Conserved, unstructured regions in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PilO are important for type IVa pilus function.

ABSTRACT: Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses long, thin fibres called type IV pili (T4P) for adherence to surfaces, biofilm formation, and twitching motility. A conserved subcomplex of PilMNOP is required for extension and retraction of T4P. To better understand its function, we attempted to co-crystallize the soluble periplasmic portions of PilNOP, using reductive surface methylation to promote crystal formation. Only PilO_Δ109 crystallized; its structure was determined to 1.7 Å resolution using molecular replacement. This new structure revealed two novel features: a shorter N-terminal α1-helix followed by a longer unstructured loop, and a discontinuous β-strand in the second αββ motif, mirroring that in the first motif. PISA analysis identified a potential dimer interface with striking similari

SUBMITTER: Leighton TL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5805733 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature