Type III protein secretion systems are unique bacterial nanomachines with the capacity to deliver bacterial effector proteins into eukaryotic cells. These systems are critical to the biology of many pathogenic or symbiotic bacteria for insects, plants, animals, and humans. Essential components of these systems are multiprotein envelope-associated organelles known as the needle complex and a group of membrane proteins that compose the so-called export apparatus. Here, we show that components of the export apparatus associate intimately with the needle complex, forming a structure that can be visualized by cryo-electron microscopy. We also show that formation of the needle complex base is initiated at the export apparatus and that, in the absence of export apparatus components, there is a significant reduction in the levels of needle complex base assembly. Our results show a substantial coordination in the assembly of the two central elements of type III secretion machines.bacterial pathogenesis | cryo-electron microscopy | membrane proteins | organelle assembly | protein secretion

The correct organization of single subunits of multi-protein machines in a three dimensional context is critical for their functionality. Type III secretion systems (T3SS) are molecular machines with the capacity to deliver bacterial effector proteins into host cells and are fundamental for the biology of many pathogenic or symbiotic bacteria. A central component of T3SSs is the needle complex, a multiprotein structure that mediates the passage of effector proteins through the bacterial envelope. We have used cryo electron microscopy combined with bacterial genetics, site-specific labeling, mutational analysis, chemical derivatization and high-resolution mass spectrometry to generate an experimentally validated topographic map of a Salmonella typhimurium T3SS needle complex. This study provides insights into the organization of this evolutionary highly conserved nanomachinery and is the basis for further functional analysis.

Genetic studies with Burkholderia cepacia complex isolates are hampered by the limited availability of cloning vectors and by the inherent resistance of these isolates to the most common antibiotics used for genetic selection. Also, some of the promoters widely employed for gene expression in Escherichia coli are inefficient in B. cepacia. In this study, we have utilized the backbone of the vector pME6000, a derivative of the pBBR1 plasmid that was originally isolated from Bordetella bronchiseptica, to construct a set of vectors useful for gene expression in B. cepacia. These vectors contain either the constitutive promoter of the S7 ribosomal protein gene from Burkholderia sp. strain LB400 or the arabinose-inducible P BAD promoter from E. coli. Promoter sequences were placed immediately upstream of multiple cloning sites in combination with the minimal sequence of pME6000 required for plasmid maintenance and mobilization. The functionality of both vectors was assessed by cloning the enhanced green fluorescent protein gene (e-gfp) and determining the levels of enhanced green fluorescent protein expression and fluorescence emission for a variety of clinical and environmental isolates of the B. cepacia complex. We also demonstrate that B. cepacia carrying these constructs can readily be detected intracellularly by fluorescence microscopy following the infection of Acanthamoeba polyphaga.

Type III secretion machines are essential for the biology of many bacteria that are pathogenic or symbiotic for animals, plants, or insects. They exert their function by delivering bacterial effector proteins into target eukaryotic cells. The core component of these machines is the needle complex, a multiprotein structure that spans the bacterial envelope and serves as a conduit for proteins that transit this secretion pathway. The needle complex is composed of a multiring base embedded in the bacterial envelope and a filament-like structure, the needle, that projects from the bacterial surface and is linked to the base by the inner rod. Assembly of the needle complex proceeds in a step-wise fashion that is initiated by the assembly of the base and is followed by the export of the building subunits for the needle and inner rod substructures. Once assembled, the needle complex reprograms its specificity and becomes competent for the secretion of effector proteins. Here through genetic, biochemical, and electron microscopy analyses of the Salmonella inner rod protein subunit PrgJ we present evidence that the assembly of the inner rod dictates the timing of substrate switching and needle length. Furthermore, the identification of mutations in PrgJ that specifically alter the hierarchy of protein secretion provides additional support for a complex role of the inner rod substructure in type III secretion.bacterial pathogenesis | organelle assembly | Salmonella pathogenesis

Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) have been historically used to treat bacterial infections. However, the molecules responsible for these anti-infective properties and their potential mechanisms of action have remained elusive. Using a high-throughput assay for type III protein secretion in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, we discovered that several TCMs can attenuate this key virulence pathway without affecting bacterial growth. Amongst the active TCMs, we discovered that baicalein, a specific flavonoid from Scutellaria baicalensis, targets S. Typhimurium pathogenicity island-1 (SPI-1) type III secretion system (T3SS) effectors and translocases to inhibit bacterial invasion of epithelial cells. Structurally related flavonoids present in other TCMs, such as quercetin also inactivated the SPI-1 T3SS and attenuated S. Typhimurium invasion. Our results demonstrate that specific plant metabolites from TCMs can directly interfere with key bacterial virulence pathways and reveals a previously unappreciated mechanism of action for anti-infective medicinal plants.