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Rehman S, Antonovic AK, McIntire IE, Zheng H, Cleaver L, Adams CO, Portlock T, Richardson K, Shaw R, Oregioni A, Mastroianni G, Whittaker SBM, Kelly G, Fornili A, Cianciotto NP, Garnett JA. The Legionella collagen-like protein employs a unique binding mechanism for the recognition of host glycosaminoglycans. bioRxiv 2023:2023.12.10.570962. [PMID: 38106198 PMCID: PMC10723406 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.10.570962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial adhesion is a fundamental process which enables colonisation of niche environments and is key for infection. However, in Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, these processes are not well understood. The Legionella collagen-like protein (Lcl) is an extracellular peripheral membrane protein that recognises sulphated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) on the surface of eukaryotic cells, but also stimulates bacterial aggregation in response to divalent cations. Here we report the crystal structure of the Lcl C-terminal domain (Lcl-CTD) and present a model for intact Lcl. Our data reveal that Lcl-CTD forms an unusual dynamic trimer arrangement with a positively charged external surface and a negatively charged solvent exposed internal cavity. Through Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations, we show how the GAG chondroitin-4-sulphate associates with the Lcl-CTD surface via unique binding modes. Our findings show that Lcl homologs are present across both the Pseudomonadota and Fibrobacterota-Chlorobiota-Bacteroidota phyla and suggest that Lcl may represent a versatile carbohydrate binding mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saima Rehman
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dental, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Anna K. Antonovic
- School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Ian E. McIntire
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Huaixin Zheng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Leanne Cleaver
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dental, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Carlton O. Adams
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Theo Portlock
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dental, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Katherine Richardson
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Rosie Shaw
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Alain Oregioni
- The Medical Research Council Biomedical NMR Centre, the Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Giulia Mastroianni
- School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Sara B-M. Whittaker
- School of Cancer Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Geoff Kelly
- The Medical Research Council Biomedical NMR Centre, the Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Arianna Fornili
- School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Nicholas P. Cianciotto
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - James A. Garnett
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dental, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
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