1
|
Prajapati A, Palva A, von Ossowski I, Krishnan V. The crystal structure of the N-terminal domain of the backbone pilin LrpA reveals a new closure-and-twist motion for assembling dynamic pili in Ligilactobacillus ruminis. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2024; 80:474-492. [PMID: 38935340 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798324005114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Sortase-dependent pili are long surface appendages that mediate attachment, colonization and biofilm formation in certain genera and species of Gram-positive bacteria. Ligilactobacillus ruminis is an autochthonous gut commensal that relies on sortase-dependent LrpCBA pili for host adherence and persistence. X-ray crystal structure snapshots of the backbone pilin LrpA were captured in two atypical bent conformations leading to a zigzag morphology in the LrpCBA pilus structure. Small-angle X-ray scattering and structural analysis revealed that LrpA also adopts the typical linear conformation, resulting in an elongated pilus morphology. Various conformational analyses and biophysical experiments helped to demonstrate that a hinge region located at the end of the flexible N-terminal domain of LrpA facilitates a new closure-and-twist motion for assembling dynamic pili during the assembly process and host attachment. Further, the incongruent combination of flexible domain-driven conformational dynamics and rigid isopeptide bond-driven stability observed in the LrpCBA pilus might also extend to the sortase-dependent pili of other bacteria colonizing a host.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amar Prajapati
- Laboratory of Structural Microbiology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR, Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad 121 001, India
| | - Airi Palva
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Vengadesan Krishnan
- Laboratory of Structural Microbiology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR, Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad 121 001, India
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zyla DS, Wiegand T, Bachmann P, Zdanowicz R, Giese C, Meier BH, Waksman G, Hospenthal MK, Glockshuber R. The assembly platform FimD is required to obtain the most stable quaternary structure of type 1 pili. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3032. [PMID: 38589417 PMCID: PMC11001860 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47212-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Type 1 pili are important virulence factors of uropathogenic Escherichia coli that mediate bacterial attachment to epithelial cells in the urinary tract. The pilus rod is comprised of thousands of copies of the main structural subunit FimA and is assembled in vivo by the assembly platform FimD. Although type 1 pilus rods can self-assemble from FimA in vitro, this reaction is slower and produces structures with lower kinetic stability against denaturants compared to in vivo-assembled rods. Our study reveals that FimD-catalysed in vitro-assembled type 1 pilus rods attain a similar stability as pilus rods assembled in vivo. Employing structural, biophysical and biochemical analyses, we show that in vitro assembly reactions lacking FimD produce pilus rods with structural defects, reducing their stability against dissociation. Overall, our results indicate that FimD is not only required for the catalysis of pilus assembly, but also to control the assembly of the most stable quaternary structure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dawid S Zyla
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, ETH Zürich, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology, 9420 Athena Cir, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Thomas Wiegand
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Stiftstr. 34-36, 45470, Mülheim/Ruhr, Germany
| | - Paul Bachmann
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, ETH Zürich, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Rafal Zdanowicz
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, ETH Zürich, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Giese
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, ETH Zürich, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Beat H Meier
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Gabriel Waksman
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London and Birkbeck, London, WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Manuela K Hospenthal
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, ETH Zürich, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland.
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London and Birkbeck, London, WC1E 7HX, UK.
| | - Rudi Glockshuber
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, ETH Zürich, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sue CK, Cheung NA, Mahoney BJ, McConnell SA, Scully JM, Fu JY, Chang C, Ton-That H, Loo JA, Clubb RT. The basal and major pilins in the Corynebacterium diphtheriae SpaA pilus adopt similar structures that competitively react with the pilin polymerase. Biopolymers 2024; 115:e23539. [PMID: 37227047 PMCID: PMC11164409 DOI: 10.1002/bip.23539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Many species of pathogenic gram-positive bacteria display covalently crosslinked protein polymers (called pili or fimbriae) that mediate microbial adhesion to host tissues. These structures are assembled by pilus-specific sortase enzymes that join the pilin components together via lysine-isopeptide bonds. The archetypal SpaA pilus from Corynebacterium diphtheriae is built by the Cd SrtA pilus-specific sortase, which crosslinks lysine residues within the SpaA and SpaB pilins to build the shaft and base of the pilus, respectively. Here, we show that Cd SrtA crosslinks SpaB to SpaA via a K139(SpaB)-T494(SpaA) lysine-isopeptide bond. Despite sharing only limited sequence homology, an NMR structure of SpaB reveals striking similarities with the N-terminal domain of SpaA (N SpaA) that is also crosslinked by Cd SrtA. In particular, both pilins contain similarly positioned reactive lysine residues and adjacent disordered AB loops that are predicted to be involved in the recently proposed "latch" mechanism of isopeptide bond formation. Competition experiments using an inactive SpaB variant and additional NMR studies suggest that SpaB terminates SpaA polymerization by outcompeting N SpaA for access to a shared thioester enzyme-substrate reaction intermediate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher K. Sue
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics
| | - Nicole A. Cheung
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics
- Molecular Biology Institute
| | - Brendan J. Mahoney
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics
| | - Scott A. McConnell
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics
| | - Jack M. Scully
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics
| | - Janine Y. Fu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics
| | - Chungyu Chang
- Molecular Biology Institute
- Division of Oral and Systemic Health Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, 611 Charles Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Hung Ton-That
- Molecular Biology Institute
- Division of Oral and Systemic Health Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, 611 Charles Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Joseph A. Loo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics
- Molecular Biology Institute
| | - Robert T. Clubb
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics
- Molecular Biology Institute
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kiousi DE, Efstathiou C, Tegopoulos K, Mantzourani I, Alexopoulos A, Plessas S, Kolovos P, Koffa M, Galanis A. Genomic Insight Into Lacticaseibacillus paracasei SP5, Reveals Genes and Gene Clusters of Probiotic Interest and Biotechnological Potential. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:922689. [PMID: 35783439 PMCID: PMC9244547 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.922689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The Lacticaseibacillus paracasei species is comprised by nomadic bacteria inhabiting a wide variety of ecological niches, from fermented foodstuffs to host-associated microenvironments. Lc. paracasei SP5 is a novel strain, originally isolated from kefir grains that presents desirable probiotic and biotechnological attributes. In this study, we applied genomic tools to further characterize the probiotic and biotechnological potential of the strain. Firstly, whole genome sequencing and assembly, were performed to construct the chromosome map of the strain and determine its genomic stability. Lc. paracasei SP5 carriers several insertion sequences, however, no plasmids or mobile elements were detected. Furthermore, phylogenomic and comparative genomic analyses were utilized to study the nomadic attributes of the strain, and more specifically, its metabolic capacity and ability to withstand environmental stresses imposed during food processing and passage through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. More specifically, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZymes) analyses provided evidence for the ability of the stain to utilize an array of carbohydrates as growth substrates. Consequently, genes for heat, cold, osmotic shock, acidic pH, and bile salt tolerance were annotated. Importantly bioinformatic analysis showed that the novel strain does not harbor acquired antimicrobial resistance genes nor virulence factors, in agreement with previous experimental data. Putative bacteriocin biosynthesis clusters were identified using BAGEL4, suggesting its potential antimicrobial activity. Concerning microbe-host interactions, adhesins, moonlighting proteins, exopolysaccharide (EPS) biosynthesis genes and pilins mediating the adhesive phenotype were, also, pinpointed in the genome of Lc. paracasei SP5. Validation of this phenotype was performed by employing a microbiological method and confocal microscopy. Conclusively, Lc. paracasei SP5 harbors genes necessary for the manifestation of the probiotic character and application in the food industry. Upcoming studies will focus on the mechanisms of action of the novel strain at multiple levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Despoina Eugenia Kiousi
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Christos Efstathiou
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Tegopoulos
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Ioanna Mantzourani
- Department of Agricultural Development, Democritus University of Thrace, Orestiada, Greece
| | - Athanasios Alexopoulos
- Department of Agricultural Development, Democritus University of Thrace, Orestiada, Greece
| | - Stavros Plessas
- Department of Agricultural Development, Democritus University of Thrace, Orestiada, Greece
- *Correspondence: Stavros Plessas,
| | - Petros Kolovos
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Maria Koffa
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Alex Galanis
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
- Alex Galanis,
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Prajapati A, Palva A, von Ossowski I, Krishnan V. LrpCBA pilus proteins of gut-dwelling Ligilactobacillus ruminis: crystallization and X-ray diffraction analysis. Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2021; 77:238-245. [PMID: 34341189 PMCID: PMC8329715 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x21007263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Adhesion to host surfaces for bacterial survival and colonization involves a variety of molecular mechanisms. Ligilactobacillus ruminis, a strict anaerobe and gut autochthonous (indigenous) commensal, relies on sortase-dependent pili (LrpCBA) for adherence to the intestinal inner walls, thereby withstanding luminal content flow. Here, the LrpCBA pilus is a promiscuous binder to gut collagen, fibronectin and epithelial cells. Structurally, the LrpCBA pilus displays a representative hetero-oligomeric arrangement and consists of three types of pilin subunit, each with its own location and function, i.e. tip LrpC for adhesion, basal LrpB for anchoring and backbone LrpA for length. To provide further structural insights into the assembly, anchoring and functional mechanisms of sortase-dependent pili, each of the L. ruminis pilus proteins was produced recombinantly for crystallization and X-ray diffraction analysis. Crystals of LrpC, LrpB, LrpA and truncated LrpA generated by limited proteolysis were obtained and diffracted to resolutions of 3.0, 1.5, 2.2 and 1.4 Å, respectively. Anomalous data were also collected from crystals of selenomethionine-substituted LrpC and an iodide derivative of truncated LrpA. Successful strategies for protein production, crystallization and derivatization are reported.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amar Prajapati
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad 121 001, India
| | - Airi Palva
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Vengadesan Krishnan
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad 121 001, India
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Exploiting pilus-mediated bacteria-host interactions for health benefits. Mol Aspects Med 2021; 81:100998. [PMID: 34294411 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2021.100998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Surface pili (or fimbriae) are an important but conspicuous adaptation of several genera and species of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. These long and non-flagellar multi-subunit adhesins mediate the initial contact that a bacterium has with a host or environment, and thus have come to be regarded as a key colonization factor for virulence activity in pathogens or niche adaptation in commensals. Pili in pathogenic bacteria are well recognized for their roles in the adhesion to host cells, colonization of tissues, and establishment of infection. As an 'anti-adhesive' ploy, targeting pilus-mediated attachment for disruption has become a potentially effective alternative to using antibiotics. In this review, we give a description of the several structurally distinct bacterial pilus types thus far characterized, and as well offer details about the intricacy of their individual structure, assembly, and function. With a molecular understanding of pilus biogenesis and pilus-mediated host interactions also provided, we go on to describe some of the emerging new approaches and compounds that have been recently developed to prevent the adhesion, colonization, and infection of piliated bacterial pathogens.
Collapse
|
7
|
Megta AK, Pratap S, Kant A, Palva A, von Ossowski I, Krishnan V. Crystal structure of the atypically adhesive SpaB basal pilus subunit: Mechanistic insights about its incorporation in lactobacillar SpaCBA pili. Curr Res Struct Biol 2020; 2:229-238. [PMID: 34235482 PMCID: PMC8244301 DOI: 10.1016/j.crstbi.2020.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
To successfully colonize a host or environment, certain genera and species of Gram-positive bacteria have evolved to utilize the so-called sortase-dependent pilus, a long multi-subunit and non-flagellar surface adhesin. One example of this is Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, a gut-adapted probiotic strain that produces SpaCBA pili. These structures are covalent hetero-oligomers built from three types of pilin subunit, each with a specific location and function (i.e., backbone SpaA for length, tip SpaC for adhesion, and basal SpaB for anchoring). Functionally, the SpaCBA pilus exhibits a promiscuous affinity for components on intestinal surfaces (e.g., mucus, collagen, and epithelial cells), which is largely attributed to the SpaC subunit. Then again, the basal SpaB pilin, in addition to acting as the terminal subunit during pilus assembly, displays an out of character mucoadhesive function. To address the structural basis of this unusual dual functionality, we reveal the 2.39 Å resolution crystal structure of SpaB. SpaB consists of one immunoglobulin-like CnaB domain and contains a putative intermolecular isopeptide bond-linking lysine and internal isopeptide bond-asparagine in an FPKN pilin motif within the C-terminal end. Remarkably, we found that a C-terminal stretch of positively charged lysine and arginine residues likely accounts for the atypical mucoadhesiveness of SpaB. Although harboring an autocatalytic triad of residues for a potential internal isopeptide interaction, the SpaB crystal structure lacked the visible electron density for intact bond formation, yet its presence was subsequently confirmed by mass spectral analysis. Finally, we propose a structural model that captures the exclusive basal positioning of SpaB in the SpaCBA pilus.
Collapse
Key Words
- ABC, ammonium bicarbonate
- ACN, acetonitrile
- Cell-wall anchoring
- Cna, collagen adhesin
- ECM, extracellular matrix
- Ig, immunoglobulin
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG
- MD, molecular dynamics
- MS, mass spectrometry
- Mucus adhesion
- PDB, Protein Data Bank
- PEG, polyethylene glycol
- Probiotic
- Sortase-dependent SpaCBA pili
- SpaB basal pilin
- rmsd, root mean square deviation
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abhin Kumar Megta
- Laboratory of Structural Microbiology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, 121001, India.,School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Odisha, 751024, India
| | - Shivendra Pratap
- Laboratory of Structural Microbiology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, 121001, India
| | - Abhiruchi Kant
- Laboratory of Structural Microbiology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, 121001, India.,Department of Biotechnology, Manipal University, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Airi Palva
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FIN-00014, Finland
| | - Ingemar von Ossowski
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FIN-00014, Finland
| | - Vengadesan Krishnan
- Laboratory of Structural Microbiology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, 121001, India
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Kant A, Palva A, von Ossowski I, Krishnan V. Crystal structure of lactobacillar SpaC reveals an atypical five-domain pilus tip adhesin: Exposing its substrate-binding and assembly in SpaCBA pili. J Struct Biol 2020; 211:107571. [PMID: 32653644 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2020.107571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Adhesion to cell surfaces is an essential and early prerequisite for successful host colonization by bacteria, and in most instances involves the specificities of various adhesins. Among bacterial Gram-positives, some genera and species mediate attachment to host cells by using long non-flagellar appendages called sortase-dependent pili. A case in point is the beneficial Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG gut-adapted strain that produces the so-called SpaCBA pilus, a structure noted for its promiscuous binding to intestinal mucus and collagen. Structurally, SpaCBA pili are heteropolymers of three different pilin-protein subunits, each with its own location and function in the pilus: backbone SpaA for length, basal SpaB for anchoring, and tip SpaC for adhesion. Previously, we solved the SpaA tertiary structure by X-ray crystallography and also reported on the crystallization of SpaB and SpaC. Here, we reveal the full-length high-resolution (1.9 Å) crystal structure of SpaC, a first for a sortase-dependent pilus-bearing commensal. The SpaC structure, unlike the representative four-domain architecture of other Gram-positive tip pilins, espouses an atypically longer five-domain arrangement that includes N-terminal 'binding' and C-terminal 'stalk' regions of two and three domains, respectively. With the prospect of establishing new mechanistic insights, we provide a structural basis for the multi-substrate binding nature of SpaC, as well as a structural model that reconciles its exclusive localization at the SpaCBA pilus tip.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abhiruchi Kant
- Laboratory of Structural Microbiology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad 122016, India; Department of Biotechnology, Manipal University, Karnataka 576104, India
| | - Airi Palva
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland
| | - Ingemar von Ossowski
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland
| | - Vengadesan Krishnan
- Laboratory of Structural Microbiology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad 122016, India.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Kumar Megta A, Palva A, von Ossowski I, Krishnan V. SpaB, an atypically adhesive basal pilin from the lactobacillar SpaCBA pilus: crystallization and X-ray diffraction analysis. Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2019; 75:731-737. [PMID: 31797814 PMCID: PMC6891582 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x19015358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The SpaB pilin is recognized as the basal subunit of the sortase-dependent SpaCBA pilus, which is known to be produced by the Gram-positive Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, a gut-adapted commensal advocated to have health benefits. Despite seeming to function as an archetypal basal pilin by serving as the terminal subunit in pilus assembly, SpaB also assumes an atypical role as a mucoadhesive protein. To shed light on the structural factors that contribute to this dual functional behaviour, a recombinant form of the L. rhamnosus GG SpaB pilin was produced and purified for crystallization and X-ray diffraction experiments. The crystallization of SpaB remained particularly challenging until the implementation of a three-pronged crystallization approach involving C-terminal tail truncation, surface lysine methylation and magnesium additives. Ultimately, hexagonal crystals of SpaB were produced and were able to diffract to a resolution of 2.4 Å. This crystal form belonged to space group P6522 or P6122, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 51.53, c = 408.22 Å, α = β = 90.0, γ = 120.0°. Obtaining an interpretable electron-density map via single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (SAD) using iodide-derivative data sets did not succeed owing to the weak anomalous signal. As an alternative, attempts to provide phases by molecular replacement using the iodide-SAD data from SpaB and a collection of distant homology models (<28% sequence identity) are in progress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abhin Kumar Megta
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana 121 001, India
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Odisha 751 024, India
| | - Airi Palva
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Vengadesan Krishnan
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana 121 001, India
| |
Collapse
|