Conjugative DNA metabolism in Gram-negative bacteria

Cruz, Fernando de la; Frost, Laura S.; Meyer, Richard J.; Zechner, Ellen L.

doi:10.1111/j.1574-6976.2009.00195.x

Cited by 311 publications

(266 citation statements)

References 178 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

254

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Notably, the island carries conserved sequence and structural homology to the virB2-virB11 and virD4 loci, named for the prototypical T-DNA transfer system of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which are typically required for bacterial type IV secretion (15). Secretion systems of this type are complex machineries evolutionarily related to bacterial conjugation systems (20,90). Many operate in pathogenic bacteria, such as A. tumefaciens, Helicobacter pylori, Bartonella spp., Brucella spp., Bordetella pertussis, and Legionella pneumophila, to translocate effector molecules across the Gram-negative envelope and into bacterial, plant, or mammalian cells (15,17).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Genomic Island Defines Subspecies-Specific Virulence Features of the Host-Adapted Pathogen Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis

et al. 2010

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The pathogen Campylobacter fetus comprises two subspecies, C. fetus subsp. fetus and C. fetus subsp. venerealis. Although these taxa are highly related on the genome level, they are adapted to distinct hosts and tissues. C. fetus subsp. fetus infects a diversity of hosts, including humans, and colonizes the gastrointestinal tract. In contrast, C. fetus subsp. venerealis is largely restricted to the bovine genital tract, causing epidemic abortion in these animals. In light of their close genetic relatedness, the specific niche preferences make the C. fetus subspecies an ideal model system to investigate the molecular basis of host adaptation. In this study, a subtractive-hybridization approach was applied to the genomes of the subspecies to identify different genes potentially underlying this specificity. The comparison revealed a genomic island uniquely present in C. fetus subsp. venerealis that harbors several genes indicative of horizontal transfer and that encodes the core components necessary for bacterial type IV secretion. Macromolecular transporters of this type deliver effector molecules to host cells, thereby contributing to virulence in various pathogens. Mutational inactivation of the putative secretion system confirmed its involvement in the pathogenicity of C. fetus subsp. venerealis.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Genomic Island Defines Subspecies-Specific Virulence Features of the Host-Adapted Pathogen Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis

et al. 2010

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Depending on the type of transported substrates, they can be divided into three groups (Alvarez‐Martinez & Christie, 2009). The first group of T4S systems are called conjugative T4S systems and members of this group transfer DNA from a donor to a recipient cell (de la Cruz et al , 2010). This process contributes to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes among different bacterial species and is also instrumental in bacterial adaptation to environmental changes (Thomas & Nielsen, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structure of a VirD4 coupling protein bound to a VirB type IV secretion machinery

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Type IV secretion (T4S) systems are versatile bacterial secretion systems mediating transport of protein and/or DNA. T4S systems are generally composed of 11 VirB proteins and 1 VirD protein (VirD4). The VirB1‐11 proteins assemble to form a secretion machinery and a pilus while the VirD4 protein is responsible for substrate recruitment. The structure of VirD4 in isolation is known; however, its structure bound to the VirB1‐11 apparatus has not been determined. Here, we purify a T4S system with VirD4 bound, define the biochemical requirements for complex formation and describe the protein–protein interaction network in which VirD4 is involved. We also solve the structure of this complex by negative stain electron microscopy, demonstrating that two copies of VirD4 dimers locate on both sides of the apparatus, in between the VirB4 ATPases. Given the central role of VirD4 in type IV secretion, our study provides mechanistic insights on a process that mediates the dangerous spread of antibiotic resistance genes among bacterial populations.

show abstract

“…Relaxases are involved in DNA processing for bacterial conjugation,12 the horizontal transfer of genomic material among bacteria. They are single‐strand (ss) DNA cleaving endonucleases, which naturally remain covalently bound to DNA after cleavage.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Orthogonal Protein Assembly on DNA Nanostructures Using Relaxases

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

DNA‐binding proteins are promising reagents for the sequence‐specific modification of DNA‐based nanostructures. Here, we investigate the utility of a series of relaxase proteins—TrwC, TraI, and MobA—for nanofunctionalization. Relaxases are involved in the conjugative transfer of plasmids between bacteria, and bind to their DNA target sites via a covalent phosphotyrosine linkage. We study the binding of the relaxases to two standard DNA origami structures—rodlike six‐helix bundles and flat rectangular origami sheets. We find highly orthogonal binding of the proteins with binding yields of 40–50 % per binding site, which is comparable to other functionalization methods. The yields differ for the two origami structures and also depend on the position of the binding sites. Due to their specificity for a single‐stranded DNA target, their orthogonality, and their binding properties, relaxases are a uniquely useful addition to the toolbox available for the modification of DNA nanostructures with proteins.

show abstract

Conjugative DNA metabolism in Gram-negative bacteria

Cited by 311 publications

References 178 publications

A Genomic Island Defines Subspecies-Specific Virulence Features of the Host-Adapted Pathogen Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis

A Genomic Island Defines Subspecies-Specific Virulence Features of the Host-Adapted Pathogen Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis

Structure of a VirD4 coupling protein bound to a VirB type IV secretion machinery

Orthogonal Protein Assembly on DNA Nanostructures Using Relaxases

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About