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Ding S, Ullah I, Gong SY, Grover JR, Mohammadi M, Chen Y, Vézina D, Beaudoin-Bussières G, Verma VT, Goyette G, Gaudette F, Richard J, Yang D, Smith AB, Pazgier M, Côté M, Abrams C, Kumar P, Mothes W, Uchil PD, Finzi A, Baron C. VE607 stabilizes SARS-CoV-2 Spike in the "RBD-up" conformation and inhibits viral entry. iScience 2022; 25:104528. [PMID: 35677392 PMCID: PMC9164512 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 infection of host cells starts by binding the Spike glycoprotein (S) to the ACE2 receptor. The S-ACE2 interaction is a potential target for therapies against COVID-19 as demonstrated by the development of immunotherapies blocking this interaction. VE607 - a commercially available compound composed of three stereoisomers - was described as an inhibitor of SARS-CoV-1. Here, we show that VE607 broadly inhibits pseudoviral particles bearing the Spike from major VOCs (D614G, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Omicron - BA.1, and BA.2) as well as authentic SARS-CoV-2 at low micromolar concentrations. In silico docking, mutational analysis, and smFRET revealed that VE607 binds to the receptor binding domain (RBD)-ACE2 interface and stabilizes RBD in its "up" conformation. Prophylactic treatment with VE607 did not prevent SARS-CoV-2-induced mortality in K18-hACE2 mice, but it did reduce viral replication in the lungs by 37-fold. Thus, VE607 is an interesting lead for drug development for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilei Ding
- Centre de recherche du CHUM, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Irfan Ullah
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Shang Yu Gong
- Centre de recherche du CHUM, Montréal, QC, Canada,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jonathan R. Grover
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Mohammadjavad Mohammadi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yaozong Chen
- Infectious Disease Division, Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814-4712, USA
| | - Dani Vézina
- Centre de recherche du CHUM, Montréal, QC, Canada,Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Guillaume Beaudoin-Bussières
- Centre de recherche du CHUM, Montréal, QC, Canada,Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Vijay Tailor Verma
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | | | - Jonathan Richard
- Centre de recherche du CHUM, Montréal, QC, Canada,Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Derek Yang
- Department of Chemistry, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amos B. Smith
- Department of Chemistry, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Marzena Pazgier
- Infectious Disease Division, Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814-4712, USA
| | - Marceline Côté
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Infection, Immunity, and Inflammation, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Cameron Abrams
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Priti Kumar
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Walther Mothes
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Pradeep D. Uchil
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Andrés Finzi
- Centre de recherche du CHUM, Montréal, QC, Canada,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada,Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada,Corresponding author
| | - Christian Baron
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada,Corresponding author
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Ding S, Gong SY, Grover J, Mohammadi M, Chen Y, Vézina D, Beaudoin-Bussières G, Verma VT, Goyette G, Richard J, Yang D, Smith AB, Pazgier M, Côté M, Abrams C, Mothes W, Finzi A, Baron C. VE607 Stabilizes SARS-CoV-2 Spike In the "RBD-up" Conformation and Inhibits Viral Entry. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2022:2022.02.03.479007. [PMID: 35233570 PMCID: PMC8887069 DOI: 10.1101/2022.02.03.479007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 infection of host cells starts by binding of the Spike glycoprotein (S) to the ACE2 receptor. The S-ACE2 interaction is a potential target for therapies against COVID-19 as demonstrated by the development of immunotherapies blocking this interaction. Here, we present the commercially available VE607, comprised of three stereoisomers, that was originally described as an inhibitor of SARS-CoV-1. We show that VE607 specifically inhibits infection of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 S-expressing pseudoviral particles as well as authentic SARS-CoV-2. VE607 stabilizes the receptor binding domain (RBD) in its "up" conformation. In silico docking and mutational analysis map the VE607 binding site at the RBD-ACE2 interface. The IC 50 values are in the low micromolar range for pseudoparticles derived from SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan/D614G as well as from variants of concern (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron), suggesting that VE607 has potential for the development of drugs against SARS-CoV-2 infections.
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3
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Xiong X, Li B, Zhou Z, Gu G, Li M, Liu J, Jiao H. The VirB System Plays a Crucial Role in Brucella Intracellular Infection. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413637. [PMID: 34948430 PMCID: PMC8707931 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Brucellosis is a highly prevalent zoonotic disease caused by Brucella. Brucella spp. are gram-negative facultative intracellular parasitic bacteria. Its intracellular survival and replication depend on a functional virB system, an operon encoded by VirB1–VirB12. Type IV secretion system (T4SS) encoded by the virB operon is an important virulence factor of Brucella. It can subvert cellular pathway and induce host immune response by secreting effectors, which promotes Brucella replication in host cells and induce persistent infection. Therefore, this paper summarizes the function and significance of the VirB system, focusing on the structure of the VirB system where VirB T4SS mediates biogenesis of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-derived replicative Brucella-containing vacuole (rBCV), the effectors of T4SS and the cellular pathways it subverts, which will help better understand the pathogenic mechanism of Brucella and provide new ideas for clinical vaccine research and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Xiong
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing 402460, China; (X.X.); (B.L.); (Z.Z.); (G.G.); (M.L.)
| | - Bowen Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing 402460, China; (X.X.); (B.L.); (Z.Z.); (G.G.); (M.L.)
| | - Zhixiong Zhou
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing 402460, China; (X.X.); (B.L.); (Z.Z.); (G.G.); (M.L.)
| | - Guojing Gu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing 402460, China; (X.X.); (B.L.); (Z.Z.); (G.G.); (M.L.)
| | - Mengjuan Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing 402460, China; (X.X.); (B.L.); (Z.Z.); (G.G.); (M.L.)
| | - Jun Liu
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Yujinxiang Street 573, Changchun 130122, China
- Correspondence: (J.L.); (H.J.)
| | - Hanwei Jiao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing 402460, China; (X.X.); (B.L.); (Z.Z.); (G.G.); (M.L.)
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Pigs, Chongqing 402460, China
- Veterinary Scientific Engineering Research Center, Chongqing 402460, China
- Immunology Research Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing 402460, China
- Correspondence: (J.L.); (H.J.)
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4
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Wu X, Zhao Y, Sun L, Jiang M, Wang Q, Wang Q, Yang W, Wu Y. Crystal structure of CagV, the Helicobacter pylori homologue of the T4SS protein VirB8. FEBS J 2019; 286:4294-4309. [PMID: 31230405 DOI: 10.1111/febs.14971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The VirB/D type IV secretion system (T4SS) plays an essential role in materials transport between host cells and pathogenic Helicobacter pylori and is considered the major pathogenic mediator of H. pylori-associated gastric disease. VirB8, an inner membrane protein that interacts with many other proteins, is a crucial component for secretory function. Here, we present a crystal structure of the periplasmic domain of CagV, the VirB8 counterpart in the H. pylori Cag-T4SS. The structure reveals a fold similar to that of other VirB8 members except for the absence of the α5 helix, a discontinuous β1 strand, a larger angle between the α2 and α3 helices, a more hydrophobic surface groove, but exhibits a different dimer interface. Whether the dimerization occurs in solution was proved by mutagenesis, size-exclusion chromatography and cross-linking assays. Unlike the classical dimerization mode, the interface of the CagV dimer is principally formed by several hydrogen bonds, which indicates instability of dimerization. The structure here demonstrates the difference in dimerization among VirB8 homologues and indicates the considerable compositional and functional diversity of them in T4SS. DATABASE: Coordinates and structure factors have been deposited in the Protein Data Bank under accession codes 6IQT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuling Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, China.,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yanhe Zhao
- Departments of Cell Biology and Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Lifang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, China
| | - Meiqin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, China.,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, China.,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - QianChao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, China.,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wendi Yang
- Provincial University Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Response and Metabolic Regulation, College of Life Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yunkun Wu
- Provincial University Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Response and Metabolic Regulation, College of Life Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China
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5
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Abstract
Type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are nanomachines that Gram-negative, Gram-positive bacteria, and some archaea use to transport macromolecules across their membranes into bacterial or eukaryotic host targets or into the extracellular milieu. They are the most versatile secretion systems, being able to deliver both proteins and nucleoprotein complexes into targeted cells. By mediating conjugation and/or competence, T4SSs play important roles in determining bacterial genome plasticity and diversity; they also play a pivotal role in the spread of antibiotic resistance within bacterial populations. T4SSs are also used by human pathogens such as Legionella pneumophila, Bordetella pertussis, Brucella sp., or Helicobacter pylori to sustain infection. Since they are essential virulence factors for these important pathogens, T4SSs might represent attractive targets for vaccines and therapeutics. The best-characterized conjugative T4SSs of Gram-negative bacteria are composed of twelve components that are conserved across many T4SSs. In this chapter, we will review our current structural knowledge on the T4SSs by describing the structures of the individual components and how they assemble into large macromolecular assemblies. With the combined efforts of X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and more recently electron microscopy, structural biology of the T4SS has made spectacular progress during the past fifteen years and has unraveled the properties of unique proteins and complexes that assemble dynamically in a highly sophisticated manner.
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Arya T, Oudouhou F, Casu B, Bessette B, Sygusch J, Baron C. Fragment-based screening identifies inhibitors of ATPase activity and of hexamer formation of Cagα from the Helicobacter pylori type IV secretion system. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6474. [PMID: 31019200 PMCID: PMC6482174 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42876-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Type IV secretion systems are multiprotein complexes that mediate the translocation of macromolecules across the bacterial cell envelope. In Helicobacter pylori a type IV secretion system encoded by the cag pathogenicity island encodes 27 proteins and most are essential for virulence. We here present the identification and characterization of inhibitors of Cagα, a hexameric ATPase and member of the family of VirB11-like proteins that is essential for translocation of the CagA cytotoxin into mammalian cells. We conducted fragment-based screening using a differential scanning fluorimetry assay and identified 16 molecules that stabilize the protein suggesting that they bind Cagα. Several molecules affect binding of ADP and four of them inhibit the ATPase activity. Analysis of enzyme kinetics suggests that their mode of action is non-competitive, suggesting that they do not bind to the active site. Cross-linking suggests that the active molecules change protein conformation and gel filtration and transmission electron microscopy show that molecule 1G2 dissociates the Cagα hexamer. Addition of the molecule 1G2 inhibits the induction of interleukin-8 production in gastric cancer cells after co-incubation with H. pylori suggesting that it inhibits Cagα in vivo. Our results reveal a novel mechanism for the inhibition of the ATPase activity of VirB11-like proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarun Arya
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Flore Oudouhou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Bastien Casu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Benoit Bessette
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jurgen Sygusch
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Christian Baron
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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7
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Casu B, Arya T, Bessette B, Baron C. Fragment-based screening identifies novel targets for inhibitors of conjugative transfer of antimicrobial resistance by plasmid pKM101. Sci Rep 2017; 7:14907. [PMID: 29097752 PMCID: PMC5668240 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-14953-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The increasing frequency of antimicrobial resistance is a problem of global importance. Novel strategies are urgently needed to understand and inhibit antimicrobial resistance gene transmission that is mechanistically related to bacterial virulence functions. The conjugative transfer of plasmids by type IV secretion systems is a major contributor to antimicrobial resistance gene transfer. Here, we present a structure-based strategy to identify inhibitors of type IV secretion system-mediated bacterial conjugation. Using differential scanning fluorimetry we screened a fragment library and identified molecules that bind the essential TraE protein of the plasmid pKM101 conjugation machinery. Co-crystallization revealed that fragments bind two alternative sites of the protein and one of them is a novel inhibitor binding site. Based on the structural information on fragment binding we designed novel small molecules that have improved binding affinity. These molecules inhibit the dimerization of TraE, bind to both inhibitor binding sites on TraE and inhibit the conjugative transfer of plasmid pKM101. The strategy presented here is generally applicable for the structure-based design of inhibitors of antimicrobial resistance gene transfer and of bacterial virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastien Casu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, 2900 Boulevard Édouard-Montpetit, Montreal, QC, H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Tarun Arya
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, 2900 Boulevard Édouard-Montpetit, Montreal, QC, H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Benoit Bessette
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, 2900 Boulevard Édouard-Montpetit, Montreal, QC, H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Christian Baron
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, 2900 Boulevard Édouard-Montpetit, Montreal, QC, H3T 1J4, Canada.
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8
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Sharifahmadian M, Nlend IU, Lecoq L, Omichinski JG, Baron C. The type IV secretion system core component VirB8 interacts via the β1-strand with VirB10. FEBS Lett 2017; 591:2491-2500. [PMID: 28766702 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.12770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Revised: 07/09/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In this work, we provide evidence for the interactions between VirB8 and VirB10, two core components of the type IV secretion system (T4SS). Using nuclear magnetic resonance experiments, we identified residues on the β1-strand of Brucella VirB8 that undergo chemical shift changes in the presence of VirB10. Bacterial two-hybrid experiments confirm the importance of the β1-strand, whereas phage display experiments suggest that the α2-helix of VirB8 may also contribute to the interaction with VirB10. Conjugation assays using the VirB8 homolog TraE as a model show that several residues on the β1-strand of TraE are important for T4SS function. Together, our results suggest that the β1-strand of VirB8-like proteins is essential for their interaction with VirB10 in the T4SS complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahzad Sharifahmadian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Ingrid U Nlend
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Lauriane Lecoq
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - James G Omichinski
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Christian Baron
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, QC, Canada
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9
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Sharifahmadian M, Baron C. Type IV Secretion in Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Development of Specific Inhibitors. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2017. [PMID: 29536359 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-75241-9_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The Agrobacterium tumefaciens VirB/D4 type IV secretion system (T4SS) comprises 12 membrane-bound proteins, and it assembles a surface-exposed T-pilus. It is considered to be the archetypical system that is generally used to orient the nomenclature of other T4SS. Whereas the sequence similarities between T4SSs from different organisms are often limited, the general mechanism of action appears to be conserved, and the evolutionary relationship to bacterial conjugation systems and to T4SSs from animal pathogens is well established. Agrobacterium is a natural genetic engineer that is extensively used for the generation of transgenic plants for research and for agro-biotechnological applications. It also served as an early model for the understanding of pathogen-host interactions and for the transfer of macromolecular virulence factors into host cells. The knowledge on the mechanism of its T4SS inspired the search for small molecules that inhibit the virulence of bacterial pathogens and of bacterial conjugation. Inhibitors of bacterial virulence and of conjugation have interesting potential as alternatives to antibiotics and as inhibitors of antimicrobial resistance gene transfer. Mechanistic work on the Agrobacterium T4SS will continue to inspire the search for inhibitor target sites and drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahzad Sharifahmadian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Christian Baron
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada.
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