title: A tale of two pili: assembly and function of pili in bacteria.
abstract: Bacterial pili have long been recognized as mediators of initial host-pathogen interactions important for the progression of Gram-negative bacterial diseases. An appreciation of the role of pili on virulence in Gram-positive bacteria and the unique properties of their biogenesis is a rapidly emerging area of research. In this review, we focus on recent advances in one of the longest-studied Gram-negative pilus systems, the chaperone/usher assembled pili, along with the newcomer to the field, the sortase-assembled pili of Gram-positive bacteria. In both systems, a wealth of new structural and molecular details has emerged recently. In light of this, we explore similarities between chaperone/usher and sortase-assembled pilus biogenesis and highlight paradigms unique to each, with the goal of using knowledge of each system to raise new questions and inform future studies of the other.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kline
authors.forename: Karen W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Dodson
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Caparon
authors.forename: Scott J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hultgren
mesh_terms: D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical