Pilus biogenesis of Gram-positive bacteria: Roles of sortases and implications for assembly.

ABSTRACT: Successful adherence, colonization, and survival of Gram-positive bacteria require surface proteins, and multiprotein assemblies called pili. These surface appendages are attractive pharmacotherapeutic targets and understanding their assembly mechanisms is essential for identifying a new class of 'anti-infectives' that do not elicit microbial resistance. Molecular details of the Gram-negative pilus assembly are available indepth, but the Gram-positive pilus biogenesis is still an emerging field and investigations continue to reveal novel insights into this process. Pilus biogenesis in Gram-positive bacteria is a biphasic process that requires enzymes called pilus-sortases for assembly and a housekeeping sortase for covalent attachment of the assembled pilus to the peptidoglycan cell wall.

SUBMITTER: Khare B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5521585 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature