title: DsbA and DsbC are required for secretion of pertussis toxin by Bordetella pertussis.
abstract: The Dsb family of enzymes catalyzes disulfide bond formation in the gram-negative periplasm, which is required for folding and assembly of many secreted proteins. Pertussis toxin is arguably the most complex toxin known: it is assembled from six subunits encoded by five genes (for subunits S1 to S5), with 11 intramolecular disulfide bonds. To examine the role of the Dsb enzymes in assembly and secretion of pertussis toxin, we identified and mutated the Bordetella pertussis dsbA, dsbB, and dsbC homologues. Mutations in dsbA or dsbB resulted in decreased levels of S1 (the A subunit) and S2 (a B-subunit protein), demonstrating that DsbA and DsbB are required for toxin assembly. Mutations in dsbC did not impair assembly of periplasmic toxin but resulted in decreased toxin secretion, suggesting a defect in the formation of the Ptl secretion complex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry, and Microbiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0524, USA.
authors.forename: Trevor H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Stenson
authors.forename: Alison A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D001886:Bordetella pertussis / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D016466:CHO Cells; D006224:Cricetinae; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009154:Mutation; D037342:Pertussis Toxin; D019704:Protein Disulfide-Isomerases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D010566:Virulence Factors, Bordetella / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010566:Virulence Factors, Bordetella; C094736:ptlF protein, Bordetella pertussis; D037342:Pertussis Toxin; D019704:Protein Disulfide-Isomerases