Download MendeleySortase-Mediated Pilus Fiber Biogenesis in Streptococcus Pneumoniae.
Manzano, C., Contreras-Martel, C., El Mortaji, L., Izore, T., Fenel, D., Vernet, T., Schoehn, G., Di Guilmi, A.M., Dessen, A.(2008) Structure 16: 1838
- PubMed: 19081060
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.str.2008.10.007
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
2W1J, 2W1K - PubMed Abstract:
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a piliated pathogen whose ability to circumvent vaccination and antibiotic treatment strategies is a cause of mortality worldwide. Pili play important roles in pneumococcal infection, but little is known about their biogenesis mechanism or the relationship between components of the pilus-forming machinery, which includes the fiber pilin (RrgB), two minor pilins (RrgA, RrgC), and three sortases (SrtC-1, SrtC-2, SrtC-3). Here we show that SrtC-1 is the main pilus-polymerizing transpeptidase, and electron microscopy analyses of RrgB fibers reconstituted in vitro reveal that they structurally mimic the pneumococcal pilus backbone. Crystal structures of both SrtC-1 and SrtC-3 reveal active sites whose access is controlled by flexible lids, unlike in non-pilus sortases, and suggest that substrate specificity is dictated by surface recognition coupled to lid opening. The distinct structural features of pilus-forming sortases suggest a common pilus biogenesis mechanism that could be exploited for the development of broad-spectrum antibacterials.
Organizational Affiliation:
Laboratoire des Protéines Membranaires, Institut de Biologie Structurale Jean-Pierre Ebel, UMR 5075 (CEA, CNRS, UJF, PSB), 41 rue Jules Horowitz, F-38027 Grenoble, France.
