Structure of the minor pseudopilin XcpW from the Pseudomonas aeruginosa type II secretion system

Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. 2011 Feb;67(Pt 2):124-30. doi: 10.1107/S0907444910051954. Epub 2011 Jan 15.

Abstract

Pseudomonas aeruginosa utilizes the type II secretion machinery to transport virulence factors through the outer membrane into the extracellular space. Five proteins in the type II secretion system share sequence homology with pilin subunits of type IV pili and are called the pseudopilins. The major pseudopilin XcpT(G) assembles into an intraperiplasmic pilus and is thought to act in a piston-like manner to push substrates through an outer membrane secretin. The other four minor pseudopilins, XcpU(H), XcpV(I), XcpW(J) and XcpX(K), play less well defined roles in pseudopilus formation. It was recently discovered that these four minor pseudopilins form a quaternary complex that is presumed to initiate the formation of the pseudopilus and to localize to its tip. Here, the structure of XcpW(J) was refined to 1.85 Å resolution. The structure revealed the type IVa pilin fold with an embellished variable antiparallel β-sheet as also found in the XcpW(J) homologue enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli GspJ(W) and the XcpU(H) homologue Vibrio cholerae EpsU(H). It is proposed that the exposed surface of this sheet may cradle the long N-terminal α1 helix of another pseudopilin. The final 31 amino acids of the XcpW(J) structure are instrinsically disordered. Deletion of this unstructured region of XcpW(J) did not prevent type II secretion in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry*
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Membrane Proteins / chemistry*
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / chemistry*
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • XcpW protein, Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Associated data

  • PDB/3NJE