Structural and functional specialization of Bordetella pertussis DsbA for pertussis toxin folding.

ABSTRACT: Disulphide bonds (Dsbs) are essential for the folding, stability, and function of many secreted and membrane-associated proteins in bacteria. In Gram-negative species, these bonds are introduced by the Dsb enzyme family, with DsbA acting as the primary thiol oxidase. While DsbA proteins share a conserved thioredoxin (TRX)-like fold, emerging evidence highlights substantial structural and functional divergence among pathogenic homologues. Here, we present the high-resolution crystal structure and functional characterization of BperDsbA, a DsbA homologue from Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent of whooping cough. BperDsbA adopts a canonical TRX fold with a CPHC active site and a threonine-containing cis-proline loop, but displays striking deviations from prototypical DsbAs. Notably, it

SUBMITTER: Penning S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12724015 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature