirB5 are required for T-pilus formation.