Cryo-EM structure and evolutionary history of the conjugation surface exclusion protein TraT.

ABSTRACT: Conjugation plays a major role in dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes. Following transfer of IncF-like plasmids, recipients become refractory to a second wave of conjugation with the same plasmid via entry (TraS) and surface (TraT) exclusion mechanisms. Here, we show that TraT from the pKpQIL and F plasmids (TraT_pKpQIL and TraT_F) exhibits plasmid surface exclusion specificity. The cryo-EM structures of TraT_pKpQIL and TraT_F reveal that they oligomerise into decameric champagne bottle cork-like structures, which are anchored to the outer membrane via a diacylglycerol and palmitic acid modified α-helical barrel domain. Unexpectedly, we identify chromosomal TraT homologues from multiple Gram-negative phyla which form numerous divergent li

SUBMITTER: Seddon C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11733297 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature