Global biochemical and structural analysis of the type IV pilus from the Gram-positive bacterium <i>Streptococcus sanguinis</i>.

ABSTRACT: Type IV pili (Tfp) are functionally versatile filaments, widespread in prokaryotes, that belong to a large class of filamentous nanomachines known as type IV filaments (Tff). Although Tfp have been extensively studied in several Gram-negative pathogens where they function as key virulence factors, many aspects of their biology remain poorly understood. Here, we performed a global biochemical and structural analysis of Tfp in a recently emerged Gram-positive model, Streptococcus sanguinis In particular, we focused on the five pilins and pilin-like proteins involved in Tfp biology in S. sanguinis We found that the two major pilins, PilE1 and PilE2, (i) follow widely conserved principles for processing by the prepilin peptidase PilD and for assembly into filaments; (ii) display

SUBMITTER: Berry JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6497953 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature