The role of bacterial pili in protein and DNA translocation.
Gram-negative bacteria have surface appendages that assemble via different secretion machineries. Recently, new experimental approaches have contributed to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of flagellar and pilus assembly, and protein secretion. These findings can be applied to plant pathogenic bacteria, which probably transfer effector proteins directly into their eukaryotic host cells. Here, it is suggested that assembly of Hrp pili occurs in the periplasm and that unfolded effector proteins attach to pilins within the pili, thus effecting protein translocation. A two-domain structure for the HrpA pilin from Pseudomonas syringae is also predicted.
Koebnik
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Martin-Luther-Universität, Institut für Genetik, Weinbergweg 10, D-06120, Halle (Saale), Germany. koebnik@iname.com
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism*; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins