YscP and YscU regulate substrate specificity of the Yersinia type III secretion system.

ABSTRACT: Pathogenic Yersinia species use a type III secretion system to inhibit phagocytosis by eukaryotic cells. At 37 degrees C, the secretion system is assembled, forming a needle-like structure on the bacterial cell surface. Upon eukaryotic cell contact, six effector proteins, called Yops, are translocated into the eukaryotic cell cytosol. Here, we show that a yscP mutant exports an increased amount of the needle component YscF to the bacterial cell surface but is unable to efficiently secrete effector Yops. Mutations in the cytoplasmic domain of the inner membrane protein YscU suppress the yscP phenotype by reducing the level of YscF secretion and increasing the level of Yop secretion. These results suggest that YscP and YscU coordinately regulate the substrate specificity of the Yersinia type

SUBMITTER: Edqvist PJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC151483 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature