The type IV pilus assembly complex: biogenic interactions among the bundle-forming pilus proteins of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli.

ABSTRACT: Production of type IV bundle-forming pili (BFP) by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) requires the protein products of 12 genes of the 14-gene bfp operon. Antisera against each of these proteins were used to demonstrate that in-frame deletion of individual genes within the operon reduces the abundance of other bfp operon-encoded proteins. This result was demonstrated not to be due to downstream polar effects of the mutations but rather was taken as evidence for protein-protein interactions and their role in the stabilization of the BFP assembly complex. These data, combined with the results of cell compartment localization studies, suggest that pilus formation requires the presence of a topographically discrete assembly complex that is composed of BFP proteins in stoichiometric amoun

SUBMITTER: Ramer SW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC135125 | biostudies-literature | 2002 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature