The assembly of a hybrid type IV secretion system by a Crohn's disease-associated Escherichia coli strain.

ABSTRACT: Type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are central to bacterial pathogenesis. Traditionally known for facilitating DNA transfer via conjugation, T4SSs also mediate biofilm formation. These biofilms are critical for the fitness of adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC), which are commonly isolated from Crohn's disease patients and are known for propelling gut inflammation. Many AIEC strains carry F-like plasmids encoding the IncF subgroup of T4SSs. Unlike minimized systems with 12 core components, the IncF family is an expanded T4SS with additional genes that enhance conjugation. Here, we show that a biofilm-forming AIEC strain harbors an unusual IncF plasmid that lacks two conserved components essential for T4SS functionality. This strain forms a natural hybrid T4SS where the missing compone

SUBMITTER: Wong J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12491478 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature