The structure of bactofilin filaments reveals their mode of membrane binding and lack of polarity.

ABSTRACT: Bactofilins are small β-helical proteins that form cytoskeletal filaments in a range of bacteria. Bactofilins have diverse functions, from cell stalk formation in Caulobacter crescentus to chromosome segregation and motility in Myxococcus xanthus. However, the precise molecular architecture of bactofilin filaments has remained unclear. Here, sequence analysis and electron microscopy results reveal that, in addition to being widely distributed across bacteria and archaea, bactofilins are also present in a few eukaryotic lineages such as the Oomycetes. Electron cryomicroscopy analysis demonstrated that the sole bactofilin from Thermus thermophilus (TtBac) forms constitutive filaments that polymerize through end-to-end association of the β-helical domains. Using a nanobody, we determined the

SUBMITTER: Deng X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6881188 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature