PilY1 regulates the dynamic architecture of the type IV pilus machine in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

ABSTRACT: Type IV pili (T4P) produced by the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa play a pivotal role in adhesion, surface motility, biofilm formation, and infection in humans. Despite the significance of T4P as a potential therapeutic target, key details of their dynamic assembly and underlying molecular mechanisms of pilus extension and retraction remain elusive, primarily due to challenges in isolating intact T4P machines from the bacterial cell envelope. Here, we combine cryo-electron tomography with subtomogram averaging and integrative modelling to resolve in-situ architectural details of the dynamic T4P machine in P. aeruginosa cells. The T4P machine forms 7-fold symmetric cage-like structures anchored in the cell envelope, providing a molecular framework for the rapid exchange of major pilin subu

SUBMITTER: Guo S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11525922 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature