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Malmsheimer S, Grin I, Bohn E, Franz-Wachtel M, Macek B, Sahr T, Smollich F, Chetrit D, Meir A, Roy C, Buchrieser C, Wagner S. The T4bSS of Legionella features a two-step secretion pathway with an inner membrane intermediate for secretion of transmembrane effectors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.14.584949. [PMID: 38559167 PMCID: PMC10980071 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.14.584949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
To promote intracellular survival and infection, Legionella spp. translocate hundreds of effector proteins into eukaryotic host cells using a type IV b protein secretion system (T4bSS). T4bSS are well known to translocate soluble as well as transmembrane domain-containing effector proteins (TMD-effectors) but the mechanisms of secretion are still poorly understood. Herein we investigated the secretion of hydrophobic TMD-effectors, of which about 80 were previously reported to be encoded by L. pneumophila. A proteomic analysis of fractionated membranes revealed that TMD-effectors are targeted to and inserted into the bacterial inner membranes of L. pneumophila independent of the presence of a functional T4bSS. While the T4bSS chaperones IcmS and IcmW were critical for secretion of all tested TMD-effectors, they did not influence inner membrane targeting of these proteins. As for soluble effector proteins, translocation of TMD-effectors into host cells depended on a C-terminal secretion signal and this signal needed to be presented towards the cytoplasmic side of the inner membrane. A different secretion behavior of TMD- and soluble effectors and the need for small periplasmic loops within TMD-effectors provided strong evidence that TMD-effectors are secreted in a two-step secretion process: Initially, an inner membrane intermediate is formed, that is extracted towards the cytoplasmic side, possibly by the help of the type IV coupling protein complex and subsequently secreted into eukaryotic host cells by the T4bSS core complex. Overall, our study highlights the amazing versatility of T4bSS to secrete soluble and TMD-effectors from different subcellular locations of the bacterial cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silke Malmsheimer
- University of Tübingen, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine (IMIT), Section of Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 6, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Current address: Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier, Equipe Kremer, UMR 9004 - CNRS / UM, 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier cedex 5, France
| | - Iwan Grin
- University of Tübingen, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine (IMIT), Section of Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 6, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Erwin Bohn
- University of Tübingen, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine (IMIT), Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 6, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Mirita Franz-Wachtel
- University of Tübingen, Proteome Center Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 15, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Boris Macek
- University of Tübingen, Proteome Center Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 15, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Sahr
- Institute Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Fabian Smollich
- University of Tübingen, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine (IMIT), Section of Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 6, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - David Chetrit
- Yale University, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06536-0812, USA
| | - Amit Meir
- Yale University, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06536-0812, USA
- Birkbeck Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck and UCL, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK
- Current address: University of Glasgow, MRC Centre for Virus Research, School of Infection and Immunity, Glasgow, UK
| | - Craig Roy
- Yale University, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06536-0812, USA
| | - Carmen Buchrieser
- Institute Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Samuel Wagner
- University of Tübingen, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine (IMIT), Section of Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 6, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Excellence Cluster "Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections" (CMFI), Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 6, 72076 Tébingen, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner-site Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 6, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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2
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Costa TRD, Patkowski JB, Macé K, Christie PJ, Waksman G. Structural and functional diversity of type IV secretion systems. Nat Rev Microbiol 2024; 22:170-185. [PMID: 37814112 PMCID: PMC11290344 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-023-00974-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Considerable progress has been made in recent years in the structural and molecular biology of type IV secretion systems in Gram-negative bacteria. The latest advances have substantially improved our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the recruitment and delivery of DNA and protein substrates to the extracellular environment or target cells. In this Review, we aim to summarize these exciting structural and molecular biology findings and to discuss their functional implications for substrate recognition, recruitment and translocation, as well as the biogenesis of extracellular pili. We also describe adaptations necessary for deploying a breadth of processes, such as bacterial survival, host-pathogen interactions and biotic and abiotic adhesion. We highlight the functional and structural diversity that allows this extremely versatile secretion superfamily to function under different environmental conditions and in different bacterial species. Additionally, we emphasize the importance of further understanding the mechanism of type IV secretion, which will support us in combating antimicrobial resistance and treating type IV secretion system-related infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago R D Costa
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, UK.
| | - Jonasz B Patkowski
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Kévin Macé
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck and UCL, London, UK
- Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes (IGDR), Université de Rennes and CNRS, Rennes, France
| | - Peter J Christie
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Gabriel Waksman
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck and UCL, London, UK.
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3
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Wang C, Chen M, Shao Y, Jiang M, Li Q, Chen L, Wu Y, Cen S, Waterfield NR, Yang J, Yang G. Genome wide analysis revealed conserved domains involved in the effector discrimination of bacterial type VI secretion system. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1195. [PMID: 38001377 PMCID: PMC10673891 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05580-w] [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: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Type VI secretion systems (T6SSs) deliver effectors into target cells. Besides structural and effector proteins, many other proteins, such as adaptors, co-effectors and accessory proteins, are involved in this process. MIX domains can assist in the delivery of T6SS effectors when encoded as a stand-alone gene or fused at the N-terminal of the effector. However, whether there are other conserved domains exhibiting similar encoding forms to MIX in T6SS remains obscure. Here, we scanned publicly available bacterial genomes and established a database which include 130,825 T6SS vgrG loci from 45,041 bacterial genomes. Based on this database, we revealed six domain families encoded within vgrG loci, which are either fused at the C-terminus of VgrG/N-terminus of T6SS toxin or encoded by an independent gene. Among them, DUF2345 was further validated and shown to be indispensable for the T6SS effector delivery and LysM was confirmed to assist the interaction between VgrG and the corresponding effector. Together, our results implied that these widely distributed domain families with similar genetic configurations may be required for the T6SS effector recruitment process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caihong Wang
- Beijing Institute of Tropical Medicine, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Mingxing Chen
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, National Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 102629, China
| | - Yuhan Shao
- Beijing Institute of Tropical Medicine, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Mengyuan Jiang
- Beijing Institute of Tropical Medicine, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Quanjie Li
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Lihong Chen
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, National Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 102629, China
| | - Yun Wu
- Beijing Institute of Tropical Medicine, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Shan Cen
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Research, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China
| | | | - Jian Yang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, National Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 102629, China.
| | - Guowei Yang
- Beijing Institute of Tropical Medicine, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China.
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4
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Ryan ME, Damke PP, Shaffer CL. DNA Transport through the Dynamic Type IV Secretion System. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0043622. [PMID: 37338415 PMCID: PMC10353360 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00436-22] [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] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The versatile type IV secretion system (T4SS) nanomachine plays a pivotal role in bacterial pathogenesis and the propagation of antibiotic resistance determinants throughout microbial populations. In addition to paradigmatic DNA conjugation machineries, diverse T4SSs enable the delivery of multifarious effector proteins to target prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, mediate DNA export and uptake from the extracellular milieu, and in rare examples, facilitate transkingdom DNA translocation. Recent advances have identified new mechanisms underlying unilateral nucleic acid transport through the T4SS apparatus, highlighting both functional plasticity and evolutionary adaptations that enable novel capabilities. In this review, we describe the molecular mechanisms underscoring DNA translocation through diverse T4SS machineries, emphasizing the architectural features that implement DNA exchange across the bacterial membrane and license transverse DNA release across kingdom boundaries. We further detail how recent studies have addressed outstanding questions surrounding the mechanisms by which nanomachine architectures and substrate recruitment strategies contribute to T4SS functional diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie E. Ryan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Prashant P. Damke
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Carrie L. Shaffer
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
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5
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Larson CL, Pullman W, Beare PA, Heinzen RA. Identification of Type 4B Secretion System Substrates That Are Conserved among Coxiella burnetii Genomes and Promote Intracellular Growth. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0069623. [PMID: 37199620 PMCID: PMC10269450 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00696-23] [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: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Coxiella burnetii is a Gram-negative pathogen that infects a variety of mammalian hosts. Infection of domesticated ewes can cause fetal abortion, whereas acute human infection normally manifests as the flu-like illness Q fever. Successful host infection requires replication of the pathogen within the lysosomal Coxiella-containing vacuole (CCV). The bacterium encodes a type 4B secretion system (T4BSS) that delivers effector proteins into the host cell. Disruption of C. burnetii T4BSS effector export abrogates CCV biogenesis and bacterial replication. Over 150 C. burnetii T4BSS substrates have been designated often based on heterologous protein translocation by the Legionella pneumophila T4BSS. Cross-genome comparisons predict that many of these T4BSS substrates are truncated or absent in the acute-disease reference strain C. burnetii Nine Mile. This study investigated the function of 32 proteins conserved among diverse C. burnetii genomes that are reported to be T4BSS substrates. Despite being previously designated T4BSS substrates, many of the proteins were not translocated by C. burnetii when expressed fused to the CyaA or BlaM reporter tags. CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) indicated that of the validated C. burnetii T4BSS substrates, CBU0122, CBU1752, CBU1825, and CBU2007 promote C. burnetii replication in THP-1 cells and CCV biogenesis in Vero cells. When expressed in HeLa cells tagged at its C or N terminus with mCherry, CBU0122 localized to the CCV membrane and the mitochondria, respectively. Collectively, these data further define the repertoire of bona fide C. burnetii T4BSS substrates. IMPORTANCE Coxiella burnetii secretes effector proteins via a T4BSS that are required for successful infection. Over 150 C. burnetii proteins are reported to be T4BSS substrates and often by default considered putative effectors, but few have assigned functions. Many C. burnetii proteins were designated T4BSS substrates using heterologous secretion assays in L. pneumophila and/or have coding sequences that are absent or pseudogenized in clinically relevant C. burnetii strains. This study examined 32 previously reported T4BSS substrates that are conserved among C. burnetii genomes. Of the proteins tested that were previously designated T4BSS substrates using L. pneumophila, most were not exported by C. burnetii. Several T4BSS substrates that were validated in C. burnetii also promoted pathogen intracellular replication and one trafficked to late endosomes and the mitochondria in a manner suggestive of effector activity. This study identified several bona fide C. burnetii T4BSS substrates and further refined the methodological criteria for their designation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles L. Larson
- Coxiella Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
- Innate Immunity and Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Willis Pullman
- Coxiella Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Paul A. Beare
- Coxiella Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
- Genomics Research Section, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Robert A. Heinzen
- Coxiella Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
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6
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Kang YS, Kirby JE. A Versatile Nanoluciferase Reporter Reveals Structural Properties Associated with a Highly Efficient, N-Terminal Legionella pneumophila Type IV Secretion Translocation Signal. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0233822. [PMID: 36815834 PMCID: PMC10100965 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02338-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Many Gram-negative pathogens rely on type IV secretion systems (T4SS) for infection. One limitation has been the lack of ideal reporters to identify T4SS translocated effectors and study T4SS function. Most reporter systems make use of fusions to reporter proteins, in particular, β-lactamase (TEM) and calmodulin-dependent adenylate cyclase (CYA), that allow detection of translocated enzymatic activity inside host cells. However, both systems require costly reagents and use complex, multistep procedures for loading host cells with substrate (TEM) or for analysis (CYA). Therefore, we have developed and characterized a novel reporter system using nanoluciferase (NLuc) fusions to address these limitations. Serendipitously, we discovered that Nluc itself is efficiently translocated by Legionella pneumophila T4SS in an IcmSW chaperone-dependent manner via an N-terminal translocation signal. Extensive mutagenesis in the NLuc N terminus suggested the importance of an α-helical domain spanning D5 to V9, as mutations predicted to disrupt this structure, with one exception, were translocation defective. Notably, NLuc was capable of translocating several proteins examined when fused to the N or C terminus, while maintaining robust luciferase activity. In particular, it delivered the split GFP11 fragment into J774 macrophages transfected with GFPopt, thereby resulting in in vivo assembly of superfolder green fluorescent protein (GFP). This provided a bifunctional assay in which translocation could be assayed by fluorescence microplate, confocal microscopy, and/or luciferase assays. We further identified an optimal NLuc substrate which allowed a robust, inexpensive, one-step, high-throughput screening assay to identify T4SS translocation substrates and inhibitors. Taken together, these results indicate that NLuc provides both new insight into and also tools for studying T4SS biology. IMPORTANCE Type IV secretion systems (T4SS) are used by Gram-negative pathogens to coopt host cell function. However, the translocation signals recognized by T4SS are not fully explained by primary amino acid sequence, suggesting yet-to-be-defined contributions of secondary and tertiary structure. Here, we unexpectedly identified nanoluciferase (NLuc) as an efficient IcmSW-dependent translocated T4SS substrate, and we provide extensive mutagenesis data suggesting that the first N-terminal, alpha-helix domain is a critical translocation recognition motif. Notably, most existing reporter systems for studying translocated proteins make use of fusions to reporters to permit detection of translocated enzymatic activity inside the host cell. However, existing systems require extremely costly substrates, complex technical procedures to isolate eukaryotic cytoplasm for analysis, and/or are insensitive. Importantly, we found that NLuc provides a powerful, cost-effective new tool to address these limitations and facilitate high-throughput exploration of secretion system biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoon-Suk Kang
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - James E. Kirby
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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7
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Wang D, Wang L, Bi D, Song J, Wang G, Gao Y, Tang KFJ, Meng F, Xie J, Zhang F, Huang J, Li J, Dong X. Conjugative Transfer of Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Disease-Causing pVA1-Type Plasmid Is Mediated by a Novel Self-Encoded Type IV Secretion System. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0170222. [PMID: 36121241 PMCID: PMC9602635 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01702-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The pathogenic pVA1-type plasmids that carry pirAB toxin genes are the genetic basis for Vibrio to cause acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND), a lethal shrimp disease posing an urgent threat to shrimp aquaculture. Emerging evidence also demonstrate the rapid spread of pVA1-type plasmids across Vibrio species. The pVA1-type plasmids have been predicted to encode a self-encoded type IV secretion system (T4SS). Here, phylogenetic analysis indicated that the T4SS is a novel member of Trb-type. We further confirmed that the T4SS was able to mediate the conjugation of pVA1-type plasmids. A trbE gene encoding an ATPase and a traG gene annotated as a type IV coupling protein (T4CP) were characterized as key components of the T4SS. Deleting either of these 2 genes abolished the conjugative transfer of a pVA1-type plasmid from AHPND-causing Vibrio parahaemolyticus to Vibrio campbellii, which was restored by complementation of the corresponding gene. Moreover, we found that bacterial density, temperature, and nutrient levels are factors that can regulate conjugation efficiency. In conclusion, we proved that the conjugation of pVA1-type plasmids across Vibrio spp. is mediated by a novel T4SS and regulated by environmental factors. IMPORTANCE AHPND is a global shrimp bacteriosis and was listed as a notifiable disease by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) in 2016, causing losses of more than USD 7 billion each year. Several Vibrio species such as V. parahaemolyticus, V. harveyi, V. campbellii, and V. owensii harboring the virulence plasmid (designated as the pVA1-type plasmid) can cause AHPND. The increasing number of Vibrio species makes prevention and control more difficult, threatening the sustainable development of the aquaculture industry. In this study, we found that the horizontal transfer of pVA1-type plasmid is mediated by a novel type IV secretion system (T4SS). Our study explained the formation mechanism of pathogen diversity in AHPND. Moreover, bacterial density, temperature, and nutrient levels can regulate horizontal efficiency. We explore new ideas for controlling the spread of virulence plasmid and form the basis of management strategies leading to the prevention and control of AHPND.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dehao Wang
- Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Key Laboratory of Maricultural Organism Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Mariculture Epidemiology and Biosecurity, Qingdao, China
- Shandong Agricultural University, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Tai’an, China
| | - Liying Wang
- Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Key Laboratory of Maricultural Organism Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Mariculture Epidemiology and Biosecurity, Qingdao, China
- Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dexi Bi
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jipeng Song
- Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Key Laboratory of Maricultural Organism Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Mariculture Epidemiology and Biosecurity, Qingdao, China
| | - Guohao Wang
- Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Key Laboratory of Maricultural Organism Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Mariculture Epidemiology and Biosecurity, Qingdao, China
| | - Ye Gao
- Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Key Laboratory of Maricultural Organism Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Mariculture Epidemiology and Biosecurity, Qingdao, China
| | - Kathy F. J. Tang
- Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Key Laboratory of Maricultural Organism Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Mariculture Epidemiology and Biosecurity, Qingdao, China
| | - Fanzeng Meng
- Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Key Laboratory of Maricultural Organism Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Mariculture Epidemiology and Biosecurity, Qingdao, China
- Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingmei Xie
- Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Key Laboratory of Maricultural Organism Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Mariculture Epidemiology and Biosecurity, Qingdao, China
- Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin, China
| | - Fan Zhang
- Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Key Laboratory of Maricultural Organism Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Mariculture Epidemiology and Biosecurity, Qingdao, China
| | - Jie Huang
- Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Key Laboratory of Maricultural Organism Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Mariculture Epidemiology and Biosecurity, Qingdao, China
- Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jianliang Li
- Shandong Agricultural University, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Tai’an, China
| | - Xuan Dong
- Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Key Laboratory of Maricultural Organism Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Mariculture Epidemiology and Biosecurity, Qingdao, China
- Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin, China
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8
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Abstract
Bacterial type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are a versatile group of nanomachines that can horizontally transfer DNA through conjugation and deliver effector proteins into a wide range of target cells. The components of T4SSs in gram-negative bacteria are organized into several large subassemblies: an inner membrane complex, an outer membrane core complex, and, in some species, an extracellular pilus. Cryo-electron tomography has been used to define the structures of T4SSs in intact bacteria, and high-resolution structural models are now available for isolated core complexes from conjugation systems, the Xanthomonas citri T4SS, the Helicobacter pylori Cag T4SS, and the Legionella pneumophila Dot/Icm T4SS. In this review, we compare the molecular architectures of these T4SSs, focusing especially on the structures of core complexes. We discuss structural features that are shared by multiple T4SSs as well as evolutionary strategies used for T4SS diversification. Finally, we discuss how structural variations among T4SSs may confer specialized functional properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Sheedlo
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Melanie D. Ohi
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - D. Borden Lacy
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Timothy L. Cover
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
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9
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Lockwood DC, Amin H, Costa TRD, Schroeder GN. The Legionella pneumophila Dot/Icm type IV secretion system and its effectors. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2022; 168. [PMID: 35639581 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
To prevail in the interaction with eukaryotic hosts, many bacterial pathogens use protein secretion systems to release virulence factors at the host–pathogen interface and/or deliver them directly into host cells. An outstanding example of the complexity and sophistication of secretion systems and the diversity of their protein substrates, effectors, is the Defective in organelle trafficking/Intracellular multiplication (Dot/Icm) Type IVB secretion system (T4BSS) of
Legionella pneumophila
and related species.
Legionella
species are facultative intracellular pathogens of environmental protozoa and opportunistic human respiratory pathogens. The Dot/Icm T4BSS translocates an exceptionally large number of effectors, more than 300 per
L. pneumophila
strain, and is essential for evasion of phagolysosomal degradation and exploitation of protozoa and human macrophages as replicative niches. Recent technological advancements in the imaging of large protein complexes have provided new insight into the architecture of the T4BSS and allowed us to propose models for the transport mechanism. At the same time, significant progress has been made in assigning functions to about a third of
L. pneumophila
effectors, discovering unprecedented new enzymatic activities and concepts of host subversion. In this review, we describe the current knowledge of the workings of the Dot/Icm T4BSS machinery and provide an overview of the activities and functions of the to-date characterized effectors in the interaction of
L. pneumophila
with host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Lockwood
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Himani Amin
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Tiago R D Costa
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Gunnar N Schroeder
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK
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10
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Cheng E, Dorjsuren D, Lehman S, Larson CL, Titus SA, Sun H, Zakharov A, Rai G, Heinzen RA, Simeonov A, Machner MP. A Comprehensive Phenotypic Screening Strategy to Identify Modulators of Cargo Translocation by the Bacterial Type IVB Secretion System. mBio 2022; 13:e0024022. [PMID: 35258332 PMCID: PMC9040768 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00240-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are macromolecular machines that translocate effector proteins across multiple membranes into infected host cells. Loss of function mutations in genes encoding protein components of the T4SS render bacteria avirulent, highlighting the attractiveness of T4SSs as drug targets. Here, we designed an automated high-throughput screening approach for the identification of compounds that interfere with the delivery of a reporter-effector fusion protein from Legionella pneumophila into RAW264.7 mouse macrophages. Using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based detection assay in a bacteria/macrophage coculture format, we screened a library of over 18,000 compounds and, upon vetting compound candidates in a variety of in vitro and cell-based secondary screens, isolated several hits that efficiently interfered with biological processes that depend on a functional T4SS, such as intracellular bacterial proliferation or lysosomal avoidance, but had no detectable effect on L. pneumophila growth in culture medium, conditions under which the T4SS is dispensable. Notably, the same hit compounds also attenuated, to varying degrees, effector delivery by the closely related T4SS from Coxiella burnetii, notably without impacting growth of this organism within synthetic media. Together, these results support the idea that interference with T4SS function is a possible therapeutic intervention strategy, and the emerging compounds provide tools to interrogate at a molecular level the regulation and dynamics of these virulence-critical translocation machines. IMPORTANCE Multi-drug-resistant pathogens are an emerging threat to human health. Because conventional antibiotics target not only the pathogen but also eradicate the beneficial microbiota, they often cause additional clinical complications. Thus, there is an urgent need for the development of "smarter" therapeutics that selectively target pathogens without affecting beneficial commensals. The bacterial type IV secretion system (T4SS) is essential for the virulence of a variety of pathogens but dispensable for bacterial viability in general and can, thus, be considered a pathogen's Achilles heel. By identifying small molecules that interfere with cargo delivery by the T4SS from two important human pathogens, Legionella pneumophila and Coxiella burnetii, our study represents the first step in our pursuit toward precision medicine by developing pathogen-selective therapeutics capable of treating the infections without causing harm to commensal bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Cheng
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Dorjbal Dorjsuren
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Stephanie Lehman
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Charles L. Larson
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Coxiella Pathogenesis Section, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Steven A. Titus
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Hongmao Sun
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Alexey Zakharov
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Ganesha Rai
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Robert A. Heinzen
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Coxiella Pathogenesis Section, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Anton Simeonov
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Matthias P. Machner
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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11
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Jäger F, Lamy A, Sun WS, Guerini N, Berntsson RPA. Structure of the enterococcal T4SS protein PrgL reveals unique dimerization interface in the VirB8 protein family. Structure 2022; 30:876-885.e5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2022.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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12
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Hugoson E, Guliaev A, Ammunét T, Guy L. Host-adaptation in Legionellales is 1.9 Ga, coincident with eukaryogenesis. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6527638. [PMID: 35167692 PMCID: PMC8896642 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria adapting to living in a host cell caused the most salient events in the evolution of eukaryotes, namely the seminal fusion with an archaeon, and the emergence of both mitochondrion and chloroplast. A bacterial clade that may hold the key to understanding these events is the deep-branching gammaproteobacterial order Legionellales-containing among others Coxiella and Legionella-of which all known members grow inside eukaryotic cells. Here, by analyzing 35 novel Legionellales genomes mainly acquired through metagenomics, we show that this group is much more diverse than previously thought, and that key host-adaptation events took place very early in its evolution. Crucial virulence factors like the Type IVB secretion (Dot/Icm) system and two shared effector proteins were gained in the last Legionellales common ancestor (LLCA). Many metabolic gene families were lost in LLCA and its immediate descendants, including functions directly and indirectly related to molybdenum metabolism. On the other hand, genome sizes increased in the ancestors of the Legionella genus. We estimate that LLCA lived circa 1.89 Ga ago, probably predating the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA) by circa 0.4-1.0 Ga. These elements strongly indicate that host-adaptation arose only once in Legionellales, and that these bacteria were using advanced molecular machinery to exploit and manipulate host cells early in eukaryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Hugoson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratories, Uppsala University, Box 582, 75123, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Microbial Population Biology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, D-24306, Germany
| | - Andrei Guliaev
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratories, Uppsala University, Box 582, 75123, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tea Ammunét
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratories, Uppsala University, Box 582, 75123, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lionel Guy
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratories, Uppsala University, Box 582, 75123, Uppsala, Sweden
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13
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Structural basis for effector recognition by an antibacterial type IV secretion system. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2112529119. [PMID: 34983846 PMCID: PMC8740702 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2112529119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) have been studied for more than 70 y because of their roles in mediating horizontal DNA transfer, responsible for the spread of antibiotic resistance, and the injection of virulence factors into animal and plant hosts. Another important function is the contact-dependent injection of toxic effectors into competing bacteria of different species during bacterial warfare. The present study reveals how T4SSs use a specific domain of the VirD4 coupling protein to recruit antibacterial toxins for secretion by recognizing conserved carboxyl-terminal secretion signal domains. The molecular structure of the secretion signal domain described in this work will serve as a model for thousands of homologs encountered in several hundred distinct bacterial species. Many soil-, water-, and plant-associated bacterial species from the orders Xanthomonadales, Burkholderales, and Neisseriales carry a type IV secretion system (T4SS) specialized in translocating effector proteins into other gram-negative species, leading to target cell death. These effectors, known as X-Tfes, carry a carboxyl-terminal domain of ∼120 residues, termed XVIPCD, characterized by several conserved motifs and a glutamine-rich tail. Previous studies showed that the XVIPCD is required for interaction with the T4SS coupling protein VirD4 and for T4SS-dependent translocation. However, the structural basis of the XVIPCD–VirD4 interaction is unknown. Here, we show that the XVIPCD interacts with the central all-alpha domain of VirD4 (VirD4AAD). We used solution NMR spectroscopy to solve the structure of the XVIPCD of X-TfeXAC2609 from Xanthomonas citri and to map its interaction surface with VirD4AAD. Isothermal titration calorimetry and in vivo Xanthomonas citri versus Escherichia coli competition assays using wild-type and mutant X-TfeXAC2609 and X-TfeXAC3634 indicate that XVIPCDs can be divided into two regions with distinct functions: the well-folded N-terminal region contains specific conserved motifs that are responsible for interactions with VirD4AAD, while both N- and carboxyl-terminal regions are required for effective X-Tfe translocation into the target cell. The conformational stability of the N-terminal region is reduced at and below pH 7.0, a property that may facilitate X-Tfe unfolding and translocation through the more acidic environment of the periplasm.
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14
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Wibawa RR, Li P, McCaffrey K, Hartland EL. Using Genomic Deletion Mutants to Investigate Effector-Triggered Immunity During Legionella pneumophila Infection. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2523:23-41. [PMID: 35759189 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2449-4_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila is an intracellular bacterial pathogen that uses a type IV secretion system (T4SS), termed Dot/Icm, to secrete more than 330 virulence effector proteins into the infected host cell. Many Dot/Icm effectors are involved in biogenesis of the Legionella-containing vacuole (LCV), which allows intracellular bacterial replication in environmental amoebae and alveolar macrophages. Through their activity, some effectors trigger the mammalian host immune response in a phenomenon termed effector-triggered immunity (ETI). Here, we describe a protocol to create and use L. pneumophila genome deletion mutants to identify effector(s) that alter pro-inflammatory cytokine production and bacterial clearance in the lungs of mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachelia R Wibawa
- Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Pengfei Li
- Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Diseases, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Kathleen McCaffrey
- Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Elizabeth L Hartland
- Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
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15
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Macé K, Meir A, Lukoyanova N, Liu L, Chetrit D, Hospenthal MK, Roy CR, Waksman G. Proteins DotY and DotZ modulate the dynamics and localization of the type IVB coupling complex of Legionella pneumophila. Mol Microbiol 2021; 117:307-319. [PMID: 34816517 PMCID: PMC9300119 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila is an opportunistic pathogen infecting alveolar macrophages and protozoa species. Legionella utilizes a Type IV Secretion System (T4SS) to translocate over 300 effector proteins into its host cell. In a recent study, we have isolated and solved the cryo-EM structure of the Type IV Coupling Complex (T4CC), a large cytoplasmic determinant associated with the inner membrane that recruits effector proteins for delivery to the T4SS for translocation. The T4CC is composed of a DotLMNYZ hetero-pentameric core from which the flexible IcmSW module flexibly protrudes. The DotY and DotZ proteins were newly reported members of this complex and their role remained elusive. In this study, we observed the effect of deleting DotY and DotZ on T4CC stability and localization. Furthermore, we found these two proteins are co-dependent, whereby the deletion of DotY resulted in DotZ absence from the coupling complex, and vice versa. Additional cryo-EM data analysis revealed the dynamic movement of the IcmSW module is modified by the DotY/Z proteins. We therefore determined the likely function of DotY and DotZ and revealed their importance on T4CC function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Macé
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck and UCL, London, UK
| | - Amit Meir
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck and UCL, London, UK.,Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Natalya Lukoyanova
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck and UCL, London, UK
| | - Luying Liu
- Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - David Chetrit
- Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | | | - Craig R Roy
- Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Gabriel Waksman
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck and UCL, London, UK.,Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, UK
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16
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Kitao T, Kubori T, Nagai H. Recent advances in structural studies of the Legionella pneumophila Dot/Icm type IV secretion system. Microbiol Immunol 2021; 66:67-74. [PMID: 34807482 PMCID: PMC9302130 DOI: 10.1111/1348-0421.12951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The intracellular bacterial pathogen Legionella pneumophila utilizes the Dot/Icm type IV secretion system to translocate approximately 300 effector proteins to establish a replicative niche known as the Legionella‐containing vacuole. The Dot/Icm system is classified as a type IVB secretion system, which is evolutionarily closely related to the I‐type conjugation systems and is distinct from type IVA secretion systems, such as the Agrobacterium VirB/D4 system. Although both type IVA and IVB systems directly transport nucleic acids or proteins into the cytosol of recipient cells, the components and architecture of type IVB systems are much more complex than those of type IVA systems. Taking full advantage of rapidly developing cryo‐electron microscopy techniques, the structural details of the transport apparatus and coupling complexes in the Dot/Icm system have been clarified in the past few years. In this review, we summarize recent progress in the structural studies of the L. pneumophila type IVB secretion system and the insights gained into the mechanisms of substrate recognition and transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoe Kitao
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan
| | - Tomoko Kubori
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan.,G-CHAIN, Gifu University, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan
| | - Hiroki Nagai
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan.,G-CHAIN, Gifu University, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan
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17
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Budowa IV systemu sekrecji Legionella pneumophilai jego znaczenie w patogenezie. POSTEP HIG MED DOSW 2021. [DOI: 10.2478/ahem-2021-0023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstrakt
Bakterie Legionella pneumophila w środowisku naturalnym pasożytują wewnątrz komórek wybranych gatunków pierwotniaków, a po przedostaniu się do sztucznych systemów dystrybucji wody stają się ważnym czynnikiem etiologicznym zapalenia płuc u ludzi. Główną cechą determinującą patogenność tych bakterii jest zdolność do życia i replikacji w makrofagach płucnych, czyli w komórkach wyspecjalizowanych do fagocytozy, zabijania i trawienia mikroorganizmów. Warunkiem wstępnym rozwoju infekcji jest przełamanie mechanizmów bójczych makrofagów i utworzenie wakuoli replikacyjnej LCV (Legionella containing vacuole). Biogeneza wakuoli LCV jest możliwa dzięki sprawnemu funkcjonowaniu IV systemu sekrecji Dot/Icm, który jest wielobiałkowym, złożonym kompleksem umiejscowionym w wewnętrznej i zewnętrznej membranie osłony komórkowej bakterii. System Dot/Icm liczy 27 elementów, na które składają się m.in. kompleks rdzeniowo-transmembranowy, tworzący strukturalny szkielet całego systemu oraz kompleks białek sprzęgających. Geny kodujące komponenty systemu Dot/Icm są zorganizowane na dwóch regionach chromosomu bak-teryjnego. System sekrecji Dot/Icm umożliwia L. pneumophila wprowadzenie do cytozolu komórki gospodarza ponad 300 białek efektorowych, których skoordynowane działanie powoduje utrzymanie integralności błony wakuoli replikacyjnej oraz pozwala na manipulowanie różnymi procesami komórki. Ważnym elementem strategii wewnątrzkomórkowego namnażania się L. pneumophila jest modulowanie transportu pęcherzykowego, interakcja z retikulum endoplazmatycznym oraz zakłócenie biosyntezy białek, procesów autofagii i apoptozy komórki gospodarza. Poznanie złożonych mechanizmów regulacji i funkcji białek efektorowych systemu Dot/Icm ma decydujące znaczenie w zapobieganiu i leczeniu choroby legionistów.
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18
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Manera K, Kamal F, Burkinshaw B, Dong TG. Essential functions of chaperones and adaptors of protein secretion systems in Gram-negative bacteria. FEBS J 2021; 289:4704-4717. [PMID: 34092034 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Equipped with a plethora of secreted toxic effectors, protein secretion systems are essential for bacteria to interact with and manipulate their neighboring environment to survive in host microbiota and other highly competitive communities. While effectors have received spotlight attention in secretion system studies, many require accessory chaperone and adaptor proteins for proper folding/unfolding and stability throughout the secretion process. Here, we review the functions of chaperones and adaptors of three protein secretions systems, type 3 secretion system (T3SS), type 4 secretion system (T4SS), and type 6 secretion system (T6SS), which are employed by many Gram-negative bacterial pathogens to deliver toxins to bacterial, plant, and mammalian host cells through direct contact. Since chaperone and adaptor functions of the T3SS and the T4SS are relatively well studied, we discuss in detail the methods of chaperone-facilitated effector secretion by the T6SS and highlight commonalities between the effector chaperone/adaptor proteins of these diverse secretion systems. While the chaperones and adaptors are generally referred to as accessory proteins as they are not directly involved in toxicities to target cells, they are nonetheless vital for the biological functions of the secretion systems. Future research on biochemical and structural properties of these chaperones will not only elucidate the mechanisms of chaperone-effector binding and release process but also facilitate custom design of cargo effectors to be translocated by these widespread secretion systems for biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Manera
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, University of Calgary, Canada
| | - Fatima Kamal
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, University of Calgary, Canada
| | | | - Tao G Dong
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, University of Calgary, Canada.,State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
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19
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Mitura M, Lewicka E, Godziszewska J, Adamczyk M, Jagura-Burdzy G. Alpha-Helical Protein KfrC Acts as a Switch between the Lateral and Vertical Modes of Dissemination of Broad-Host-Range RA3 Plasmid from IncU (IncP-6) Incompatibility Group. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:4880. [PMID: 34063039 PMCID: PMC8124265 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
KfrC proteins are encoded by the conjugative broad-host-range plasmids that also encode alpha-helical filament-forming KfrA proteins as exemplified by the RA3 plasmid from the IncU incompatibility group. The RA3 variants impaired in kfrA, kfrC, or both affected the host's growth and demonstrated the altered stability in a species-specific manner. In a search for partners of the alpha-helical KfrC protein, the host's membrane proteins and four RA3-encoded proteins were found, including the filamentous KfrA protein, segrosome protein KorB, and the T4SS proteins, the coupling protein VirD4 and ATPase VirB4. The C-terminal, 112-residue dimerization domain of KfrC was involved in the interactions with KorB, the master player of the active partition, and VirD4, a key component of the conjugative transfer process. In Pseudomonas putida, but not in Escherichia coli, the lack of KfrC decreased the stability but improved the transfer ability. We showed that KfrC and KfrA were involved in the plasmid maintenance and conjugative transfer and that KfrC may play a species-dependent role of a switch between vertical and horizontal modes of RA3 spreading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Mitura
- Laboratory of DNA Segregation and Cell Cycle of Proteobacteria, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland; (M.M.); (E.L.); (J.G.)
| | - Ewa Lewicka
- Laboratory of DNA Segregation and Cell Cycle of Proteobacteria, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland; (M.M.); (E.L.); (J.G.)
| | - Jolanta Godziszewska
- Laboratory of DNA Segregation and Cell Cycle of Proteobacteria, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland; (M.M.); (E.L.); (J.G.)
| | - Malgorzata Adamczyk
- Faculty of Chemistry, Chair of Drug and Cosmetics Biotechnology, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-664 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Grazyna Jagura-Burdzy
- Laboratory of DNA Segregation and Cell Cycle of Proteobacteria, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland; (M.M.); (E.L.); (J.G.)
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20
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Allombert J, Jaboulay C, Michard C, Andréa C, Charpentier X, Vianney A, Doublet P. Deciphering Legionella effector delivery by Icm/Dot secretion system reveals a new role for c-di-GMP signaling. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:166985. [PMID: 33845084 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.166985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Secretion of bacterial effector proteins into host cells plays a key role in bacterial virulence. Yet, the dynamics of the secretion systems activity remains poorly understood, especially when machineries deal with the export of numerous effectors. We address the question of multi-effector secretion by focusing on the Legionella pneumophila Icm/Dot T4SS that translocates a record number of 300 effectors. We set up a kinetic translocation assay, based on the β-lactamase translocation reporter system combined with the effect of the protonophore CCCP. When used for translocation analysis of Icm/Dot substrates constitutively produced by L. pneumophila, this assay allows a fine monitoring of the secretion activity of the T4SS, independently of the expression control of the effectors. We observed that effectors are translocated with a specific timing, suggesting a control of their docking/translocation by the T4SS. Their delivery is accurately organized to allow effective manipulation of the host cell, as exemplified by the sequential translocation of effectors targeting Rab1, namely SidM/DrrA, LidA, LepB. Remarkably, the timed delivery of effectors does not depend only on their interaction with chaperone proteins but implies cyclic-di-GMP signaling, as the diguanylate cyclase Lpl0780/Lpp0809, contributes to the timing of translocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Allombert
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, (Team: Legionella pathogenesis), Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007 Lyon, France
| | - C Jaboulay
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, (Team: Legionella pathogenesis), Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007 Lyon, France
| | - C Michard
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, (Team: Legionella pathogenesis), Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007 Lyon, France
| | - C Andréa
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, (Team: Legionella pathogenesis), Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007 Lyon, France
| | - X Charpentier
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, (Team: Horigene), Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007 Lyon, France
| | - A Vianney
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, (Team: Legionella pathogenesis), Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007 Lyon, France.
| | - P Doublet
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, (Team: Legionella pathogenesis), Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007 Lyon, France.
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21
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Steiner S, Meir A, Roy CR. Coxiella burnetii encodes an LvgA-related protein important for intracellular replication. Cell Microbiol 2021; 23:e13331. [PMID: 33774901 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Coxiella burnetii is a bacterial pathogen that replicates in a specialised lysosome-derived organelle called the Coxiella-containing vacuole (CCV). Establishment of the CCV requires the Dot/Icm type IVB secretion system. A previous transposon mutagenesis screen identified the gene cbu1754 as being important for the intracellular replication of C. burnetii. To understand the function of the protein encoded by cbu1754, CCV maturation and intracellular replication phenotypes of a cbu1754 mutant were analysed. In contrast to vacuoles containing wild-type C. burnetii Nine Mile phase II, vacuoles containing the isogenic cbu1754 mutant were smaller and did not display detectible amounts of the autophagy protein LC3, which indicated a CCV biogenesis defect. The Cbu1754 protein was not efficiently delivered into the host cell cytosol during infection, which indicated this protein is not a Dot/Icm-translocated effector protein. Secondary structure predictions suggested that Cbu1754 could be similar to the Legionella pneumophila LvgA protein, which is a component of the Dot/Icm apparatus. Consistent with this hypothesis, production of Cbu1754 in an L. pneumophila ∆lvgA mutant restored LvgA-dependent activities. The L. pneumophila proteins LvgA, IcmS and IcmW are interacting partners that comprise a subassembly of the coupling protein complex that mediates Dot/Icm-dependent effector translocation. Similarly, the Cbu1754 protein was found to be a component of the chaperone complex containing the C. burnetii proteins IcmS and IcmW. Thus, the Cbu1754 protein is an LvgA-related protein important for Dot/Icm function and intracellular replication of C. burnetii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Steiner
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Amit Meir
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Craig R Roy
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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22
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Chauhan D, Shames SR. Pathogenicity and Virulence of Legionella: Intracellular replication and host response. Virulence 2021; 12:1122-1144. [PMID: 33843434 PMCID: PMC8043192 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1903199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria of the genus Legionella are natural pathogens of amoebae that can cause a severe pneumonia in humans called Legionnaires’ Disease. Human disease results from inhalation of Legionella-contaminated aerosols and subsequent bacterial replication within alveolar macrophages. Legionella pathogenicity in humans has resulted from extensive co-evolution with diverse genera of amoebae. To replicate intracellularly, Legionella generates a replication-permissive compartment called the Legionella-containing vacuole (LCV) through the concerted action of hundreds of Dot/Icm-translocated effector proteins. In this review, we present a collective overview of Legionella pathogenicity including infection mechanisms, secretion systems, and translocated effector function. We also discuss innate and adaptive immune responses to L. pneumophila, the implications of Legionella genome diversity and future avenues for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepika Chauhan
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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23
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Computational prediction of secreted proteins in gram-negative bacteria. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:1806-1828. [PMID: 33897982 PMCID: PMC8047123 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria harness multiple protein secretion systems and secrete a large proportion of the proteome. Proteins can be exported to periplasmic space, integrated into membrane, transported into extracellular milieu, or translocated into cytoplasm of contacting cells. It is important for accurate, genome-wide annotation of the secreted proteins and their secretion pathways. In this review, we systematically classified the secreted proteins according to the types of secretion systems in Gram-negative bacteria, summarized the known features of these proteins, and reviewed the algorithms and tools for their prediction.
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24
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Jaboulay C, Godeux AS, Doublet P, Vianney A. Regulatory Networks of the T4SS Control: From Host Cell Sensing to the Biogenesis and the Activity during the Infection. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:166892. [PMID: 33636165 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.166892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Delivery of effectors, DNA or proteins, that hijack host cell processes to the benefit of bacteria is a mechanism widely used by bacterial pathogens. It is achieved by complex effector injection devices, the secretion systems, among which Type 4 Secretion Systems (T4SSs) play a key role in bacterial virulence of numerous animal and plant pathogens. Considerable progress has recently been made in the structure-function analyses of T4SSs. Nevertheless, the signals and processes that trigger machine assembly and activity during infection, as well as those involved in substrate recognition and transfer, are complex and still poorly understood. In this review, we aim at summarizing the last updates of the knowledge on signaling pathways that regulate the biogenesis and the activity of T4SSs in important bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Jaboulay
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, (Team: Legionella pathogenesis), Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007 Lyon, France.
| | - A S Godeux
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, (Team: Horigene), Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007 Lyon, France
| | - P Doublet
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, (Team: Legionella pathogenesis), Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007 Lyon, France
| | - A Vianney
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, (Team: Legionella pathogenesis), Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007 Lyon, France
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25
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Costa TRD, Harb L, Khara P, Zeng L, Hu B, Christie PJ. Type IV secretion systems: Advances in structure, function, and activation. Mol Microbiol 2021; 115:436-452. [PMID: 33326642 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are a functionally diverse translocation superfamily. They consist mainly of two large subfamilies: (i) conjugation systems that mediate interbacterial DNA transfer and (ii) effector translocators that deliver effector macromolecules into prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells. A few other T4SSs export DNA or proteins to the milieu, or import exogenous DNA. The T4SSs are defined by 6 or 12 conserved "core" subunits that respectively elaborate "minimized" systems in Gram-positive or -negative bacteria. However, many "expanded" T4SSs are built from "core" subunits plus numerous others that are system-specific, which presumptively broadens functional capabilities. Recently, there has been exciting progress in defining T4SS assembly pathways and architectures using a combination of fluorescence and cryoelectron microscopy. This review will highlight advances in our knowledge of structure-function relationships for model Gram-negative bacterial T4SSs, including "minimized" systems resembling the Agrobacterium tumefaciens VirB/VirD4 T4SS and "expanded" systems represented by the Helicobacter pylori Cag, Legionella pneumophila Dot/Icm, and F plasmid-encoded Tra T4SSs. Detailed studies of these model systems are generating new insights, some at atomic resolution, to long-standing questions concerning mechanisms of substrate recruitment, T4SS channel architecture, conjugative pilus assembly, and machine adaptations contributing to T4SS functional versatility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago R D Costa
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Laith Harb
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Pratick Khara
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lanying Zeng
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Bo Hu
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Peter J Christie
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, TX, USA
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26
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Álvarez-Rodríguez I, Arana L, Ugarte-Uribe B, Gómez-Rubio E, Martín-Santamaría S, Garbisu C, Alkorta I. Type IV Coupling Proteins as Potential Targets to Control the Dissemination of Antibiotic Resistance. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:201. [PMID: 32903459 PMCID: PMC7434980 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The increase of infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria, together with the loss of effectiveness of currently available antibiotics, represents one of the most serious threats to public health worldwide. The loss of human lives and the economic costs associated to the problem of the dissemination of antibiotic resistance require immediate action. Bacteria, known by their great genetic plasticity, are capable not only of mutating their genes to adapt to disturbances and environmental changes but also of acquiring new genes that allow them to survive in hostile environments, such as in the presence of antibiotics. One of the major mechanisms responsible for the horizontal acquisition of new genes (e.g., antibiotic resistance genes) is bacterial conjugation, a process mediated by mobile genetic elements such as conjugative plasmids and integrative conjugative elements. Conjugative plasmids harboring antibiotic resistance genes can be transferred from a donor to a recipient bacterium in a process that requires physical contact. After conjugation, the recipient bacterium not only harbors the antibiotic resistance genes but it can also transfer the acquired plasmid to other bacteria, thus contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance. Conjugative plasmids have genes that encode all the proteins necessary for the conjugation to take place, such as the type IV coupling proteins (T4CPs) present in all conjugative plasmids. Type VI coupling proteins constitute a heterogeneous family of hexameric ATPases that use energy from the ATP hydrolysis for plasmid transfer. Taking into account their essential role in bacterial conjugation, T4CPs are attractive targets for the inhibition of bacterial conjugation and, concomitantly, the limitation of antibiotic resistance dissemination. This review aims to compile present knowledge on T4CPs as a starting point for delving into their molecular structure and functioning in future studies. Likewise, the scientific literature on bacterial conjugation inhibitors has been reviewed here, in an attempt to elucidate the possibility of designing T4CP-inhibitors as a potential solution to the dissemination of multidrug-resistant bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itxaso Álvarez-Rodríguez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
| | - Lide Arana
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
| | - Begoña Ugarte-Uribe
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
| | - Elena Gómez-Rubio
- Department of Structural and Chemical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, CIB-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sonsoles Martín-Santamaría
- Department of Structural and Chemical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, CIB-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Garbisu
- Department of Conservation of Natural Resources, Soil Microbial Ecology Group, NEIKER - Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Cient fico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Derio, Spain
| | - Itziar Alkorta
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
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27
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Mechanism of effector capture and delivery by the type IV secretion system from Legionella pneumophila. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2864. [PMID: 32513920 PMCID: PMC7280309 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16681-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila is a bacterial pathogen that utilises a Type IV secretion (T4S) system to inject effector proteins into human macrophages. Essential to the recruitment and delivery of effectors to the T4S machinery is the membrane-embedded T4 coupling complex (T4CC). Here, we purify an intact T4CC from the Legionella membrane. It contains the DotL ATPase, the DotM and DotN proteins, the chaperone module IcmSW, and two previously uncharacterised proteins, DotY and DotZ. The atomic resolution structure reveals a DotLMNYZ hetero-pentameric core from which the flexible IcmSW module protrudes. Six of these hetero-pentameric complexes may assemble into a 1.6-MDa hexameric nanomachine, forming an inner membrane channel for effectors to pass through. Analysis of multiple cryo EM maps, further modelling and mutagenesis provide working models for the mechanism for binding and delivery of two essential classes of Legionella effectors, depending on IcmSW or DotM, respectively.
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28
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Kim H, Kubori T, Yamazaki K, Kwak MJ, Park SY, Nagai H, Vogel JP, Oh BH. Structural basis for effector protein recognition by the Dot/Icm Type IVB coupling protein complex. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2623. [PMID: 32457311 PMCID: PMC7251119 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16397-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The Legionella pneumophila Dot/Icm type IVB secretion system (T4BSS) is extremely versatile, translocating ~300 effector proteins into host cells. This specialized secretion system employs the Dot/Icm type IVB coupling protein (T4CP) complex, which includes IcmS, IcmW and LvgA, that are known to selectively assist the export of a subclass of effectors. Herein, the crystal structure of a four-subunit T4CP subcomplex bound to the effector protein VpdB reveals an interaction between LvgA and a linear motif in the C-terminus of VpdB. The same binding interface of LvgA also interacts with the C-terminal region of three additional effectors, SidH, SetA and PieA. Mutational analyses identified a FxxxLxxxK binding motif that is shared by VpdB and SidH, but not by SetA and PieA, showing that LvgA recognizes more than one type of binding motif. Together, this work provides a structural basis for how the Dot/Icm T4CP complex recognizes effectors, and highlights the multiple substrate-binding specificities of its adaptor subunit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunmin Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST Institute for the Biocentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Tomoko Kubori
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan
| | - Kohei Yamazaki
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan.,Veterinary Public Health, Kitasato University, Higashi 23-35-1, Towada, Aomori, 034-8628, Japan
| | - Mi-Jeong Kwak
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST Institute for the Biocentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.,CKD Research Institute, Yongin, Gyeonggi, 16995, Republic of Korea
| | - Suk-Youl Park
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, POSTECH, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Hiroki Nagai
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan
| | - Joseph P Vogel
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Byung-Ha Oh
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST Institute for the Biocentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
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29
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The Evolution of Protein Secretion Systems by Co-option and Tinkering of Cellular Machineries. Trends Microbiol 2020; 28:372-386. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2020.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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30
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Gomez-Valero L, Chiner-Oms A, Comas I, Buchrieser C. Evolutionary Dissection of the Dot/Icm System Based on Comparative Genomics of 58 Legionella Species. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 11:2619-2632. [PMID: 31504472 PMCID: PMC6761968 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz186] [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] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Dot/Icm type IVB secretion system of Legionella pneumophila is essential for its pathogenesis by delivering >300 effector proteins into the host cell. However, their precise secretion mechanism and which components interact with the host cell is only partly understood. Here, we undertook evolutionary analyses of the Dot/Icm system of 58 Legionella species to identify those components that interact with the host and/or the substrates. We show that high recombination rates are acting on DotA, DotG, and IcmX, supporting exposure of these proteins to the host. Specific amino acids under positive selection on the periplasmic region of DotF, and the cytoplasmic domain of DotM, support a role of these regions in substrate binding. Diversifying selection acting on the signal peptide of DotC suggests its interaction with the host after cleavage. Positive selection acts on IcmR, IcmQ, and DotL revealing that these components are probably participating in effector recognition and/or translocation. Furthermore, our results predict the participation in host/effector interaction of DotV and IcmF. In contrast, DotB, DotO, most of the core subcomplex elements, and the chaperones IcmS-W show a high degree of conservation and not signs of recombination or positive selection suggesting that these proteins are under strong structural constraints and have an important role in maintaining the architecture/function of the system. Thus, our analyses of recombination and positive selection acting on the Dot/Icm secretion system predicted specific Dot/Icm components and regions implicated in host interaction and/or substrate recognition and translocation, which will guide further functional analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Gomez-Valero
- Institut Pasteur, Departement of Microbiology, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, Paris, France.,CNRS UMR3525, Paris, France
| | - Alvaro Chiner-Oms
- Unidad Mixta "Infección y Salud Pública" FISABIO-CSISP/Universidad de Valencia, Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas, Spain
| | - Iñaki Comas
- CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Valencia, Spain.,Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, IBV-CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - Carmen Buchrieser
- Institut Pasteur, Departement of Microbiology, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, Paris, France.,CNRS UMR3525, Paris, France
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31
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Park D, Chetrit D, Hu B, Roy CR, Liu J. Analysis of Dot/Icm Type IVB Secretion System Subassemblies by Cryoelectron Tomography Reveals Conformational Changes Induced by DotB Binding. mBio 2020; 11:e03328-19. [PMID: 32071271 PMCID: PMC7029142 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03328-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are sophisticated nanomachines used by many bacterial pathogens to translocate protein and DNA substrates across a host cell membrane. Although T4SSs have important roles in promoting bacterial infections, little is known about the biogenesis of the apparatus and the mechanism of substrate transfer. Here, high-throughput cryoelectron tomography (cryo-ET) was used to visualize Legionella pneumophila T4SSs (also known as Dot/Icm secretion machines) in both the whole-cell context and at the cell pole. These data revealed the distribution patterns of individual Dot/Icm machines in the bacterial cell and identified five distinct subassembled intermediates. High-resolution in situ structures of the Dot/Icm machine derived from subtomogram averaging revealed that docking of the cytoplasmic DotB (VirB11-related) ATPase complex onto the DotO (VirB4-related) ATPase complex promotes a conformational change in the secretion system that results in the opening of a channel in the bacterial inner membrane. A model is presented for how the Dot/Icm apparatus is assembled and for how this machine may initiate the transport of cytoplasmic substrates across the inner membrane.IMPORTANCE Many bacteria use type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) to translocate proteins and nucleic acids into target cells, which promotes DNA transfer and host infection. The Dot/Icm T4SS in Legionella pneumophila is a multiprotein nanomachine that is known to translocate over 300 different protein effectors into eukaryotic host cells. Here, advanced cryoelectron tomography and subtomogram analysis were used to visualize the Dot/Icm machine assembly and distribution in a single L. pneumophila cell. Extensive classification and averaging revealed five distinct intermediates of the Dot/Icm machine at high resolution. Comparative analysis of the Dot/Icm machine and subassemblies derived from wild-type cells and several mutants provided a structural basis for understanding mechanisms that underlie the assembly and activation of the Dot/Icm machine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donghyun Park
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - David Chetrit
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Bo Hu
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Craig R Roy
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
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32
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Dependency of Coxiella burnetii Type 4B Secretion on the Chaperone IcmS. J Bacteriol 2019; 201:JB.00431-19. [PMID: 31501284 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00431-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Macrophage parasitism by Coxiella burnetii, the cause of human Q fever, requires the translocation of proteins with effector functions directly into the host cell cytosol via a Dot/Icm type 4B secretion system (T4BSS). Secretion by the analogous Legionella pneumophila T4BSS involves signal sequences within the C-terminal and internal domains of effector proteins. The cytoplasmic chaperone pair IcmSW promotes secretion and binds internal sites distinct from signal sequences. In the present study, we investigated requirements of C. burnetii IcmS for host cell parasitism and effector translocation. A C. burnetii icmS deletion mutant (ΔicmS) exhibited impaired replication in Vero epithelial cells, deficient formation of the Coxiella-containing vacuole, and aberrant T4BSS secretion. Three secretion phenotypes were identified from a screen of 50 Dot/Icm substrates: IcmS dependent (secreted by only wild-type bacteria), IcmS independent (secreted by both wild-type and ΔicmS bacteria), or IcmS inhibited (secreted by only ΔicmS bacteria). Secretion was assessed for N-terminal or C-terminal truncated forms of CBU0794 and CBU1525. IcmS-inhibited secretion of CBU1525 required a C-terminal secretion signal whereas IcmS-dependent secretion of CBU0794 was directed by C-terminal and internal signals. Interchange of the C-terminal 50 amino acids of CBU0794 and CBU1525 revealed that sites within the C terminus regulate IcmS dependency. Glutathione S-transferase-tagged IcmSW bound internal sequences of IcmS-dependent and -inhibited substrates. Thus, the growth defect of the C. burnetii ΔicmS strain is associated with a loss of T4BSS chaperone activity that both positively and negatively regulates effector translocation.IMPORTANCE The intracellular pathogen Coxiella burnetii employs a type 4B secretion system (T4BSS) that promotes growth by translocating effectors of eukaryotic pathways into host cells. T4BSS regulation modeled in Legionella pneumophila indicates IcmS facilitates effector translocation. Here, we characterized type 4B secretion by a Coxiella ΔicmS mutant that exhibits intracellular growth defects. T4BSS substrates demonstrated increased, equivalent, or decreased secretion by the ΔicmS mutant relative to wild-type Coxiella Similar to the Legionella T4BSS, IcmS dependency in Coxiella was determined by C-terminal and/or internal secretion signals. However, IcmS inhibited secretion of some effectors by Coxiella that were previously shown to be translocated by Legionella Thus, Coxiella has a unique IcmS regulatory mechanism that both positively and negatively regulates T4BSS export.
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33
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Chang YW, Shaffer CL, Rettberg LA, Ghosal D, Jensen GJ. In Vivo Structures of the Helicobacter pylori cag Type IV Secretion System. Cell Rep 2019; 23:673-681. [PMID: 29669273 PMCID: PMC5931392 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.03.085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Revised: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The type IV secretion system (T4SS) is a versatile nanomachine that translocates diverse effector molecules between microbes and into eukaryotic cells. Here, using electron cryotomography, we reveal the molecular architecture of the Helicobacter pylori cag T4SS. Although most components are unique to H. pylori, the cag T4SS exhibits remarkable architectural similarity to other T4SSs. Our images revealed that, when H. pylori encounters host cells, the bacterium elaborates membranous tubes perforated by lateral ports. Sub-tomogram averaging of the cag T4SS machinery revealed periplasmic densities associated with the outer membrane, a central stalk, and peripheral wing-like densities. Additionally, we resolved pilus-like rod structures extending from the cag T4SS into the inner membrane, as well as densities within the cytoplasmic apparatus corresponding to a short central barrel surrounded by four longer barrels. Collectively, these studies reveal the structure of a dynamic molecular machine that evolved to function in the human gastric niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Wei Chang
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Carrie L Shaffer
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Lee A Rettberg
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Debnath Ghosal
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Grant J Jensen
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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Abstract
The bacterial type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are a functionally diverse superfamily of secretion systems found in many species of bacteria. Collectively, the T4SSs translocate DNA and monomeric and multimeric protein substrates to bacterial and eukaryotic cell types. T4SSs are composed of two large subfamilies, the conjugation machines and the effector translocators that transmit their cargoes through establishment of direct donor-target cell contacts, and a third small subfamily capable of importing or exporting substrates from or to the milieu. This review summarizes recent mechanistic and structural findings that are shedding new light on how T4SSs have evolved such functional diversity. Translocation signals are now known to be located C terminally or embedded internally in structural folds; these signals in combination with substrate-associated adaptor proteins mediate the docking of specific substrate repertoires to cognate VirD4-like receptors. For the Legionella pneumophila Dot/Icm system, recent work has elucidated the structural basis for adaptor-dependent substrate loading onto the VirD4-like DotL receptor. Advances in definition of T4SS machine structures now allow for detailed comparisons of nanomachines closely related to the Agrobacterium tumefaciens VirB/VirD4 T4SS with those more distantly related, e.g., the Dot/Icm and Helicobacter pylori Cag T4SSs. Finally, it is increasingly evident that T4SSs have evolved a variety of mechanisms dependent on elaboration of conjugative pili, membrane tubes, or surface adhesins to establish productive contacts with target cells. T4SSs thus have evolved extreme functional diversity through a plethora of adaptations impacting substrate selection, machine architecture, and target cell binding.
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Christie PJ, Gomez Valero L, Buchrieser C. Biological Diversity and Evolution of Type IV Secretion Systems. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2019; 413:1-30. [PMID: 29536353 PMCID: PMC5912172 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-75241-9_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The bacterial type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are a highly functionally and structurally diverse superfamily of secretion systems found in many species of Gram-negative and -positive bacteria. Collectively, the T4SSs can translocate DNA and monomeric and multimeric protein substrates to a variety of bacterial and eukaryotic cell types. Detailed phylogenomics analyses have established that the T4SSs evolved from ancient conjugation machines whose original functions were to disseminate mobile DNA elements within and between bacterial species. How members of the T4SS superfamily evolved to recognize and translocate specific substrate repertoires to prokaryotic or eukaryotic target cells is a fascinating question from evolutionary, biological, and structural perspectives. In this chapter, we will summarize recent findings that have shaped our current view of the biological diversity of the T4SSs. We focus mainly on two subtypes, designated as the types IVA (T4ASS) and IVB (T4BSS) systems that respectively are represented by the paradigmatic Agrobacterium tumefaciens VirB/VirD4 and Legionella pneumophila Dot/Icm T4SSs. We present current information about the composition and architectures of these representative systems. We also describe how these and a few related T4ASS and T4BSS members evolved as specialized nanomachines through acquisition of novel domains or subunits, a process that ultimately generated extensive genetic and structural mosaicism among this secretion superfamily. Finally, we present new phylogenomics information establishing that the T4BSSs are much more broadly distributed than initially envisioned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Christie
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, 6431 Fannin St, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Laura Gomez Valero
- Institut Pasteur, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, 75724, Paris, France
- CNRS, UMR 3525, 75724, Paris, France
| | - Carmen Buchrieser
- Institut Pasteur, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, 75724, Paris, France
- CNRS, UMR 3525, 75724, Paris, France
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36
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Boudaher E, Shaffer CL. Inhibiting bacterial secretion systems in the fight against antibiotic resistance. MEDCHEMCOMM 2019; 10:682-692. [PMID: 31741728 PMCID: PMC6677025 DOI: 10.1039/c9md00076c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is a mounting global health crisis that threatens a resurgence of life-threatening bacterial infections. Despite intensive drug discovery efforts, the rate of antimicrobial resistance outpaces the discovery of new antibiotic agents. One of the major mechanisms driving the rapid propagation of antibiotic resistance is bacterial conjugation mediated by the versatile type IV secretion system (T4SS). The search for therapeutic compounds that prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance via T4SS-dependent mechanisms has identified several promising molecular scaffolds that disrupt resistance determinant dissemination. In this brief review, we highlight the progress and potential of conjugation inhibitors and anti-virulence compounds that target diverse T4SS machineries. These studies provide a solid foundation for the future development of potent, dual-purpose molecular scaffolds that can be used as biochemical tools to probe type IV secretion mechanisms and target bacterial conjugation in clinical settings to prevent the dissemination of antibiotic resistance throughout microbial populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Boudaher
- University of Kentucky , Department of Veterinary Science , Gluck Equine Research Center , 1400 Nicholasville Road , Lexington , KY , USA . ; Tel: +1 (859) 218 1168
| | - Carrie L Shaffer
- University of Kentucky , Department of Veterinary Science , Gluck Equine Research Center , 1400 Nicholasville Road , Lexington , KY , USA . ; Tel: +1 (859) 218 1168
- University of Kentucky , Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics , 800 Rose Street , Lexington , KY , USA
- University of Kentucky , Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , 789 South Limestone Street , Lexington , KY , USA
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37
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Ghosal D, Jeong KC, Chang YW, Gyore J, Teng L, Gardner A, Vogel JP, Jensen GJ. Molecular architecture, polar targeting and biogenesis of the Legionella Dot/Icm T4SS. Nat Microbiol 2019; 4:1173-1182. [PMID: 31011165 PMCID: PMC6588468 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-019-0427-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila survives and replicates inside host cells by secreting ~300 effectors through the Dot/Icm type IVB secretion system (T4BSS). Here, we used complementary electron cryotomography (ECT) and immunofluorescence microscopy (IF) to investigate the molecular architecture and biogenesis of the Dot/Icm secretion apparatus. ECT mapped the location of the core and accessory components of the Legionella core-transmembrane subcomplex revealing a well-ordered central channel that opens into a large, windowed secretion chamber with an unusual 13-fold symmetry. IF deciphered an early-stage assembly process that begins with targeting of Dot/Icm components to the bacterial poles. Polar targeting of this T4BSS is mediated by two Dot/Icm proteins, DotU and IcmF, that interestingly are homologs of the T6SS membrane complex components TssL and TssM, suggesting the Dot/Icm T4BSS is a hybrid system. Together these results revealed that the Dot/Icm complex assembles in an “axial-to-peripheral” pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debnath Ghosal
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Kwangcheol C Jeong
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences & Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Yi-Wei Chang
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jacob Gyore
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Lin Teng
- Department of Animal Sciences & Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Adam Gardner
- Molecular Graphics Laboratory, Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Joseph P Vogel
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Grant J Jensen
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
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38
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Abstract
Many bacteria have evolved specialized nanomachines with the remarkable ability to inject multiple bacterially encoded effector proteins into eukaryotic or prokaryotic cells. Known as type III, type IV, and type VI secretion systems, these machines play a central role in the pathogenic or symbiotic interactions between multiple bacteria and their eukaryotic hosts, or in the establishment of bacterial communities in a diversity of environments. Here we focus on recent progress elucidating the structure and assembly pathways of these machines. As many of the interactions shaped by these machines are of medical importance, they provide an opportunity to develop novel therapeutic approaches to combat important human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge E Galán
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06536, USA.
| | - Gabriel Waksman
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK; Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
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Waksman G. From conjugation to T4S systems in Gram-negative bacteria: a mechanistic biology perspective. EMBO Rep 2019; 20:embr.201847012. [PMID: 30602585 PMCID: PMC6362355 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201847012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Conjugation is the process by which bacteria exchange genetic materials in a unidirectional manner from a donor cell to a recipient cell. The discovery of conjugation signalled the dawn of genetics and molecular biology. In Gram-negative bacteria, the process of conjugation is mediated by a large membrane-embedded machinery termed "conjugative type IV secretion (T4S) system", a large injection nanomachine, which together with a DNA-processing machinery termed "the relaxosome" and a large extracellular tube termed "pilus" orchestrates directional DNA transfer. Here, the focus is on past and latest research in the field of conjugation and T4S systems in Gram-negative bacteria, with an emphasis on the various questions and debates that permeate the field from a mechanistic perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Waksman
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, UCL and Birkbeck, London, UK
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40
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Puvar K, Luo ZQ, Das C. Uncovering the Structural Basis of a New Twist in Protein Ubiquitination. Trends Biochem Sci 2018; 44:467-477. [PMID: 30583962 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2018.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Members of the SidE effector family from Legionella pneumophila represent a new paradigm in the ubiquitin world. These enzymes catalyze ubiquitination of target proteins via a mechanism different from that of conventional E1-E2-E3 biochemistry and play important roles in L. pneumophila virulence. They combine mono-ADP-ribosylation and phosphodiesterase activities to attach ubiquitin onto substrates, in great contrast to the orthodox pathway. A series of recent structural and mechanistic studies have clarified the action of these enzymes. Herein, we summarize the key insights into the structure and function of these proteins, emphasizing their modular nature, and discuss the biochemical implications of these proteins as well as areas of further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kedar Puvar
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA
| | - Zhao-Qing Luo
- Purdue Institute of Immunology, Inflammation, and Infectious Diseases and the Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, 915 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA.
| | - Chittaranjan Das
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA.
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41
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Structural basis of ubiquitin modification by the Legionella effector SdeA. Nature 2018; 557:674-678. [PMID: 29795342 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0146-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Protein ubiquitination is a multifaceted post-translational modification that controls almost every process in eukaryotic cells. Recently, the Legionella effector SdeA was reported to mediate a unique phosphoribosyl-linked ubiquitination through successive modifications of the Arg42 of ubiquitin (Ub) by its mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase (mART) and phosphodiesterase (PDE) domains. However, the mechanisms of SdeA-mediated Ub modification and phosphoribosyl-linked ubiquitination remain unknown. Here we report the structures of SdeA in its ligand-free, Ub-bound and Ub-NADH-bound states. The structures reveal that the mART and PDE domains of SdeA form a catalytic domain over its C-terminal region. Upon Ub binding, the canonical ADP-ribosyltransferase toxin turn-turn (ARTT) and phosphate-nicotinamide (PN) loops in the mART domain of SdeA undergo marked conformational changes. The Ub Arg72 might act as a 'probe' that interacts with the mART domain first, and then movements may occur in the side chains of Arg72 and Arg42 during the ADP-ribosylation of Ub. Our study reveals the mechanism of SdeA-mediated Ub modification and provides a framework for further investigations into the phosphoribosyl-linked ubiquitination process.
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42
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A unique cytoplasmic ATPase complex defines the Legionella pneumophila type IV secretion channel. Nat Microbiol 2018; 3:678-686. [PMID: 29784975 PMCID: PMC5970066 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-018-0165-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are complex machines used by bacteria to deliver protein and DNA complexes into target host cells 1–5. Conserved ATPases are essential for T4SS function, but how they coordinate their activities to promote substrate transfer remains poorly understood. Here, we show that the DotB ATPase associates with the Dot/Icm T4SS at the Legionella cell pole through interactions with the DotO ATPase. The structure of the Dot/Icm apparatus was solved in situ by cryo-electron tomography at 3.5 nanometer resolution and the cytoplasmic complex was solved at 3.0 nanometer resolution. These structures revealed a cell-envelope-spanning channel that connects to the cytoplasmic complex. Further analysis revealed a hexameric assembly of DotO dimers associated with the inner membrane complex, and a DotB hexamer associated with the base of this cytoplasmic complex. The assembly of a DotB/DotO energy complex creates a cytoplasmic channel and directs the translocation of substrates through the T4SS. These data define distinct stages in Dot/Icm machine biogenesis, advance our understanding of channel activation, and identify an envelope-spanning T4SS channel.
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43
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Bats SH, Bergé C, Coombs N, Terradot L, Josenhans C. Biochemical characterization of the Helicobacter pylori Cag Type 4 Secretion System protein CagN and its interaction partner CagM. Int J Med Microbiol 2018; 308:425-437. [PMID: 29572102 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2018.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Revised: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Highly virulent Helicobacter pylori strains contain the cag pathogenicity island (cagPAI). It codes for about 30 proteins forming a type IV secretion system (T4SS) which translocates the pro-inflammatory protein CagA into epithelial host cells. While CagA and various other Cag proteins have been extensively studied, several cagPAI proteins are poorly characterized or of unknown function. CagN (HP0538) is of unknown function but highly conserved in the cagPAI suggesting an important role. cagM (HP0537) is the first gene of the cagMN operon and its product is part of the CagT4SS core complex. Both proteins do not have detectable homologs in other type IV secretion systems. We have characterized the biochemical and structural properties of CagN and CagM and their interaction. We demonstrate by circular dichroism, Multi-Angle Light Scattering (MALS) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) that CagN is a folded, predominantly monomeric protein with an elongated shape in solution. CagM is folded and forms predominantly dimers that are also elongated in solution. We found by various in vivo and in vitro methods that CagN and CagM directly interact with each other. CagM self-interacts stably with a low nanomolar KD and can form stable multimers. Finally, in vivo experiments show that deletion of CagM reduces the amounts of CagN and other outer CagPAI proteins in H. pylori cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon H Bats
- Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Krankenhaushygiene, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany; Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Ludwig Maximilians Universität LMU München, Pettenkoferstraße 9a, 80336 München, Germany
| | - Célia Bergé
- UMR 5086 Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry CNRS-Université de Lyon 1, Institut de Biologie et Chimie des Protéines, 7 Passage du Vercors, 69367 Lyon, Cedex 07, France
| | - Nina Coombs
- Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Krankenhaushygiene, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, Germany
| | - Laurent Terradot
- UMR 5086 Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry CNRS-Université de Lyon 1, Institut de Biologie et Chimie des Protéines, 7 Passage du Vercors, 69367 Lyon, Cedex 07, France
| | - Christine Josenhans
- Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Krankenhaushygiene, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany; Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Ludwig Maximilians Universität LMU München, Pettenkoferstraße 9a, 80336 München, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, Germany.
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44
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Meir A, Chetrit D, Liu L, Roy CR, Waksman G. Legionella DotM structure reveals a role in effector recruiting to the Type 4B secretion system. Nat Commun 2018; 9:507. [PMID: 29410427 PMCID: PMC5802825 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02578-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila, a causative agent of pneumonia, utilizes the Type 4B secretion (T4BS) system to translocate over 300 effectors into the host cell during infection. T4BS systems are encoded by a large gene cluster termed dot/icm, three components of which, DotL, DotM, and DotN, form the "coupling complex", which serves as a platform for recruitment of effector proteins. One class of effectors includes proteins containing Glu-rich/E-block sequences at their C terminus. However, the protein or region of the coupling complex mediating recruitment of such effectors is unknown. Here we present the crystal structure of DotM. This all alpha-helical structure exhibits patches of positively charged residues. We show that these regions form binding sites for acidic Glu-rich peptides and that mutants targeting these patches are defective in vivo in the translocation of acidic Glu-rich motif-containing effectors. We conclude that DotM forms the interacting surface for recruitment of acidic Glu-rich motif-containing Legionella effectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Meir
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - David Chetrit
- Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06536-0812, USA
| | - Luying Liu
- Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06536-0812, USA
| | - Craig R Roy
- Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06536-0812, USA
| | - Gabriel Waksman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, UK.
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
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45
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Grohmann E, Christie PJ, Waksman G, Backert S. Type IV secretion in Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Mol Microbiol 2018; 107:455-471. [PMID: 29235173 PMCID: PMC5796862 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 224] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Revised: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/09/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are versatile multiprotein nanomachines spanning the entire cell envelope in Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. They play important roles through the contact-dependent secretion of effector molecules into eukaryotic hosts and conjugative transfer of mobile DNA elements as well as contact-independent exchange of DNA with the extracellular milieu. In the last few years, many details on the molecular mechanisms of T4SSs have been elucidated. Exciting structures of T4SS complexes from Escherichia coli plasmids R388 and pKM101, Helicobacter pylori and Legionella pneumophila have been solved. The structure of the F-pilus was also reported and surprisingly revealed a filament composed of pilin subunits in 1:1 stoichiometry with phospholipid molecules. Many new T4SSs have been identified and characterized, underscoring the structural and functional diversity of this secretion superfamily. Complex regulatory circuits also have been shown to control T4SS machine production in response to host cell physiological status or a quorum of bacterial recipient cells in the vicinity. Here, we summarize recent advances in our knowledge of 'paradigmatic' and emerging systems, and further explore how new basic insights are aiding in the design of strategies aimed at suppressing T4SS functions in bacterial infections and spread of antimicrobial resistances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Grohmann
- Beuth University of Applied Sciences Berlin, Life Sciences and Technology, D-13347 Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter J. Christie
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, 6431 Fannin St, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Gabriel Waksman
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London and Birkbeck College, London WC1E 7HX, United Kingdom
| | - Steffen Backert
- Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Department of Biology, Division of Microbiology, Staudtstrasse 5, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
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46
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Li YG, Christie PJ. The Agrobacterium VirB/VirD4 T4SS: Mechanism and Architecture Defined Through In Vivo Mutagenesis and Chimeric Systems. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2018; 418:233-260. [PMID: 29808338 DOI: 10.1007/82_2018_94] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The Agrobacterium tumefaciens VirB/VirD4 translocation machine is a member of a superfamily of translocators designated as type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) that function in many species of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. T4SSs evolved from ancestral conjugation systems for specialized purposes relating to bacterial colonization or infection. A. tumefaciens employs the VirB/VirD4 T4SS to deliver oncogenic DNA (T-DNA) and effector proteins to plant cells, causing the tumorous disease called crown gall. This T4SS elaborates both a cell-envelope-spanning channel and an extracellular pilus for establishing target cell contacts. Recent mechanistic and structural studies of the VirB/VirD4 T4SS and related conjugation systems in Escherichia coli have defined T4SS architectures, bases for substrate recruitment, the translocation route for DNA substrates, and steps in the pilus biogenesis pathway. In this review, we provide a brief history of A. tumefaciens VirB/VirD4 T4SS from its discovery in the 1980s to its current status as a paradigm for the T4SS superfamily. We discuss key advancements in defining VirB/VirD4 T4SS function and structure, and we highlight the power of in vivo mutational analyses and chimeric systems for identifying mechanistic themes and specialized adaptations of this fascinating nanomachine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Grace Li
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, 6431 Fannin St, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Peter J Christie
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, 6431 Fannin St, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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47
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Structural insights into the roles of the IcmS-IcmW complex in the type IVb secretion system of Legionella pneumophila. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:13543-13548. [PMID: 29203674 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1706883115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The type IVb secretion system (T4BSS) of Legionella pneumophila is a multiple-component apparatus that delivers ∼300 virulent effector proteins into host cells. The injected effectors modulate host cellular processes to promote bacterial infection and proliferation. IcmS and IcmW are two conserved small, acidic adaptor proteins that form a binary complex to interact with many effectors and facilitate their translocation. IcmS and IcmW can also interact with DotL, an ATPase of the type IV coupling protein complex (T4CP). However, how IcmS-IcmW recognizes effectors, and what the roles of IcmS-IcmW are in T4BSSs are unclear. In this study, we found that IcmS and IcmW form a 1:1 heterodimeric complex to bind effector substrates. Both IcmS and IcmW adopt new structural folds and have no structural similarities with known effector chaperones. IcmS has a compact global structure with an α/β fold, while IcmW adopts a fully α-folded, relatively loose architecture. IcmS stabilizes IcmW by binding to its two C-terminal α-helices. Photocrosslinking assays revealed that the IcmS-IcmW complex binds its cognate effectors via an extended hydrophobic surface, which can also interact with the C terminus of DotL. A crystal structure of the DotL-IcmS-IcmW complex reveals extensive and highly stable interactions between DotL and IcmS-IcmW. Moreover, IcmS-IcmW recruits LvgA to DotL and assembles a unique T4CP. These data suggest that IcmS-IcmW also functions as an inseparable integral component of the DotL-T4CP complex in the bacterial inner membrane. This study provides molecular insights into the dual roles of the IcmS-IcmW complex in T4BSSs.
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48
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Abstract
Type IV coupling proteins (T4CPs) are essential constituents of most type IV secretion systems (T4SSs), and probably the most intriguing component in terms of their evolutionary origin and functional role. Coupling proteins have coevolved with their cognate secretion system and translocated substrates. They are present in all conjugative systems, leading to the suggestion that they play a specific role in DNA transfer. However, they are also part of many T4SSs involved in bacterial virulence, where they are required for protein translocation, with no apparent involvement in DNA secretion. Their name reflects genetic and biochemical evidence of a connecting role between the substrate and the T4SS, thus probably playing a major role in substrate recruitment. Increasing evidence supports also a role in signal transmission leading to activation of secretion. Most studies have addressed conjugative coupling proteins of the VirD4-like protein family. Their conserved features include a nucleotide-binding domain, essential for substrate translocation, a C-terminal domain involved in substrate interactions, and a transmembrane domain anchoring them to the inner membrane, which is an important regulator of protein function. Purified soluble deletion mutants display ATP hydrolysis activity and unspecific DNA binding. Elucidation of the 3D structure of the soluble deletion mutant of the conjugative coupling protein TrwB, TrwBΔN70, provided the basis for further mutagenesis studies rendering interesting insights into the structure-function of these proteins. Their key role as couplers between substrate and transporter provides biotechnological potential as targets for anti-virulence strategies, as well as for customization of substrate delivery through heterologous secretion systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matxalen Llosa
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de Cantabria (UC), and Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), UC-CSIC-SODERCAN, C/Albert Einstein 22, 39011, Santander, Spain.
| | - Itziar Alkorta
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular (UPV/EHU), Instituto Biofisika (UPV/EHU, CSIC), Barrio Sarriena S/N, 48940, Leioa, Spain
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