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Wimmi S, Fleck M, Helbig C, Brianceau C, Langenfeld K, Szymanski WG, Angelidou G, Glatter T, Diepold A. Pilotins are mobile T3SS components involved in assembly and substrate specificity of the bacterial type III secretion system. Mol Microbiol 2024; 121:304-323. [PMID: 38178634 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15223] [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: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
In animal pathogens, assembly of the type III secretion system injectisome requires the presence of so-called pilotins, small lipoproteins that assist the formation of the secretin ring in the outer membrane. Using a combination of functional assays, interaction studies, proteomics, and live-cell microscopy, we determined the contribution of the pilotin to the assembly, function, and substrate selectivity of the T3SS and identified potential new downstream roles of pilotin proteins. In absence of its pilotin SctG, Yersinia enterocolitica forms few, largely polar injectisome sorting platforms and needles. Accordingly, most export apparatus subcomplexes are mobile in these strains, suggesting the absence of fully assembled injectisomes. Remarkably, while absence of the pilotin all but prevents export of early T3SS substrates, such as the needle subunits, it has little effect on secretion of late T3SS substrates, including the virulence effectors. We found that although pilotins interact with other injectisome components such as the secretin in the outer membrane, they mostly localize in transient mobile clusters in the bacterial membrane. Together, these findings provide a new view on the role of pilotins in the assembly and function of type III secretion injectisomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Wimmi
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Moritz Fleck
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Carlos Helbig
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Corentin Brianceau
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Katja Langenfeld
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Witold G Szymanski
- Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Georgia Angelidou
- Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Timo Glatter
- Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Diepold
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
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2
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Wimmi S, Balinovic A, Brianceau C, Pintor K, Vielhauer J, Turkowyd B, Helbig C, Fleck M, Langenfeld K, Kahnt J, Glatter T, Endesfelder U, Diepold A. Cytosolic sorting platform complexes shuttle type III secretion system effectors to the injectisome in Yersinia enterocolitica. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:185-199. [PMID: 38172622 PMCID: PMC10769875 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01545-1] [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: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Bacteria use type III secretion injectisomes to inject effector proteins into eukaryotic target cells. Recruitment of effectors to the machinery and the resulting export hierarchy involve the sorting platform. These conserved proteins form pod structures at the cytosolic interface of the injectisome but are also mobile in the cytosol. Photoactivated localization microscopy in Yersinia enterocolitica revealed a direct interaction of the sorting platform proteins SctQ and SctL with effectors in the cytosol of live bacteria. These proteins form larger cytosolic protein complexes involving the ATPase SctN and the membrane connector SctK. The mobility and composition of these mobile pod structures are modulated in the presence of effectors and their chaperones, and upon initiation of secretion, which also increases the number of injectisomes from ~5 to ~18 per bacterium. Our quantitative data support an effector shuttling mechanism, in which sorting platform proteins bind to effectors in the cytosol and deliver the cargo to the export gate at the membrane-bound injectisome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Wimmi
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Balinovic
- Department of Systems and Synthetic Microbiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- SYNMIKRO, Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Institute for Microbiology and Biotechnology, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Corentin Brianceau
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Katherine Pintor
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Jan Vielhauer
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Bartosz Turkowyd
- Department of Systems and Synthetic Microbiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- SYNMIKRO, Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Institute for Microbiology and Biotechnology, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Carlos Helbig
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Moritz Fleck
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Katja Langenfeld
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Jörg Kahnt
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Timo Glatter
- Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Ulrike Endesfelder
- Department of Systems and Synthetic Microbiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany.
- SYNMIKRO, Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Marburg, Germany.
- Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Institute for Microbiology and Biotechnology, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Andreas Diepold
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany.
- SYNMIKRO, Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Marburg, Germany.
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3
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Saleh DO, Horstmann JA, Giralt-Zúñiga M, Weber W, Kaganovitch E, Durairaj AC, Klotzsch E, Strowig T, Erhardt M. SPI-1 virulence gene expression modulates motility of Salmonella Typhimurium in a proton motive force- and adhesins-dependent manner. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011451. [PMID: 37315106 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Both the bacterial flagellum and the evolutionary related injectisome encoded on the Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) play crucial roles during the infection cycle of Salmonella species. The interplay of both is highlighted by the complex cross-regulation that includes transcriptional control of the flagellar master regulatory operon flhDC by HilD, the master regulator of SPI-1 gene expression. Contrary to the HilD-dependent activation of flagellar gene expression, we report here that activation of HilD resulted in a dramatic loss of motility, which was dependent on the presence of SPI-1. Single cell analyses revealed that HilD-activation triggers a SPI-1-dependent induction of the stringent response and a substantial decrease in proton motive force (PMF), while flagellation remains unaffected. We further found that HilD activation enhances the adhesion of Salmonella to epithelial cells. A transcriptome analysis revealed a simultaneous upregulation of several adhesin systems, which, when overproduced, phenocopied the HilD-induced motility defect. We propose a model where the SPI-1-dependent depletion of the PMF and the upregulation of adhesins upon HilD-activation enable flagellated Salmonella to rapidly modulate their motility during infection, thereby enabling efficient adhesion to host cells and delivery of effector proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doaa Osama Saleh
- Institute for Biology/Molecular Microbiology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Julia A Horstmann
- Junior Research Group Infection Biology of Salmonella, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - María Giralt-Zúñiga
- Institute for Biology/Molecular Microbiology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Willi Weber
- Institute for Biology, Experimental Biophysics/Mechanobiology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Eugen Kaganovitch
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Marburg, Germany
| | - Abilash Chakravarthy Durairaj
- Junior Research Group Infection Biology of Salmonella, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
- Department of Microbial Immune Regulation, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Enrico Klotzsch
- Institute for Biology, Experimental Biophysics/Mechanobiology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Till Strowig
- Department of Microbial Immune Regulation, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence RESIST (EXC 2155), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Marc Erhardt
- Institute for Biology/Molecular Microbiology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens, Berlin, Germany
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4
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Schott S, Scheuer R, Ermoli F, Glatter T, Evguenieva-Hackenberg E, Diepold A. A ParDE toxin-antitoxin system is responsible for the maintenance of the Yersinia virulence plasmid but not for type III secretion-associated growth inhibition. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1166077. [PMID: 37228670 PMCID: PMC10203498 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1166077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Many Gram-negative pathogens utilize the type III secretion system (T3SS) to translocate virulence-promoting effector proteins into eukaryotic host cells. The activity of this system results in a severe reduction of bacterial growth and division, summarized as secretion-associated growth inhibition (SAGI). In Yersinia enterocolitica, the T3SS and related proteins are encoded on a virulence plasmid. We identified a ParDE-like toxin-antitoxin system on this virulence plasmid in genetic proximity to yopE, encoding a T3SS effector. Effectors are strongly upregulated upon activation of the T3SS, indicating a potential role of the ParDE system in the SAGI or maintenance of the virulence plasmid. Expression of the toxin ParE in trans resulted in reduced growth and elongated bacteria, highly reminiscent of the SAGI. Nevertheless, the activity of ParDE is not causal for the SAGI. T3SS activation did not influence ParDE activity; conversely, ParDE had no impact on T3SS assembly or activity itself. However, we found that ParDE ensures the presence of the T3SS across bacterial populations by reducing the loss of the virulence plasmid, especially under conditions relevant to infection. Despite this effect, a subset of bacteria lost the virulence plasmid and regained the ability to divide under secreting conditions, facilitating the possible emergence of T3SS-negative bacteria in late acute and persistent infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia Schott
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Robina Scheuer
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus Liebig University Gießen, Gießen, Germany
| | - Francesca Ermoli
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Timo Glatter
- Core Facility for Mass spectrometry & Proteomics, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | | | - Andreas Diepold
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
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5
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Lai L, Cheung YW, Martinez M, Kixmoeller K, Palao L, Steimle S, Ho MC, Black BE, Lai EM, Chang YW. In Situ Structure Determination of Bacterial Surface Nanomachines Using Cryo-Electron Tomography. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2646:211-248. [PMID: 36842118 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3060-0_18] [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: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial surface nanomachines are often refractory to structural determination in their intact form due to their extensive association with the cell envelope preventing them from being properly purified for traditional structural biology methods. Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) is an emerging branch of cryo-electron microscopy that can visualize supramolecular complexes directly inside frozen-hydrated cells in 3D at nanometer resolution, therefore posing a unique capability to study the intact structures of bacterial surface nanomachines in situ and reveal their molecular association with other cellular components. Furthermore, the resolution of cryo-ET is continually improving alongside methodological advancement. Here, using the type IV pilus machine in Myxococcus xanthus as an example, we describe a step-by-step workflow for in situ structure determination including sample preparation and screening, microscope and camera tuning, tilt series acquisition, data processing and tomogram reconstruction, subtomogram averaging, and structural analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longsheng Lai
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yee-Wai Cheung
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Matthew Martinez
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kathryn Kixmoeller
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Leon Palao
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Stefan Steimle
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Meng-Chiao Ho
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ben E Black
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Erh-Min Lai
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Wei Chang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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6
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The type 3 secretion system requires actin polymerization to open translocon pores. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009932. [PMID: 34499700 PMCID: PMC8454972 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many bacterial pathogens require a type 3 secretion system (T3SS) to establish a niche. Host contact activates bacterial T3SS assembly of a translocon pore in the host plasma membrane. Following pore formation, the T3SS docks onto the translocon pore. Docking establishes a continuous passage that enables the translocation of virulence proteins, effectors, into the host cytosol. Here we investigate the contribution of actin polymerization to T3SS-mediated translocation. Using the T3SS model organism Shigella flexneri, we show that actin polymerization is required for assembling the translocon pore in an open conformation, thereby enabling effector translocation. Opening of the pore channel is associated with a conformational change to the pore, which is dependent upon actin polymerization and a coiled-coil domain in the pore protein IpaC. Analysis of an IpaC mutant that is defective in ruffle formation shows that actin polymerization-dependent pore opening is distinct from the previously described actin polymerization-dependent ruffles that are required for bacterial internalization. Moreover, actin polymerization is not required for other pore functions, including docking or pore protein insertion into the plasma membrane. Thus, activation of the T3SS is a multilayered process in which host signals are sensed by the translocon pore leading to the activation of effector translocation.
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7
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Structure of the Yersinia injectisome in intracellular host cell phagosomes revealed by cryo FIB electron tomography. J Struct Biol 2021; 213:107701. [PMID: 33549695 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2021.107701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Many pathogenic bacteria use the type III secretion system (T3SS), or injectisome, to secrete toxins into host cells. These protruding systems are primary targets for drug and vaccine development. Upon contact between injectisomes and host membranes, toxin secretion is triggered. How this works structurally and functionally is yet unknown. Using cryo-focused ion beam milling and cryo-electron tomography, we visualized injectisomes of Yersinia enterocolitica inside the phagosomes of infected human myeloid cells in a close-to-native state. We observed that a minimum needle length is required for injectisomes to contact the host membrane and bending of host membranes by some injectisomes that contact the host. Through subtomogram averaging, the structure of the entire injectisome was determined, which revealed structural differences in the cytosolic sorting platform compared to other bacteria. These findings contribute to understanding how injectisomes secrete toxins into host cells and provides the indispensable native context. The application of these cryo-electron microscopy techniques paves the way for the study of the 3D structure of infection-relevant protein complexes in host-pathogen interactions.
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8
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Milne-Davies B, Wimmi S, Diepold A. Adaptivity and dynamics in type III secretion systems. Mol Microbiol 2020; 115:395-411. [PMID: 33251695 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The type III secretion system is the common core of two bacterial molecular machines: the flagellum and the injectisome. The flagellum is the most widely distributed prokaryotic locomotion device, whereas the injectisome is a syringe-like apparatus for inter-kingdom protein translocation, which is essential for virulence in important human pathogens. The successful concept of the type III secretion system has been modified for different bacterial needs. It can be adapted to changing conditions, and was found to be a dynamic complex constantly exchanging components. In this review, we highlight the flexibility, adaptivity, and dynamic nature of the type III secretion system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bailey Milne-Davies
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Wimmi
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Diepold
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
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9
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Milne-Davies B, Helbig C, Wimmi S, Cheng DWC, Paczia N, Diepold A. Life After Secretion- Yersinia enterocolitica Rapidly Toggles Effector Secretion and Can Resume Cell Division in Response to Changing External Conditions. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2128. [PMID: 31572334 PMCID: PMC6753693 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many pathogenic bacteria use the type III secretion system (T3SS) injectisome to manipulate host cells by injecting virulence-promoting effector proteins into the host cytosol. The T3SS is activated upon host cell contact, and its activation is accompanied by an arrest of cell division; hence, many species maintain a T3SS-inactive sibling population to propagate efficiently within the host. The enteric pathogen Yersinia enterocolitica utilizes the T3SS to prevent phagocytosis and inhibit inflammatory responses. Unlike other species, almost all Y. enterocolitica are T3SS-positive at 37°C, which raises the question, how these bacteria are able to propagate within the host, that is, when and how they stop secretion and restart cell division after a burst of secretion. Using a fast and quantitative in vitro secretion assay, we have examined the initiation and termination of type III secretion. We found that effector secretion begins immediately once the activating signal is present, and instantly stops when this signal is removed. Following effector secretion, the bacteria resume division within minutes after being introduced to a non-secreting environment, and the same bacteria are able to re-initiate effector secretion at later time points. Our results indicate that Y. enterocolitica use their type III secretion system to promote their individual survival when necessary, and are able to quickly switch their behavior toward replication afterwards, possibly gaining an advantage during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Andreas Diepold
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
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10
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Diepold A. Assembly and Post-assembly Turnover and Dynamics in the Type III Secretion System. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2019; 427:35-66. [PMID: 31218503 DOI: 10.1007/82_2019_164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The type III secretion system (T3SS) is one of the largest transmembrane complexes in bacteria, comprising several intricately linked and embedded substructures. The assembly of this nanomachine is a hierarchical process which is regulated and controlled by internal and external cues at several critical points. Recently, it has become obvious that the assembly of the T3SS is not a unidirectional and deterministic process, but that parts of the T3SS constantly exchange or rearrange. This article aims to give an overview on the assembly and post-assembly dynamics of the T3SS, with a focus on emerging general concepts and adaptations of the general assembly pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Diepold
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 10, 35043, Marburg, Germany.
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11
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Nauth T, Huschka F, Schweizer M, Bosse JB, Diepold A, Failla AV, Steffen A, Stradal TEB, Wolters M, Aepfelbacher M. Visualization of translocons in Yersinia type III protein secretion machines during host cell infection. PLoS Pathog 2018; 14:e1007527. [PMID: 30586431 PMCID: PMC6324820 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Type III secretion systems (T3SSs) are essential virulence factors of numerous bacterial pathogens. Upon host cell contact the T3SS machinery—also named injectisome—assembles a pore complex/translocon within host cell membranes that serves as an entry gate for the bacterial effectors. Whether and how translocons are physically connected to injectisome needles, whether their phenotype is related to the level of effector translocation and which target cell factors trigger their formation have remained unclear. We employed the superresolution fluorescence microscopy techniques Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) and Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM) as well as immunogold electron microscopy to visualize Y. enterocolitica translocons during infection of different target cell types. Thereby we were able to resolve translocon and needle complex proteins within the same injectisomes and demonstrate that these fully assembled injectisomes are generated in a prevacuole, a PI(4,5)P2 enriched host cell compartment inaccessible to large extracellular proteins like antibodies. Furthermore, the operable translocons were produced by the yersiniae to a much larger degree in macrophages (up to 25% of bacteria) than in HeLa cells (2% of bacteria). However, when the Rho GTPase Rac1 was activated in the HeLa cells, uptake of the yersiniae into the prevacuole, translocon formation and effector translocation were strongly enhanced reaching the same levels as in macrophages. Our findings indicate that operable T3SS translocons can be visualized as part of fully assembled injectisomes with superresolution fluorescence microscopy techniques. By using this technology, we provide novel information about the spatiotemporal organization of T3SS translocons and their regulation by host cell factors. Many human, animal and plant pathogenic bacteria employ a molecular machine termed injectisome to inject their toxins into host cells. Because injectisomes are crucial for these bacteria’s infectious potential they have been considered as targets for antiinfective drugs. Injectisomes are highly similar between the different bacterial pathogens and most of their overall structure is well established at the molecular level. However, only little information is available for a central part of the injectisome named the translocon. This pore-like assembly integrates into host cell membranes and thereby serves as an entry gate for the bacterial toxins. We used state of the art fluorescence microscopy to watch translocons of the diarrheagenic pathogen Yersinia enterocolitica during infection of human host cells. Thereby we could for the first time—with fluorescence microscopy—visualize translocons connected to other parts of the injectisome. Furthermore, because translocons mark functional injectisomes we could obtain evidence that injectisomes only become active for secretion of translocators when the bacteria are almost completely enclosed by host cells. These findings provide a novel view on the organization and regulation of bacterial translocons and may thus open up new strategies to block the function of infectious bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Nauth
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Franziska Huschka
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Michaela Schweizer
- Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jens B. Bosse
- Heinrich-Pette-Institute (HPI), Leibniz-Institute for Experimental Virology, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Diepold
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Antonio Virgilio Failla
- UKE Microscopy Imaging Facility, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anika Steffen
- Department of Cell Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Theresia E. B. Stradal
- Department of Cell Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Manuel Wolters
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Martin Aepfelbacher
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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12
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Cyrklaff M, Frischknecht F, Kudryashev M. Functional insights into pathogen biology from 3D electron microscopy. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2018; 41:828-853. [PMID: 28962014 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fux041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, novel imaging approaches revolutionised our understanding of the cellular and molecular biology of microorganisms. These include advances in fluorescent probes, dynamic live cell imaging, superresolution light and electron microscopy. Currently, a major transition in the experimental approach shifts electron microscopy studies from a complementary technique to a method of choice for structural and functional analysis. Here we review functional insights into the molecular architecture of viruses, bacteria and parasites as well as interactions with their respective host cells gained from studies using cryogenic electron tomography and related methodologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek Cyrklaff
- Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Medical School, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Friedrich Frischknecht
- Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Medical School, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mikhail Kudryashev
- Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue Strasse 3, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany.,Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 17, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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13
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Weiss GL, Medeiros JM, Pilhofer M. In Situ Imaging of Bacterial Secretion Systems by Electron Cryotomography. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1615:353-375. [PMID: 28667625 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7033-9_27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The unique property of electron cryotomography (ECT) is its capability to resolve the structure of macromolecular machines in their cellular context. The integration of ECT data with high-resolution structures of purified subcomplexes and live-cell fluorescence light microscopy can generate pseudo-atomic models that lead to a mechanistic understanding across size and time scales. Recent advances in electron detection, sample thinning, data acquisition, and data processing have significantly enhanced the applicability and performance of ECT. Here we describe a detailed workflow for an ECT experiment, including cell culture, vitrification, data acquisition, data reconstruction, tomogram analysis, and subtomogram averaging. This protocol provides an entry point to the technique for students and researchers and indicates the many possible variations arising from specific target properties and the available instrumentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregor L Weiss
- Department of Biology, ETH Zürich, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - João M Medeiros
- Department of Biology, ETH Zürich, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Pilhofer
- Department of Biology, ETH Zürich, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland.
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14
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Schneider JP, Basler M. Shedding light on biology of bacterial cells. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0499. [PMID: 27672150 PMCID: PMC5052743 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
To understand basic principles of living organisms one has to know many different properties of all cellular components, their mutual interactions but also their amounts and spatial organization. Live-cell imaging is one possible approach to obtain such data. To get multiple snapshots of a cellular process, the imaging approach has to be gentle enough to not disrupt basic functions of the cell but also have high temporal and spatial resolution to detect and describe the changes. Light microscopy has become a method of choice and since its early development over 300 years ago revolutionized our understanding of living organisms. As most cellular components are indistinguishable from the rest of the cellular contents, the second revolution came from a discovery of specific labelling techniques, such as fusions to fluorescent proteins that allowed specific tracking of a component of interest. Currently, several different tags can be tracked independently and this allows us to simultaneously monitor the dynamics of several cellular components and from the correlation of their dynamics to infer their respective functions. It is, therefore, not surprising that live-cell fluorescence microscopy significantly advanced our understanding of basic cellular processes. Current cameras are fast enough to detect changes with millisecond time resolution and are sensitive enough to detect even a few photons per pixel. Together with constant improvement of properties of fluorescent tags, it is now possible to track single molecules in living cells over an extended period of time with a great temporal resolution. The parallel development of new illumination and detection techniques allowed breaking the diffraction barrier and thus further pushed the resolution limit of light microscopy. In this review, we would like to cover recent advances in live-cell imaging technology relevant to bacterial cells and provide a few examples of research that has been possible due to imaging. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The new bacteriology’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes P Schneider
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marek Basler
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
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15
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A dynamic and adaptive network of cytosolic interactions governs protein export by the T3SS injectisome. Nat Commun 2017; 8:15940. [PMID: 28653671 PMCID: PMC5490264 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Many bacteria use a type III secretion system (T3SS) to inject effector proteins into host cells. Selection and export of the effectors is controlled by a set of soluble proteins at the cytosolic interface of the membrane spanning type III secretion ‘injectisome’. Combining fluorescence microscopy, biochemical interaction studies and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, we show that in live Yersinia enterocolitica bacteria these soluble proteins form complexes both at the injectisome and in the cytosol. Binding to the injectisome stabilizes these cytosolic complexes, whereas the free cytosolic complexes, which include the type III secretion ATPase, constitute a highly dynamic and adaptive network. The extracellular calcium concentration, which triggers activation of the T3SS, directly influences the cytosolic complexes, possibly through the essential component SctK/YscK, revealing a potential mechanism involved in the regulation of type III secretion. Bacterial type III secretion systems (T3SS) play important roles in pathogenesis. Here, Diepold et al. show the dynamic nature of complexes formed of essential T3SS components in live bacteria, and that extracellular calcium concentrations influence these cytosolic complexes likely via SctK/YscK.
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16
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Gunasinghe SD, Webb CT, Elgass KD, Hay ID, Lithgow T. Super-Resolution Imaging of Protein Secretion Systems and the Cell Surface of Gram-Negative Bacteria. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:220. [PMID: 28611954 PMCID: PMC5447050 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria have a highly evolved cell wall with two membranes composed of complex arrays of integral and peripheral proteins, as well as phospholipids and glycolipids. In order to sense changes in, respond to, and exploit their environmental niches, bacteria rely on structures assembled into or onto the outer membrane. Protein secretion across the cell wall is a key process in virulence and other fundamental aspects of bacterial cell biology. The final stage of protein secretion in Gram-negative bacteria, translocation across the outer membrane, is energetically challenging so sophisticated nanomachines have evolved to meet this challenge. Advances in fluorescence microscopy now allow for the direct visualization of the protein secretion process, detailing the dynamics of (i) outer membrane biogenesis and the assembly of protein secretion systems into the outer membrane, (ii) the spatial distribution of these and other membrane proteins on the bacterial cell surface, and (iii) translocation of effector proteins, toxins and enzymes by these protein secretion systems. Here we review the frontier research imaging the process of secretion, particularly new studies that are applying various modes of super-resolution microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachith D Gunasinghe
- Infection and Immunity Program, Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash UniversityClayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Chaille T Webb
- Infection and Immunity Program, Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash UniversityClayton, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Iain D Hay
- Infection and Immunity Program, Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash UniversityClayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Trevor Lithgow
- Infection and Immunity Program, Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash UniversityClayton, VIC, Australia
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17
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Morgan JM, Duncan MC, Johnson KS, Diepold A, Lam H, Dupzyk AJ, Martin LR, Wong WR, Armitage JP, Linington RG, Auerbuch V. Piericidin A1 Blocks Yersinia Ysc Type III Secretion System Needle Assembly. mSphere 2017; 2:e00030-17. [PMID: 28217742 PMCID: PMC5311113 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00030-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The type III secretion system (T3SS) is a bacterial virulence factor expressed by dozens of Gram-negative pathogens but largely absent from commensals. The T3SS is an attractive target for antimicrobial agents that may disarm pathogenic bacteria while leaving commensal populations intact. We previously identified piericidin A1 as an inhibitor of the Ysc T3SS in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Piericidins were first discovered as inhibitors of complex I of the electron transport chain in mitochondria and some bacteria. However, we found that piericidin A1 did not alter Yersinia membrane potential or inhibit flagellar motility powered by the proton motive force, indicating that the piericidin mode of action against Yersinia type III secretion is independent of complex I. Instead, piericidin A1 reduced the number of T3SS needle complexes visible by fluorescence microscopy at the bacterial surface, preventing T3SS translocator and effector protein secretion. Furthermore, piericidin A1 decreased the abundance of higher-order YscF needle subunit complexes, suggesting that piericidin A1 blocks YscF needle assembly. While expression of T3SS components in Yersinia are positively regulated by active type III secretion, the block in secretion by piericidin A1 was not accompanied by a decrease in T3SS gene expression, indicating that piericidin A1 may target a T3SS regulatory circuit. However, piericidin A1 still inhibited effector protein secretion in the absence of the T3SS regulator YopK, YopD, or YopN. Surprisingly, while piericidin A1 also inhibited the Y. enterocolitica Ysc T3SS, it did not inhibit the SPI-1 family Ysa T3SS in Y. enterocolitica or the Ysc family T3SS in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Together, these data indicate that piericidin A1 specifically inhibits Yersinia Ysc T3SS needle assembly. IMPORTANCE The bacterial type III secretion system (T3SS) is widely used by both human and animal pathogens to cause disease yet remains incompletely understood. Deciphering how some natural products, such as the microbial metabolite piericidin, inhibit type III secretion can provide important insight into how the T3SS functions or is regulated. Taking this approach, we investigated the ability of piericidin to block T3SS function in several human pathogens. Surprisingly, piericidin selectively inhibited the Ysc family T3SS in enteropathogenic Yersinia but did not affect the function of a different T3SS within the same species. Furthermore, piericidin specifically blocked the formation of T3SS needles on the bacterial surface without altering the localization of several other T3SS components or regulation of T3SS gene expression. These data show that piericidin targets a mechanism important for needle assembly that is unique to the Yersinia Ysc T3SS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M. Morgan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Miles C. Duncan
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Kevin S. Johnson
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Andreas Diepold
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Hanh Lam
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Allison J. Dupzyk
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Lexi R. Martin
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Weng Ruh Wong
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Judith P. Armitage
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Roger G. Linington
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Victoria Auerbuch
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
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18
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Diepold A, Armitage JP. Type III secretion systems: the bacterial flagellum and the injectisome. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 370:rstb.2015.0020. [PMID: 26370933 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The flagellum and the injectisome are two of the most complex and fascinating bacterial nanomachines. At their core, they share a type III secretion system (T3SS), a transmembrane export complex that forms the extracellular appendages, the flagellar filament and the injectisome needle. Recent advances, combining structural biology, cryo-electron tomography, molecular genetics, in vivo imaging, bioinformatics and biophysics, have greatly increased our understanding of the T3SS, especially the structure of its transmembrane and cytosolic components, the transcriptional, post-transcriptional and functional regulation and the remarkable adaptivity of the system. This review aims to integrate these new findings into our current knowledge of the evolution, function, regulation and dynamics of the T3SS, and to highlight commonalities and differences between the two systems, as well as their potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Diepold
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Judith P Armitage
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
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19
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Abstract
The human pathogens
Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and
Yersinia enterocolitica cause enterocolitis, while
Yersinia pestis is responsible for pneumonic, bubonic, and septicaemic plague. All three share an infection strategy that relies on a virulence factor arsenal to enable them to enter, adhere to, and colonise the host while evading host defences to avoid untimely clearance. Their arsenal includes a number of adhesins that allow the invading pathogens to establish a foothold in the host and to adhere to specific tissues later during infection. When the host innate immune system has been activated, all three pathogens produce a structure analogous to a hypodermic needle. In conjunction with the translocon, which forms a pore in the host membrane, the channel that is formed enables the transfer of six ‘effector’ proteins into the host cell cytoplasm. These proteins mimic host cell proteins but are more efficient than their native counterparts at modifying the host cell cytoskeleton, triggering the host cell suicide response. Such a sophisticated arsenal ensures that yersiniae maintain the upper hand despite the best efforts of the host to counteract the infecting pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Atkinson
- Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Paul Williams
- Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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20
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Oikonomou CM, Chang YW, Jensen GJ. A new view into prokaryotic cell biology from electron cryotomography. Nat Rev Microbiol 2016; 14:205-20. [PMID: 26923112 PMCID: PMC5551487 DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro.2016.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Electron cryotomography (ECT) enables intact cells to be visualized in 3D in an essentially native state to 'macromolecular' (∼4 nm) resolution, revealing the basic architectures of complete nanomachines and their arrangements in situ. Since its inception, ECT has advanced our understanding of many aspects of prokaryotic cell biology, from morphogenesis to subcellular compartmentalization and from metabolism to complex interspecies interactions. In this Review, we highlight how ECT has provided structural and mechanistic insights into the physiology of bacteria and archaea and discuss prospects for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine M Oikonomou
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, California 91125, USA
| | - Yi-Wei Chang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, California 91125, USA
| | - Grant J Jensen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, California 91125, USA
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21
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Gold V, Kudryashev M. Recent progress in structure and dynamics of dual-membrane-spanning bacterial nanomachines. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2016; 39:1-7. [PMID: 26995496 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2016.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2016] [Revised: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Advances in hard-ware and soft-ware for electron cryo-microscopy and tomography have provided unprecedented structural insights into large protein complexes in bacterial membranes. Tomographic volumes of native complexes in situ, combined with other structural and functional data, reveal functionally important conformational changes. Here, we review recent progress in elucidating the structure and mechanism of dual-membrane-spanning nanomachines involved in bacterial motility, adhesion, pathogenesis and biofilm formation, including the type IV pilus assembly machinery and the type III and VI secretions systems. We highlight how these new structural data shed light on the assembly and action of such machines and discuss future directions for more detailed mechanistic understanding of these massive, fascinating complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicki Gold
- Department of Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue Str. 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Mikhail Kudryashev
- Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue Str. 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Str. 17, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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22
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Structure of a bacterial type III secretion system in contact with a host membrane in situ. Nat Commun 2015; 6:10114. [PMID: 26656452 PMCID: PMC4682100 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2015] [Accepted: 11/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Many bacterial pathogens of animals and plants use a conserved type III secretion system (T3SS) to inject virulence effector proteins directly into eukaryotic cells to subvert host functions. Contact with host membranes is critical for T3SS activation, yet little is known about T3SS architecture in this state or the conformational changes that drive effector translocation. Here we use cryo-electron tomography and sub-tomogram averaging to derive the intact structure of the primordial Chlamydia trachomatis T3SS in the presence and absence of host membrane contact. Comparison of the averaged structures demonstrates a marked compaction of the basal body (4 nm) occurs when the needle tip contacts the host cell membrane. This compaction is coupled to a stabilization of the cytosolic sorting platform–ATPase. Our findings reveal the first structure of a bacterial T3SS from a major human pathogen engaged with a eukaryotic host, and reveal striking ‘pump-action' conformational changes that underpin effector injection. Bacterial type III secretion systems (T3SSs) inject virulence effector proteins into eukaryotic cells and are activated by host membrane contact. Here the authors report the in situ structure of the Chlamydia trachomatis T3SS in the presence or absence of host membrane, and observe compaction of the basal body embedded in the bacterial envelope.
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