Crystal structure of bacteriophage SPP1 distal tail protein (gp19.1): a baseplate hub paradigm in gram-positive infecting phages

J Biol Chem. 2010 Nov 19;285(47):36666-73. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M110.157529. Epub 2010 Sep 15.

Abstract

Siphophage SPP1 infects the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis using its long non-contractile tail and tail-tip. Electron microscopy (EM) previously allowed a low resolution assignment of most orf products belonging to these regions. We report here the structure of the SPP1 distal tail protein (Dit, gp19.1). The combination of x-ray crystallography, EM, and light scattering established that Dit is a back-to-back dimer of hexamers. However, Dit fitting in the virion EM maps was only possible with a hexamer located between the tail-tube and the tail-tip. Structure comparison revealed high similarity between Dit and a central component of lactophage baseplates. Sequence similarity search expanded its relatedness to several phage proteins, suggesting that Dit is a docking platform for the tail adsorption apparatus in Siphoviridae infecting gram-positive bacteria and that its architecture is a paradigm for these hub proteins. Dit structural similarity extends also to non-contractile and contractile phage tail proteins (gpV(N) and XkdM) as well as to components of the bacterial type 6 secretion system, supporting an evolutionary connection between all these devices.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacillus subtilis / virology*
  • Bacteriophages / genetics
  • Bacteriophages / metabolism*
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Protein Conformation
  • Siphoviridae / genetics*
  • Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins
  • Viral Tail Proteins / chemistry*
  • Viral Tail Proteins / genetics
  • Viral Tail Proteins / metabolism
  • Virion / metabolism

Substances

  • Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins
  • Viral Tail Proteins
  • SPP1 pac region protein, Bacteriophage SPP1

Associated data

  • PDB/2X8K