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Structure of the outer membrane complex of a type IV secretion system

Author

Listed:
  • Vidya Chandran

    (Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London and Birkbeck College, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK)

  • Rémi Fronzes

    (Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London and Birkbeck College, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK)

  • Stéphane Duquerroy

    (Institut Pasteur, Unité de Virologie Structurale, Paris, 25–28 Rue du Dr Roux, F-75724 Paris, France
    Université Paris-Sud)

  • Nora Cronin

    (Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London and Birkbeck College, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK)

  • Jorge Navaza

    (Laboratoire de Microscopie Electronique, Institut de Biologie Structurale J.P. Ebel, 41 rue Jules Horowitz, F-38027 Grenoble Cedex 1, France)

  • Gabriel Waksman

    (Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London and Birkbeck College, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK)

Abstract

Type IV secretion systems are secretion nanomachines spanning the two membranes of Gram-negative bacteria. Three proteins, VirB7, VirB9 and VirB10, assemble into a 1.05 megadalton (MDa) core spanning the inner and outer membranes. This core consists of 14 copies of each of the proteins and forms two layers, the I and O layers, inserting in the inner and outer membrane, respectively. Here we present the crystal structure of a ∼0.6 MDa outer-membrane complex containing the entire O layer. This structure is the largest determined for an outer-membrane channel and is unprecedented in being composed of three proteins. Unexpectedly, this structure identifies VirB10 as the outer-membrane channel with a unique hydrophobic double-helical transmembrane region. This structure establishes VirB10 as the only known protein crossing both membranes of Gram-negative bacteria. Comparison of the cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and crystallographic structures points to conformational changes regulating channel opening and closing.

Suggested Citation

  • Vidya Chandran & Rémi Fronzes & Stéphane Duquerroy & Nora Cronin & Jorge Navaza & Gabriel Waksman, 2009. "Structure of the outer membrane complex of a type IV secretion system," Nature, Nature, vol. 462(7276), pages 1011-1015, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:462:y:2009:i:7276:d:10.1038_nature08588
    DOI: 10.1038/nature08588
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    Cited by:

    1. Todd A Cameron & Marcus Roper & Patricia C Zambryski, 2012. "Quantitative Image Analysis and Modeling Indicate the Agrobacterium tumefaciens Type IV Secretion System Is Organized in a Periodic Pattern of Foci," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(7), pages 1-7, July.
    2. Himani Amin & Aravindan Ilangovan & Tiago R. D. Costa, 2021. "Architecture of the outer-membrane core complex from a conjugative type IV secretion system," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-12, December.

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