Architecture of the Vibrio cholerae toxin-coregulated pilus machine revealed by electron cryotomography.

ABSTRACT: Type IV pili (T4P) are filamentous appendages found on many Bacteria and Archaea. They are helical fibres of pilin proteins assembled by a multi-component macromolecular machine we call the basal body. Based on pilin features, T4P are classified into type IVa pili (T4aP) and type IVb pili (T4bP)^1,2. T4aP are more widespread and are involved in cell motility³, DNA transfer⁴, host predation⁵ and electron transfer⁶. T4bP are less prevalent and are mainly found in enteropathogenic bacteria, where they play key roles in host colonization⁷. Following similar work on T4aP machines^8,9, here we use electron cryotomography¹⁰ to reveal the three-dimensional in situ structure of a T4bP machine in its piliated and n

SUBMITTER: Chang YW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5302817 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature