title: The V-antigen of Yersinia forms a distinct structure at the tip of injectisome needles.
abstract: Many pathogenic bacteria use injectisomes to deliver effector proteins into host cells through type III secretion. Injectisomes consist of a basal body embedded in the bacterial membranes and a needle. In Yersinia, translocation of effectors requires the YopB and YopD proteins, which form a pore in the target cell membrane, and the LcrV protein, which assists the assembly of the pore. Here we report that LcrV forms a distinct structure at the tip of the needle, the tip complex. This unique localization of LcrV may explain its crucial role in the translocation process and its efficacy as the main protective antigen against plague.
authors.affiliation: Biozentrum der Universität Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50-70, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Catherine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Broz
authors.forename: Shirley A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ringler
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Erne-Brand
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sorg
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Engel
authors.forename: Guy R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Cornelis
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D015008:Yersinia enterocolitica / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; C043908:LcrV protein, Yersinia; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; C078909:YopB protein, Yersinia; C078910:YopD protein, Yersinia