Structural conservation and functional role of TfpY-like proteins in type IV pilus assembly.

ABSTRACT: Type IV pili (T4P) are important virulence factors that allow bacteria to adhere to and rapidly colonize their hosts. T4P are primarily composed of major pilins that undergo cycles of extension and retraction and minor pilins that initiate pilus assembly. Bacteriophages use T4P as receptors and exploit pilus dynamics to infect their hosts. Some bacteria encode pilin accessory proteins that post-translationally glycosylate major pilins to evade phage binding. TfpY is an accessory protein of unknown function that is widespread and structurally conserved among T4P-expressing bacteria. Here, we use Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a model to characterize the functional role of TfpY and its homologues in pilus assembly. TfpY expression is required for optimal pilus assembly and function; howeve

SUBMITTER: Qaderi I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11841053 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature