Type IV Pilus Alignment Subcomplex Proteins PilN and PilO Form Homo- and Heterodimers in Vivo

Abstract

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections and is resistant to many antibiotics. Type IV pili (T4P) are among the key virulence factors used by P. aeruginosa for host cell attachment, biofilm formation, and twitching motility, making this system a promising target for novel therapeutics. Point mutations in the conserved PilMNOP alignment subcomplex were previously shown to have distinct effects on assembly and disassembly of T4P, suggesting that it may function in a dynamic manner. We introduced mutations encoding Cys substitutions into pilN and/or pilO on the chromosome to maintain normal stoichiometry and expression levels and captured covalent PilNO heterodimers, as well as PilN and PilO homodimers, in vivo. Most covalent PilN or PilO homodimers had minimal functional impact in P. aeruginosa, suggesting that homodimers are a physiologically relevant state. However, certain covalent homo-or heterodimers eliminated twitching motility, suggesting that specific PilNO configurations are essential for T4P function. These data were verified using soluble N-terminal truncated fragments of PilN and PilO Cys mutants, which purified as a mixture of homo-and heterodimers at volumes consistent with a tetramer. Deletion of genes encoding alignment subcomplex components, PilM or PilP, but not other T4P components, including the motor ATPases PilB or PilT, blocked in vivo formation of disulfide-bonded PilNO heterodimers, suggesting that both PilM and PilP influence the heterodimer interface. Combined, our data suggest that T4P function depends on rearrangements at PilN and PilO interfaces.Many bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, use type IV pili (T4P) 3 for surface attachment/adhesion, biofilm formation, and twitching motility (1-6). T4P are divided into T4aP and T4bP subgroups, based on differences in pilin size and organization of the assembly machinery (6, 7). Here we focus on T4aP, henceforth referred to as T4P. T4P are long, thin, fibrous appendages, which extend from the bacteria, attach to a surface, and are retracted back into the cell, winching the cell forward. This flagellum-independent form of locomotion is called twitching motility. Four subcomplexes make up a T4P machine in P. aeruginosa as follows: the outer membrane (OM) secretin (PilQ) and its pilotin (PilF) (8 -12); the inner membrane (IM) platform protein (PilC) and cytoplasmic motor proteins (ATPases PilBTU) (13,14); the helical pilus fiber, composed mainly of the major pilin subunit (PilA) plus minor pilins (PilVWXE and FimU) and adhesin PilY1 (5, 15, 16); and the alignment subcomplex proteins (PilMNOP) that span from the cytoplasm to the OM secretin (17-20). PilN and PilO are bitopic IM proteins with similar predicted secondary structures. These proteins are essential for T4P function and connect the cytoplasmic alignment subcomplex component, PilM, with the IM-associated lipoprotein PilP that interacts with the N0 domain of the secretin monomer PilQ (19,21). Proposed functions of the PilMNOP subcomplex include ali...

Direct interactions between the secreted effector and the T2SS components GspL and GspM reveal a new effector-sensing step during type 2 secretion

“…This includes signal transduction across the IM between the periplasmic and cytoplasmic sides of the secreton (4,28). Such transmembrane dynamic signaling has also been reported in the archetypal Tff member, the type IV pilus (29). Type 2 secretion is a two-step process during which effectors are first exported across the IM by the Sec or Tat systems (30,31).…”

The role of intrinsic disorder and dynamics in the assembly and function of the type II secretion system

“…This mechanism was proposed to signal between the cytoplasmic and periplasmic portions of the T2SS machinery. Recent structure-based mutagenesis and cross-linking analysis in the related T4PS has provided a similar picture [99]. PilN and PilO (equivalent to periplasmic GspL and M) form both homo-and heterodimers in vivo via equivalent interfaces and their dynamic rearrangement is necessary for T4PS function [99].…”

The traffic ATPase PilF interacts with the inner membrane platform of the DNA translocator and type IV pili from Thermus thermophilus

“…The conserved PilM, PilN, and PilO proteins of different T4P systems have been shown to interact with each other [21, [36][37][38][39][40][41][42]. Moreover, PilM of the T4P systems of M. xanthus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Neisseria meningitidis were found to interact with the traffic ATPase PilB/PilF [33,42,43].…”