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Crystal structure of Yersinia enterocolitica type III secretion chaperone SycT.

ABSTRACT: Pathogenic Yersinia species use a type III secretion (TTS) system to deliver a number of cytotoxic effector proteins directly into the mammalian host cell. To ensure effective translocation, several such effector proteins transiently bind to specific chaperones in the bacterial cytoplasm. Correspondingly, SycT is the chaperone of YopT, a cysteine protease that cleaves the membrane-anchor of Rho-GTPases in the host. We have analyzed the complex between YopT and SycT and determined the structure of SycT in three crystal forms. Biochemical studies indicate a stoichometric effector/chaperone ratio of 1:2 and the chaperone-binding site contains at least residues 52-103 of YopT. The crystal structures reveal a SycT homodimer with an overall fold similar to that of other TTS effector chaperones. In contrast to the canonical five-stranded anti-parallel beta-sheet flanked by three alpha-helices, SycT lacks the dimerization alpha-helix and has an additional beta-strand capable of undergoing a conformational change. The dimer interface consists of two beta-strands and the connecting loops. Two hydrophobic patches involved in effector binding in other TTS effector chaperones are also found in SycT. The structural similarity of SycT to other chaperones and the spatial conservation of effector-binding sites support the idea that TTS effector chaperones form a single functional and structural group.

SUBMITTER: Buttner CR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2279310 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Crystal structure of Yersinia enterocolitica type III secretion chaperone SycT.

Büttner Carina R CR Cornelis Guy R GR Heinz Dirk W DW Niemann Hartmut H HH

Protein science : a publication of the Protein Society 20050801 8

Pathogenic Yersinia species use a type III secretion (TTS) system to deliver a number of cytotoxic effector proteins directly into the mammalian host cell. To ensure effective translocation, several such effector proteins transiently bind to specific chaperones in the bacterial cytoplasm. Correspondingly, SycT is the chaperone of YopT, a cysteine protease that cleaves the membrane-anchor of Rho-GTPases in the host. We have analyzed the complex between YopT and SycT and determined the structure o ...[more]

PMID: 16046625

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Project description:BackgroundType III secretion systems are used by Gram-negative bacteria as "macromolecular syringes" to inject effector proteins into eukaryotic cells. Two hydrophobic proteins called translocators form the necessary pore in the host cell membrane. Both translocators depend on binding to a single chaperone in the bacterial cytoplasm to ensure their stability and efficient transport through the secretion needle. It was suggested that the conserved chaperones bind the more divergent translocators via a hexapeptide motif that is found in both translocators and conserved between species.ResultsWe crystallized a synthetic decapeptide from the Yersinia enterocolitica minor type III secretion translocator YopD bound to its cognate chaperone SycD and determined the complex structure at 2.5 Å resolution. The structure of peptide-bound SycD is almost identical to that of apo SycD with an all helical fold consisting of three tetratricopeptide repeats (TPRs) and an additional C-terminal helix. Peptide-bound SycD formed a kinked head-to-head dimer that had previously been observed for the apo form of SycD. The homodimer interface comprises both helices of the first tetratricopeptide repeat. The YopD peptide bound in extended conformation into a mainly hydrophobic groove on the concave side of SycD. TPRs 1 and 2 of SycD form three hydrophobic pockets that accommodated the conserved hydrophobic residues at position 1, 3 and 6 of the translocator hexapeptide sequence. Two tyrosines that are highly conserved among translocator chaperones contribute to the hydrophobic patches but also form hydrogen bonds to the peptide backbone.ConclusionsThe interaction between SycD and YopD is very similar to the binding of the Pseudomonas minor translocator PopD to its chaperone PcrH and the Shigella major translocator IpaB to its chaperone IpgC. This confirms the prediction made by Kolbe and co-workers that a hexapeptide with hydrophobic residues at three positions is a conserved chaperone binding motif. Because the hydrophobic groove on the concave side of translocator chaperones is involved in binding of the major and the minor translocator, simultaneous binding of both translocators to a single type III secretion class II chaperone appears unlikely.

Project description:Pathogenic Yersinia spp. secrete Yop proteins via the type III pathway. yopQ codons 1 to 15 were identified as a signal necessary and sufficient for the secretion of a fused reporter protein. Frameshift mutations that alter codons 2 to 15 with little alteration of yopQ mRNA sequence do not abolish type III transport, suggesting a model in which yopQ mRNA may provide a signal for secretion (D. M. Anderson and O. Schneewind, Mol. Microbiol. 31:1139-1148, 2001). In a recent study, the yopE signal was truncated to codons 1 to 12. All frameshift mutations introduced within the first 12 codons of yopE abolished secretion. Also, multiple synonymous mutations that changed the mRNA sequence of yopE codons 1 to 12 without altering the amino acid sequence did not affect secretion. These results favor a model whereby an N-terminal signal peptide initiates YopE into the type III pathway (S. A. Lloyd et al., Mol. Microbiol. 39:520-531, 2001). It is reported here that codons 1 to 10 of yopQ act as a minimal secretion signal. Further truncation of yopQ, either at codon 10 or at codon 2, abolished secretion. Replacement of yopQ AUG with either of two other start codons, UUG or GUG, did not affect secretion. However, replacement of AUG with CUG or AAA and initiating translation at the fusion site with npt did not permit Npt secretion, suggesting that the translation of yopQ codons 1 to 15 is a prerequisite for secretion. Frameshift mutations of yopQ codons 1 to 10, 1 to 11, and 1 to 12 abolished secretion signaling, whereas frameshift mutations of yopQ codons 1 to 13, 1 to 14, and 1 to 15 did not. Codon changes at yopQ positions 2 and 10 affected secretion signaling when placed within the first 10 codons but had no effect when positioned in the larger fusion of yopQ codons 1 to 15. An mRNA mutant of yopQ codons 1 to 10, generated by a combination of nine synonymous mutations, was defective in secretion signaling, suggesting that the YopQ secretion signal is not proteinaceous. A model is discussed whereby the initiation of YopQ polypeptide into the type III pathway is controlled by properties of yopQ mRNA.

Project description:During infection, Yersinia enterocolitica exports Yop proteins via a type III secretion pathway. Secretion is activated when the environmental concentration of calcium ions is below 100 microM (low-calcium response). Yersiniae lacking yopN (lcrE), yscB, sycN, or tyeA do not inactivate the type III pathway even when the concentration of calcium is above 100 microM (calcium-blind phenotype). Purified YscB and SycN proteins form cytoplasmic complexes that bind a region including amino acids 16 to 100 of YopN, whereas TyeA binds YopN residues 101 to 294. Translational fusion of yopN gene sequences to the 5' end of the npt reporter generates hybrid proteins that are transported by the type III pathway. The signal necessary and sufficient for the type III secretion of hybrid proteins is located within the first 15 codons of yopN. Expression of plasmid-borne yopN, but not of yopN(1-294)-npt, complements the calcium-blind phenotype of yopN mutants. Surprisingly, yopN mutants respond to environmental changes in calcium concentration and secrete YopN(1-294)-Npt in the absence but not in the presence of calcium. tyeA is required for the low-calcium regulation of YopN(1-294)-Npt secretion, whereas sycN and yscB mutants fail to secrete YopN(1-294)-Npt in the presence of calcium. Experiments with yopN-npt fusions identified two other signals that regulate the secretion of YopN. yopN codons 16 to 100 prevent the entry of YopN into the type III pathway, a negative regulatory effect that is overcome by expression of yscB and sycN. The portion of YopN encoded by codons 101 to 294 prevents transport of the polypeptide across the bacterial double membrane envelope in the presence of functional tyeA. These data support a model whereby YopN transport may serve as a regulatory mechanism for the activity of the type III pathway. YscB/SycN binding facilitates the initiation of YopN into the type III pathway, whereas TyeA binding prevents transport of the polypeptide across the bacterial envelope. Changes in the environmental calcium concentration relieve the TyeA-mediated regulation, triggering YopN transport and activating the type III pathway.

Project description:UnlabelledSecretins are multimeric outer membrane pore-forming proteins found in complex export systems in Gram-negative bacteria. All type III secretion systems (T3SSs) have a secretin, and one of these is the YsaC secretin of the chromosomally encoded Ysa T3SS of Yersinia enterocolitica. In some cases, pilotin proteins, which are outer membrane lipoproteins, are required for their cognate secretins to multimerize and/or localize to the outer membrane. However, if secretin multimers mislocalize to the inner membrane, this can trigger the protective phage shock protein (Psp) stress response. During a screen for mutations that suppress YsaC toxicity to a psp null strain, we isolated several independent mutations predicted to increase expression of the YE3559 gene within the Ysa pathogenicity island. YE3559, which we have named ysaP, is predicted to encode a small outer membrane lipoprotein, and this location was confirmed by membrane fractionation. Elevated ysaP expression increased the steady-state level of YsaC but made it less toxic to a psp null strain, and it also decreased YsaC-dependent induction of psp gene expression. Subsequent experiments showed that YsaP was not required for YsaC multimerization but was required for the multimers to localize to the outer membrane. Consistent with this, a ysaP null mutation compromised protein export by the Ysa T3SS. All these observations suggest that YsaP is the pilotin for the YsaC secretin. This is only the second pilotin to be characterized for Yersinia and one of only a small number of pilotins described for all bacteria.ImportanceSecretins are essential for the virulence of many bacterial pathogens and also play roles in surface attachment, motility, and competence. This has generated considerable interest in understanding how secretins function. However, their fundamental differences from typical outer membrane proteins have raised various questions about secretins, including how they are assembled into outer membrane multimers. Pilotin proteins facilitate the assembly of some secretins, but only a small number of pilotins have been identified, slowing efforts to understand common and distinct features of secretin assembly. This study provides an important advance by identifying a novel member of the pilotin family and also demonstrating a method of pilotin discovery that could be broadly applied.

Dataset Information

Crystal structure of Yersinia enterocolitica type III secretion chaperone SycT.

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Crystal structure of Yersinia enterocolitica type III secretion chaperone SycT.

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