Periodicity in Attachment Organelle Revealed by Electron Cryotomography Suggests Conformational Changes in Gliding Mechanism of Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

ABSTRACT:

Unlabelled

Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a pathogenic bacterium, glides on host surfaces using a unique mechanism. It forms an attachment organelle at a cell pole as a protrusion comprised of knoblike surface structures and an internal core. Here, we analyzed the three-dimensional structure of the organelle in detail by electron cryotomography. On the surface, knoblike particles formed a two-dimensional array, albeit with limited regularity. Analyses using a nonbinding mutant and an antibody showed that the knoblike particles correspond to a naplike structure that has been observed by negative-staining electron microscopy and is likely to be formed as a complex of P1 adhesin, the key protein for binding and gliding. The paired thin and thick plates feature a rigid hexagonal lattice and st

SUBMITTER: Kawamoto A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4959525 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature