Pilin-like proteins in the extremely thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus HB27: implication in competence for natural transformation and links to type IV pilus biogenesis.

ABSTRACT: The extreme thermophile Thermus thermophilus HB27 exhibits high frequencies of natural transformation. Although we recently reported identification of the first competence genes in Thermus, the molecular basis of DNA uptake is unknown. A pilus-like structure is assumed to be involved. Twelve genes encoding prepilin-like proteins were identified in three loci in the genome of T. thermophilus. Mutational analyses, described in this paper, revealed that one locus, which contains four genes that encode prepilin-like proteins (pilA1 to pilA4), is essential for natural transformation. Additionally, comZ, a new competence gene with no similarity to known genes, was identified. Analysis of the piliation phenotype revealed wild-type piliation of a pilA1-pilA3Deltakat mutant and a comZ mutant, where

SUBMITTER: Friedrich A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC165207 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature