scholarly journals Evolutionary Diversification of Host-Targeted Bartonella Effectors Proteins Derived from a Conserved FicTA Toxin-Antitoxin Module

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1645
Author(s):  
Tilman Schirmer ◽  
Tjaart A. P. de Beer ◽  
Stefanie Tamegger ◽  
Alexander Harms ◽  
Nikolaus Dietz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Changes ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Substrate Binding ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Evolutionary Diversification

Proteins containing a FIC domain catalyze AMPylation and other post-translational modifications (PTMs). In bacteria, they are typically part of FicTA toxin-antitoxin modules that control conserved biochemical processes such as topoisomerase activity, but they have also repeatedly diversified into host-targeted virulence factors. Among these, Bartonella effector proteins (Beps) comprise a particularly diverse ensemble of FIC domains that subvert various host cellular functions. However, no comprehensive comparative analysis has been performed to infer molecular mechanisms underlying the biochemical and functional diversification of FIC domains in the vast Bep family. Here, we used X-ray crystallography, structural modelling, and phylogenetic analyses to unravel the expansion and diversification of Bep repertoires that evolved in parallel in three Bartonella lineages from a single ancestral FicTA toxin-antitoxin module. Our analysis is based on 99 non-redundant Bep sequences and nine crystal structures. Inferred from the conservation of the FIC signature motif that comprises the catalytic histidine and residues involved in substrate binding, about half of them represent AMP transferases. A quarter of Beps show a glutamate in a strategic position in the putative substrate binding pocket that would interfere with triphosphate-nucleotide binding but may allow binding of an AMPylated target for deAMPylation or another substrate to catalyze a distinct PTM. The β-hairpin flap that registers the modifiable target segment to the active site exhibits remarkable structural variability. The corresponding sequences form few well-defined groups that may recognize distinct target proteins. The binding of Beps to promiscuous FicA antitoxins is well conserved, indicating a role of the antitoxin to inhibit enzymatic activity or to serve as a chaperone for the FIC domain before translocation of the Bep into host cells. Taken together, our analysis indicates a remarkable functional plasticity of Beps that is mostly brought about by structural changes in the substrate pocket and the target dock. These findings may guide future structure–function analyses of the highly versatile FIC domains.

scholarly journals Xyloglucan processing machinery in Xanthomonas pathogens and its role in the transcriptional activation of virulence factors

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Plinio S. Vieira ◽  
Isabela M. Bonfim ◽  
Evandro A. Araujo ◽  
Ricardo R. Melo ◽  
Augusto R. Lima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Citrus Canker ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Glycoside Hydrolases ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
System A ◽  
Enzymatic Machinery

AbstractXyloglucans are highly substituted and recalcitrant polysaccharides found in the primary cell walls of vascular plants, acting as a barrier against pathogens. Here, we reveal that the diverse and economically relevant Xanthomonas bacteria are endowed with a xyloglucan depolymerization machinery that is linked to pathogenesis. Using the citrus canker pathogen as a model organism, we show that this system encompasses distinctive glycoside hydrolases, a modular xyloglucan acetylesterase and specific membrane transporters, demonstrating that plant-associated bacteria employ distinct molecular strategies from commensal gut bacteria to cope with xyloglucans. Notably, the sugars released by this system elicit the expression of several key virulence factors, including the type III secretion system, a membrane-embedded apparatus to deliver effector proteins into the host cells. Together, these findings shed light on the molecular mechanisms underpinning the intricate enzymatic machinery of Xanthomonas to depolymerize xyloglucans and uncover a role for this system in signaling pathways driving pathogenesis.

scholarly journals Multiple Xanthomonas euvesicatoria Type III Effectors Inhibit flg22-Triggered Immunity

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (8) ◽  
pp. 651-660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgy Popov ◽  
Malou Fraiture ◽  
Frederic Brunner ◽  
Guido Sessa
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Syringae ◽  
Map Kinases ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Inducible Promoter ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
In Planta ◽  
Callose Deposition ◽  
Type Iii ◽  
Xanthomonas Euvesicatoria

Xanthomonas euvesicatoria is the causal agent of bacterial spot disease in pepper and tomato. X. euvesicatoria bacteria interfere with plant cellular processes by injecting effector proteins into host cells through the type III secretion (T3S) system. About 35 T3S effectors have been identified in X. euvesicatoria 85-10, and a few of them were implicated in suppression of pattern-triggered immunity (PTI). We used an Arabidopsis thaliana pathogen-free protoplast–based assay to identify X. euvesicatoria 85-10 effectors that interfere with PTI signaling induced by the bacterial peptide flg22. Of 33 tested effectors, 17 inhibited activation of a PTI-inducible promoter. Among them, nine effectors also interfered with activation of an abscisic acid–inducible promoter. However, effectors that inhibited flg22-induced signaling did not affect phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases acting downstream of flg22 perception. Further investigation of selected effectors revealed that XopAJ, XopE2, and XopF2 inhibited activation of a PTI-inducible promoter by the bacterial peptide elf18 in Arabidopsis protoplasts and by flg22 in tomato protoplasts. The effectors XopF2, XopE2, XopAP, XopAE, XopH, and XopAJ inhibited flg22-induced callose deposition in planta and enhanced disease symptoms caused by attenuated Pseudomonas syringae bacteria. Finally, selected effectors were found to localize to various plant subcellular compartments. These results indicate that X. euvesicatoria bacteria utilize multiple T3S effectors to suppress flg22-induced signaling acting downstream or in parallel to MAP kinase cascades and suggest they act through different molecular mechanisms.

scholarly journals Moving toward generalizable NZ-1 labeling for 3D structure determination with optimized epitope-tag insertion

2021 ◽  
Vol 77 (5) ◽  
pp. 645-662
Author(s):  
Risako Tamura-Sakaguchi ◽  
Rie Aruga ◽  
Mika Hirose ◽  
Toru Ekimoto ◽  
Takuya Miyake ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Complex Formation ◽  
Structure Determination ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Insertion Site ◽  
3D Structure ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Crystallographic Analysis ◽  
Stable Complex ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

Antibody labeling has been conducted extensively for structure determination using both X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy (EM). However, establishing target-specific antibodies is a prerequisite for applying antibody-assisted structural analysis. To expand the applicability of this strategy, an alternative method has been developed to prepare an antibody complex by inserting an exogenous epitope into the target. It has already been demonstrated that the Fab of the NZ-1 monoclonal antibody can form a stable complex with a target containing a PA12 tag as an inserted epitope. Nevertheless, it was also found that complex formation through the inserted PA12 tag inevitably caused structural changes around the insertion site on the target. Here, an attempt was made to improve the tag-insertion method, and it was consequently discovered that an alternate tag (PA14) could replace various loops on the target without inducing large structural changes. Crystallographic analysis demonstrated that the inserted PA14 tag adopts a loop-like conformation with closed ends in the antigen-binding pocket of the NZ-1 Fab. Due to proximity of the termini in the bound conformation, the more optimal PA14 tag had only a minor impact on the target structure. In fact, the PA14 tag could also be inserted into a sterically hindered loop for labeling. Molecular-dynamics simulations also showed a rigid structure for the target regardless of PA14 insertion and complex formation with the NZ-1 Fab. Using this improved labeling technique, negative-stain EM was performed on a bacterial site-2 protease, which enabled an approximation of the domain arrangement based on the docking mode of the NZ-1 Fab.

scholarly journals Salmonella Type III Secretion-Associated Protein InvE Controls Translocation of Effector Proteins into Host Cells

2002 ◽  
Vol 184 (17) ◽  
pp. 4699-4708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomoko Kubori ◽  
Jorge E. Galán
Keyword(s):  
Type Iii Secretion ◽  
Protein Translocation ◽  
Secretion System ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Type Iii ◽  
Bacterial Proteins ◽  
Serovar Typhimurium

ABSTRACT Salmonella enterica encodes a type III secretion system (TTSS) within a pathogenicity island located at centisome 63 (SPI-1), which is essential for its pathogenicity. This system mediates the transfer of a battery of bacterial proteins into the host cell with the capacity to modulate cellular functions. The transfer process is dependent on the function of protein translocases SipB, SipC, and SipD. We report here that Salmonella protein InvE, which is also encoded within SPI-1, is essential for the translocation of bacterial proteins into host cells. An S. enterica serovar Typhimurium mutant carrying a loss-of-function mutation in invE shows reduced secretion of SipB, SipC, and SipD while exhibiting increased secretion of other TTSS effector proteins. We also demonstrate that InvE interacts with a protein complex formed by SipB, SipC, and their cognate chaperone, SicA. We propose that InvE controls protein translocation by regulating the function of the Sip protein translocases.

scholarly journals ATF6β is a host cellular target of the Toxoplasma gondii virulence factor ROP18

2011 ◽  
Vol 208 (7) ◽  
pp. 1533-1546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masahiro Yamamoto ◽  
Ji Su Ma ◽  
Christina Mueller ◽  
Naganori Kamiyama ◽  
Hiroyuki Saiga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Virulence Factor ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Type I ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Susceptibility To Infection ◽  
Pathogenic Action ◽  
Acute Toxoplasmosis

The ROP18 kinase has been identified as a key virulence determinant conferring a high mortality phenotype characteristic of type I Toxoplasma gondii strains. This major effector molecule is secreted by the rhoptries into the host cells during invasion; however, the molecular mechanisms by which this kinase exerts its pathogenic action remain poorly understood. In this study, we show that ROP18 targets the host endoplasmic reticulum–bound transcription factor ATF6β. Disruption of the ROP18 gene severely impairs acute toxoplasmosis by the type I RH strain. Because another virulence factor ROP16 kinase modulates immune responses through its N-terminal portion, we focus on the role of the N terminus of ROP18 in the subversion of host cellular functions. The N-terminal extension of ROP18 contributes to ATF6β-dependent pathogenicity by interacting with ATF6β and destabilizing it. The kinase activity of ROP18 is essential for proteasome-dependent degradation of ATF6β and for parasite virulence. Consistent with a key role for ATF6β in resistance against this intracellular pathogen, ATF6β-deficient mice exhibit a high susceptibility to infection by ROP18-deficient parasites. The results reveal that interference with ATF6β-dependent immune responses is a novel pathogenic mechanism induced by ROP18.

scholarly journals Molecular mechanisms of the anti-cancer drug, LY2874455, in overcoming the FGFR4 mutation-based resistance

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fariba Dehghanian ◽  
Shahryar Alavi
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
Substrate Binding ◽  
Growth Factor Receptor ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Cancer Drug ◽  
Inhibition Mechanism ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Substrate Binding Pocket ◽  
Anti Cancer

AbstractIn recent years, many strategies have been used to overcome the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) resistance caused by different mutations. LY2874455 (or 6LF) is a pan-FGFR inhibitor which is identified as the most efficient TKI for all resistant mutations in FGFRs. Here, we perform a comparative dynamics study of wild type (WT) and the FGFR4 V550L mutant for better understanding of the 6LF inhibition mechanism. Our results confirm that the pan-FGFR inhibitor 6LF can bind efficiently to both WT and V550L FGFR4. Moreover, the communication network analysis indicates that in apo-WT FGFR4, αD–αE loop behaves like a switch between open and close states of the substrate-binding pocket in searching of its ligand. In contrast, V550L mutation induces the active conformation of the FGFR4 substrate-binding pocket through disruption of αD–αE loop and αG helix anti-correlation. Interestingly, 6LF binding causes the rigidity of hinge and αD helix regions, which results in overcoming V550L induced resistance. Collectively, the results of this study would be informative for designing more efficient TKIs for more effective targeting of the FGFR signaling pathway.

Structural basis for substrate specificity of heteromeric transporters of neutral amino acids

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (49) ◽  
pp. e2113573118
Author(s):  
Carlos F. Rodriguez ◽  
Paloma Escudero-Bravo ◽  
Lucía Díaz ◽  
Paola Bartoccioni ◽  
Carmen García-Martín ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Substrate Specificity ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Substrate Binding ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Neutral Amino Acid ◽  
Substrate Preference ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Substrate Binding Pocket

Despite having similar structures, each member of the heteromeric amino acid transporter (HAT) family shows exquisite preference for the exchange of certain amino acids. Substrate specificity determines the physiological function of each HAT and their role in human diseases. However, HAT transport preference for some amino acids over others is not yet fully understood. Using cryo–electron microscopy of apo human LAT2/CD98hc and a multidisciplinary approach, we elucidate key molecular determinants governing neutral amino acid specificity in HATs. A few residues in the substrate-binding pocket determine substrate preference. Here, we describe mutations that interconvert the substrate profiles of LAT2/CD98hc, LAT1/CD98hc, and Asc1/CD98hc. In addition, a region far from the substrate-binding pocket critically influences the conformation of the substrate-binding site and substrate preference. This region accumulates mutations that alter substrate specificity and cause hearing loss and cataracts. Here, we uncover molecular mechanisms governing substrate specificity within the HAT family of neutral amino acid transporters and provide the structural bases for mutations in LAT2/CD98hc that alter substrate specificity and that are associated with several pathologies.

scholarly journals YopJ Family Effectors Promote Bacterial Infection through a Unique Acetyltransferase Activity

2016 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 1011-1027 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ka-Wai Ma ◽  
Wenbo Ma
Keyword(s):  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Cysteine Proteases ◽  
Catalytic Triad ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Target Proteins ◽  
Acetyltransferase Activity ◽  
Type Iii

SUMMARYGram-negative bacterial pathogens rely on the type III secretion system to inject virulence proteins into host cells. These type III secreted “effector” proteins directly manipulate cellular processes to cause disease. Although the effector repertoires in different bacterial species are highly variable, theYersiniaouter protein J (YopJ) effector family is unique in that its members are produced by diverse animal and plant pathogens as well as a nonpathogenic microsymbiont. All YopJ family effectors share a conserved catalytic triad that is identical to that of the C55 family of cysteine proteases. However, an accumulating body of evidence demonstrates that many YopJ effectors modify their target proteins in hosts by acetylating specific serine, threonine, and/or lysine residues. This unique acetyltransferase activity allows the YopJ family effectors to affect the function and/or stability of their targets, thereby dampening innate immunity. Here, we summarize the current understanding of this prevalent and evolutionarily conserved type III effector family by describing their enzymatic activities and virulence functions in animals and plants. In particular, the molecular mechanisms by which representative YopJ family effectors subvert host immunity through posttranslational modification of their target proteins are discussed.

scholarly journals The polar Ras-like GTPase MglA activates type IV pilus via SgmX to enable twitching motility inMyxococcus xanthus

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (45) ◽  
pp. 28366-28373
Author(s):  
Romain Mercier ◽  
Sarah Bautista ◽  
Maëlle Delannoy ◽  
Margaux Gibert ◽  
Annick Guiseppi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Kin Recognition ◽  
Small Gtpase ◽  
Extracellular Dna ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Twitching Motility ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Spatial Regulation ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
The Social

Type IV pili (Tfp) are highly conserved macromolecular structures that fulfill diverse cellular functions, such as adhesion to host cells, the import of extracellular DNA, kin recognition, and cell motility (twitching). Outstandingly, twitching motility enables a poorly understood process by which highly coordinated groups of hundreds of cells move in cooperative manner, providing a basis for multicellular behaviors, such as biofilm formation. In the social bacteriaMyxococcus xanthus, we know that twitching motility is under the dependence of the small GTPase MglA, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Here we show that MglA complexed to GTP recruits a newly characterized Tfp regulator, termed SgmX, to activate Tfp machines at the bacterial cell pole. This mechanism also ensures spatial regulation of Tfp, explaining how MglA switching provokes directional reversals. This discovery paves the way to elucidate how polar Tfp machines are regulated to coordinate multicellular movements, a conserved feature in twitching bacteria.

scholarly journals Elucidation of Molecular Mechanism of a Selective PPARα Modulator, Pemafibrate, through Combinational Approaches of X-ray Crystallography, Thermodynamic Analysis, and First-Principle Calculations

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayu Kawasaki ◽  
Akira Kambe ◽  
Yuta Yamamoto ◽  
Sundaram Arulmozhiraja ◽  
Sohei Ito ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ligand Binding ◽  
Molecular Mechanism ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Hydrophobic Interactions ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Titration Calorimetry ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Steroid Receptor Coactivator

The selective PPARα modulator (SPPARMα) is expected to medicate dyslipidemia with minimizing adverse effects. Recently, pemafibrate was screened from the ligand library as an SPPARMα bearing strong potency. Several clinical pieces of evidence have proved the usefulness of pemafibrate as a medication; however, how pemafibrate works as a SPPARMα at the molecular level is not fully known. In this study, we investigate the molecular mechanism behind its novel SPPARMα character through a combination of approaches of X-ray crystallography, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and fragment molecular orbital (FMO) analysis. ITC measurements have indicated that pemafibrate binds more strongly to PPARα than to PPARγ. The crystal structure of PPARα-ligand binding domain (LBD)/pemafibrate/steroid receptor coactivator-1 peptide (SRC1) determined at 3.2 Å resolution indicates that pemafibrate binds to the ligand binding pocket (LBP) of PPARα in a Y-shaped form. The structure also reveals that the conformation of the phenoxyalkyl group in pemafibrate is flexible in the absence of SRC1 coactivator peptide bound to PPARα; this gives a freedom for the phenoxyalkyl group to adopt structural changes induced by the binding of coactivators. FMO calculations have indicated that the accumulation of hydrophobic interactions provided by the residues at the LBP improve the interaction between pemafibrate and PPARα compared with the interaction between fenofibrate and PPARα.

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