title: Mapping the selection mechanisms by bacterial GEFs.
abstract: Mimicry of eukaryotic signaling enzymes is a common strategy used by bacterial pathogens to manipulate host cellular signaling. The E. coli type III effector protein Map belongs to a large family of bacterial virulence factors that activate host Rho GTPase signaling pathways through an unknown molecular mechanism. Our recent structural study, coupled with biochemical and functional assays, establishes that this family protein, including Map, IpgB1/2 and SifA/B secreted by E. coli, Shigella, and Salmonella respectively, acts as functional mimic of mammalian guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs). Furthermore, we show that Map and its family members share a conserved mechanism with human Dbl GEFs for selection of various GTPase isoforms, revealing an evolutionary dynamic state of protein mimicry.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zhiwei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jijie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chai
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors