Structure/function analysis of Neisseria meningitidis PilW, a conserved protein that plays multiple roles in type IV pilus biology.

ABSTRACT: Type IV pili (Tfp) are widespread filamentous bacterial organelles that mediate multiple functions and play a key role in pathogenesis in several important human pathogens, including Neisseria meningitidis. Tfp biology remains poorly understood at a molecular level because the roles of the numerous proteins that are involved remain mostly obscure. Guided by the high-resolution crystal structure we recently reported for N. meningitidis PilW, a widely conserved protein essential for Tfp biogenesis, we have performed a structure/function analysis by targeting a series of key residues through site-directed mutagenesis and analyzing the corresponding variants using an array of phenotypic assays. Here we show that PilW's involvement in the functionality of Tfp can be genetically uncoupled from i

SUBMITTER: Szeto TH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3147589 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature