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Structure of the Neisseria meningitidis Type IV pilus

Author

Listed:
  • Subramania Kolappan

    (Simon Fraser University)

  • Mathieu Coureuil

    (Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, INSERM U1151, Université Paris Descartes, 14 Rue Maria Helena Vieira Da Silva, CS 61431)

  • Xiong Yu

    (University of Virginia School of Medicine)

  • Xavier Nassif

    (Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, INSERM U1151, Université Paris Descartes, 14 Rue Maria Helena Vieira Da Silva, CS 61431)

  • Edward H. Egelman

    (University of Virginia School of Medicine)

  • Lisa Craig

    (Simon Fraser University)

Abstract

Neisseria meningitidis use Type IV pili (T4P) to adhere to endothelial cells and breach the blood brain barrier, causing cause fatal meningitis. T4P are multifunctional polymers of the major pilin protein, which share a conserved hydrophobic N terminus that is a curved extended α-helix, α1, in X-ray crystal structures. Here we report a 1.44 Å crystal structure of the N. meningitidis major pilin PilE and a ∼6 Å cryo-electron microscopy reconstruction of the intact pilus, from which we built an atomic model for the filament. This structure reveals the molecular arrangement of the N-terminal α-helices in the filament core, including a melted central portion of α1 and a bridge of electron density consistent with a predicted salt bridge necessary for pilus assembly. This structure has important implications for understanding pilus biology.

Suggested Citation

  • Subramania Kolappan & Mathieu Coureuil & Xiong Yu & Xavier Nassif & Edward H. Egelman & Lisa Craig, 2016. "Structure of the Neisseria meningitidis Type IV pilus," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms13015
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13015
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    Cited by:

    1. Lavinia Gambelli & Michail N. Isupov & Rebecca Conners & Mathew McLaren & Annett Bellack & Vicki Gold & Reinhard Rachel & Bertram Daum, 2022. "An archaellum filament composed of two alternating subunits," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Robin Anger & Laetitia Pieulle & Meriam Shahin & Odile Valette & Hugo Guenno & Artemis Kosta & Vladimir Pelicic & Rémi Fronzes, 2023. "Structure of a heteropolymeric type 4 pilus from a monoderm bacterium," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. David Fernandez-Martinez & Youxin Kong & Sylvie Goussard & Agustin Zavala & Pauline Gastineau & Martial Rey & Gabriel Ayme & Julia Chamot-Rooke & Pierre Lafaye & Matthijn Vos & Ariel Mechaly & Guillau, 2024. "Cryo-EM structures of type IV pili complexed with nanobodies reveal immune escape mechanisms," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.

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