Title |
Priming and polymerization of a bacterial contractile tail structure
|
---|---|
Published in |
Nature, February 2016
|
DOI | 10.1038/nature17182 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Abdelrahim Zoued, Eric Durand, Yannick R. Brunet, Silvia Spinelli, Badreddine Douzi, Mathilde Guzzo, Nicolas Flaugnatti, Pierre Legrand, Laure Journet, Rémi Fronzes, Tâm Mignot, Christian Cambillau, Eric Cascales |
Abstract |
Contractile tails are composed of an inner tube wrapped by an outer sheath assembled in an extended, metastable conformation that stores mechanical energy necessary for its contraction. Contraction is used to propel the rigid inner tube towards target cells for DNA or toxin delivery. Although recent studies have revealed the structure of the contractile sheath of the type VI secretion system, the mechanisms by which its polymerization is controlled and coordinated with the assembly of the inner tube remain unknown. Here we show that the starfish-like TssA dodecameric complex interacts with tube and sheath components. Fluorescence microscopy experiments in enteroaggregative Escherichia coli reveal that TssA binds first to the type VI secretion system membrane core complex and then initiates tail polymerization. TssA remains at the tip of the growing structure and incorporates new tube and sheath blocks. On the basis of these results, we propose that TssA primes and coordinates tail tube and sheath biogenesis. |
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Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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Japan | 5 | 10% |
France | 5 | 10% |
United States | 4 | 8% |
Germany | 3 | 6% |
Korea, Republic of | 1 | 2% |
Chile | 1 | 2% |
Belgium | 1 | 2% |
Switzerland | 1 | 2% |
Other | 0 | 0% |
Unknown | 23 | 45% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 36 | 71% |
Scientists | 12 | 24% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 3 | 6% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 1 | <1% |
Brazil | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 195 | 99% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 40 | 20% |
Student > Bachelor | 29 | 15% |
Researcher | 22 | 11% |
Student > Master | 22 | 11% |
Professor | 10 | 5% |
Other | 27 | 14% |
Unknown | 47 | 24% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 64 | 32% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 39 | 20% |
Immunology and Microbiology | 20 | 10% |
Neuroscience | 5 | 3% |
Chemistry | 4 | 2% |
Other | 14 | 7% |
Unknown | 51 | 26% |