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Wang Y, Theodore M, Xing Z, Narsaria U, Yu Z, Zeng L, Zhang J. Structural mechanisms of Tad pilus assembly and its interaction with an RNA virus. Sci Adv 2024; 10:eadl4450. [PMID: 38701202 PMCID: PMC11067988 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl4450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Caulobacter crescentus Tad (tight adherence) pili, part of the type IV pili family, are crucial for mechanosensing, surface adherence, bacteriophage (phage) adsorption, and cell-cycle regulation. Unlike other type IV pilins, Tad pilins lack the typical globular β sheet domain responsible for pilus assembly and phage binding. The mechanisms of Tad pilus assembly and its interaction with phage ΦCb5 have been elusive. Using cryo-electron microscopy, we unveiled the Tad pilus assembly mechanism, featuring a unique network of hydrogen bonds at its core. We then identified the Tad pilus binding to the ΦCb5 maturation protein (Mat) through its β region. Notably, the amino terminus of ΦCb5 Mat is exposed outside the capsid and phage/pilus interface, enabling the attachment of fluorescent and affinity tags. These engineered ΦCb5 virions can be efficiently assembled and purified in Escherichia coli, maintaining infectivity against C. crescentus, which presents promising applications, including RNA delivery and phage display.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhang Wang
- Center for Phage Technology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Matthew Theodore
- Center for Phage Technology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Zhongliang Xing
- Center for Phage Technology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Utkarsh Narsaria
- Center for Phage Technology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Zihao Yu
- Center for Phage Technology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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Thongchol J, Yu Z, Harb L, Lin Y, Koch M, Theodore M, Narsaria U, Shaevitz J, Gitai Z, Wu Y, Zhang J, Zeng L. Removal of Pseudomonas type IV pili by a small RNA virus. Science 2024; 384:eadl0635. [PMID: 38574145 DOI: 10.1126/science.adl0635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
The retractile type IV pilus (T4P) is important for virulence of the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) phage PP7 binds to T4P and is brought to the cell surface through pilus retraction. Using fluorescence microscopy, we discovered that PP7 detaches T4P, which impairs cell motility and restricts the pathogen's virulence. Using cryo-electron microscopy, mutagenesis, optical trapping, and Langevin dynamics simulation, we resolved the structure of PP7, T4P, and the PP7/T4P complex and showed that T4P detachment is driven by the affinity between the phage maturation protein and its bound pilin, plus the pilus retraction force and speed, and pilus bending. Pilus detachment may be widespread among other ssRNA phages and their retractile pilus systems and offers new prospects for antibacterial prophylaxis and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jirapat Thongchol
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Zihao Yu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Laith Harb
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Yiruo Lin
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Matthias Koch
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Joseph Henry Laboratories of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Matthew Theodore
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Utkarsh Narsaria
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Joshua Shaevitz
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Joseph Henry Laboratories of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Zemer Gitai
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Yinghao Wu
- Department of Systems and Computational Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY 10461, USA
| | - Junjie Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Lanying Zeng
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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Cahill J, Holt A, Theodore M, Moreland R, O'Leary C, Martin C, Bettridge K, Xiao J, Young R. Spatial and temporal control of lysis by the lambda holin. mBio 2024; 15:e0129023. [PMID: 38126784 PMCID: PMC10865782 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01290-23] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The infection cycle of phage λ terminates in lysis mediated by three types of lysis proteins, each disrupting a layer in the bacterial envelope: the S105 holin, the R endolysin, and the Rz/Rz1 spanin complex targeting the inner membrane, cell wall or peptidoglycan, and the outer membrane, respectively. Video microscopy has shown that in most infections, lysis occurs as a sudden, explosive event at a cell pole, such that the initial product is a less refractile ghost that retains rod-shaped morphology. Here, we investigate the molecular basis of polar lysis using time-lapse fluorescence microscopy. The results indicate that the holin determines the morphology of lysis by suddenly forming two-dimensional rafts at the poles about 100 s prior to lysis. Given the physiological and biochemical similarities between the lambda holin and other class I holins, dynamic redistribution and sudden concentration may be common features of holins, probably reflecting the fitness advantage of all-or-nothing lysis regulation.IMPORTANCEIn this study, we use fluorescent video microscopy to track -green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled holin in the minutes prior to phage lysis. Our work contextualizes prior genetic and biochemical data, showing when hole formation starts and where holin oligomers form in relation to the site of lytic rupture. Furthermore, prior work showed that the morphology of lambda-infected cells is characterized by an explosive event starting at the cell pole; however, the basis for this was not clear. This study shows that holin most often oligomerizes at cell poles and that the site of the oligomerization is spatially correlated with the site of lytic blowout. Therefore, the holin is the key contributor to polar lysis morphology for phage lambda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Cahill
- Sandia National Labs, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Ashley Holt
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center of Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Matthew Theodore
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center of Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Russell Moreland
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center of Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Chandler O'Leary
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center of Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Cody Martin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center of Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Kelsey Bettridge
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jie Xiao
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ry Young
- Sandia National Labs, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
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Turabekova M, Rasulev B, Theodore M, Jackman J, Leszczynska D, Leszczynski J. Immunotoxicity of nanoparticles: a computational study suggests that CNTs and C60 fullerenes might be recognized as pathogens by Toll-like receptors. Nanoscale 2014; 6:3488-95. [PMID: 24548972 DOI: 10.1039/c3nr05772k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Over the last decade, a great deal of attention has been devoted to study the inflammatory response upon exposure to multi/single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and different fullerene derivatives. In particular, carbon nanoparticles are reported to provoke substantial inflammation in alveolar and bronchial epithelial cells, epidermal keratinocytes, cultured monocyte-macrophage cells, etc. We suggest a hypothetical model providing the potential mechanistic explanation for immune and inflammatory responses observed upon exposure to carbon nanoparticles. Specifically, we performed a theoretical study to analyze CNT and C60 fullerene interactions with the available X-ray structures of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) homo- and hetero-dimer extracellular domains. This assumption was based on the fact that similar to the known TLR ligands both CNTs and fullerenes induce, in cells, the secretion of certain inflammatory protein mediators, such as interleukins and chemokines. These proteins are observed within inflammation downstream processes resulted from the ligand molecule dependent inhibition or activation of TLR-induced signal transduction. Our computational studies have shown that the internal hydrophobic pockets of some TLRs might be capable of binding small-sized carbon nanostructures (5,5 armchair SWCNTs containing 11 carbon atom layers and C60 fullerene). High binding scores and minor structural alterations induced in TLR ectodomains upon binding C60 and CNTs further supported our hypothesis. Additionally, the proposed hypothesis is strengthened by the indirect experimental findings indicating that CNTs and fullerenes induce an excessive expression of specific cytokines and chemokines (i.e. IL-8 and MCP1).
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Affiliation(s)
- M Turabekova
- Interdisciplinary Center for Nanotoxicity, Department of Chemistry, Jackson State University, 1400 J. R. Lynch Street, P. O. Box 17910, Jackson, MS 39217, USA.
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Larroche C, Theodore M, Gros J. Growth and sporulation behaviour of Penicillium roquefortii in solid substrate fermentation: effect of the hydric parameters of the medium. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 1992. [DOI: 10.1007/bf00174465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Abstract
We undertook a case-control study to investigate the association between chemicals in maternal drinking water consumed during pregnancy and congenital heart disease in the offspring. Two hundred and seventy affected children and 665 healthy children were enrolled in the study. Information on contaminant levels in maternal drinking water was available from records of routine water analysis of samples taken from public taps in the communities where the mothers resided during pregnancy. Mothers provided information during a telephone interview on their health, pregnancy management, and demographic characteristics. Nine inorganic metals were analysed for detection of an association with congenital heart disease. The chemical exposures of particular interest were arsenic, lead, mercury and selenium. None of the chemicals was associated materially with an increase in the frequency of congenital heart disease overall. Arsenic exposure at any detectable level was associated with a threefold increase in occurrence of coarctation of the aorta (prevalence odds ratio = 3.4, 95% confidence interval = 1.3-8.9). Detectable traces of selenium in drinking water were associated with a lower frequency of any congenital heart disease than was observed among children exposed to drinking water not containing detectable levels of selenium (prevalence odds ratio = 0.62, 95% confidence limits = 0.40-0.97). A dose-response effect was observed over four levels of selenium exposure. Non-differential errors in the measurement and classification of exposure to contaminants routinely monitored in drinking water could account for lack of positive findings. In addition, most of the contaminant levels were below the maximum levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency, so that lack of evidence of effect may have been due to the low exposure levels in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Zierler
- Department of Community Health, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912
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Merault G, Keclard L, Saint-Martin C, Jasmin K, Campier A, Delanoe-Garin J, Arous N, Fortune R, Theodore M, Seytor S. Hemoglobin Roseau-Pointe a Pitre alpha 2 beta 2(90) (F6) Glu----Gly: a new hemoglobin variant with slight instability and low oxygen affinity. FEBS Lett 1985; 184:10-3. [PMID: 3838727 DOI: 10.1016/0014-5793(85)80642-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
A Dominican neonate carrying a new abnormal hemoglobin, hemoglobin Roseau Pointe-à-Pitre alpha 2 beta 2(90)(F6) Glu----Gly, was detected in Guadeloupe during application of a cord blood screening program. This variant behaved in isoelectrofocusing as an Hb D, and displayed instability and low whole blood oxygen affinity. In the affected family it was present, either isolated, or in association with a beta+ thalassemia trait.
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Theodore M. The Good Samaritan Infusion Radiator. Am J Nurs 1931. [DOI: 10.2307/3410167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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