We present a novel crystal structure of the IlvD/EDD family enzyme, l-arabinonate dehydratase from Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii (RlArDHT, EC 4.2.1.25), which catalyzes the conversion of l-arabinonate to 2-dehydro-3-deoxy-l-arabinonate. The enzyme is a tetramer consisting of a dimer of dimers, where each monomer is composed of two domains. The active site contains a catalytically important [2Fe-2S] cluster and Mg ion and is buried between two domains, and also at the dimer interface. The active site Lys129 was found to be carbamylated. Ser480 and Thr482 were shown to be essential residues for catalysis, and the S480A mutant structure showed an unexpected open conformation in which the active site was more accessible for the substrate. This structure showed the partial binding of l-arabinonate, which allowed us to suggest that the alkoxide ion form of the Ser480 side chain functions as a base and the [2Fe-2S] cluster functions as a Lewis acid in the elimination reaction.

The Ilv/ED dehydratase protein family includes dihydroxy acid-, gluconate-, 6-phosphogluconate- and pentonate dehydratases. The members of this family are involved in various biosynthetic and carbohydrate metabolic pathways. Here, we describe the first crystal structure of D-xylonate dehydratase from Caulobacter crescentus (CcXyDHT) at 2.7 Å resolution and compare it with other available enzyme structures from the IlvD/EDD protein family. The quaternary structure of CcXyDHT is a tetramer, and each monomer is composed of two domains in which the N-terminal domain forms a binding site for a [2Fe-2S] cluster and a Mg2+ ion. The active site is located at the monomer-monomer interface and contains residues from both the N-terminal recognition helix and the C-terminus of the dimeric counterpart. The active site also contains a conserved Ser490, which probably acts as a base in catalysis. Importantly, the cysteines that participate in the binding and formation of the [2Fe-2S] cluster are not all conserved within the Ilv/ED dehydratase family, which suggests that some members of the IlvD/EDD family may bind different types of [Fe-S] clusters.

SummaryColi surface antigen 6 (CS6) is a widely expressed enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) colonization factor that mediates bacterial attachment to the small intestinal epithelium. CS6 is a polymer of two protein subunits CssA and CssB, which are secreted and assembled on the cell surface via the CssC/CssD chaperone usher (CU) pathway. Here, we present an atomic resolution model for the structure of CS6 based on the results of X-ray crystallographic, spectroscopic and biochemical studies, and suggest a mechanism for CS6-mediated adhesion. We show that the CssA and CssB subunits are assembled alternately in linear fibres by the principle of donor strand complementation. This type of fibre assembly is novel for CU assembled adhesins. We also show that both subunits in the fibre bind to receptors on epithelial cells, and that CssB, but not CssA, specifically recognizes the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin. Taken together, structural and functional results suggest that CS6 is an adhesive organelle of a novel type, a hetero-polyadhesin that is capable of polyvalent attachment to different receptors.

Three pathogenic species of the genus Yersinia assemble adhesive fimbriae via the FGL-chaperone/usher pathway. Closely related Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis elaborate the pH6 antigen (Psa), which mediates bacterial attachment to alveolar cells of the lung. Y. enterocolitica, instead, assembles the homologous fimbriae Myf of unknown function. Here, we discovered that Myf, like Psa, specifically recognizes β1-3- or β1-4-linked galactose in glycosphingolipids, but completely lacks affinity for phosphatidylcholine, the main receptor for Psa in alveolar cells. The crystal structure of a subunit of Psa (PsaA) complexed with choline together with mutagenesis experiments revealed that PsaA has four phosphatidylcholine binding pockets that enable super-high-avidity binding of Psa-fibres to cell membranes. The pockets are arranged as six tyrosine residues, which are all missing in the MyfA subunit of Myf. Conversely, the crystal structure of the MyfA-galactose complex revealed that the galactose-binding site is more extended in MyfA, enabling tighter binding to lactosyl moieties. Our results suggest that during evolution, Psa has acquired a tyrosine-rich surface that enables it to bind to phosphatidylcholine and mediate adhesion of Y. pestis/pseudotuberculosis to alveolar cells, whereas Myf has specialized as a carbohydrate-binding adhesin, facilitating the attachment of Y. enterocolitica to intestinal cells.

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