Identification of an additional minor pilin essential for piliation in the archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis.

Methanococcus maripaludis is an archaeon with two studied surface appendages, archaella and type IV-like pili. Previously, the major structural pilin was identified as MMP1685 and three additional proteins were designated as minor pilins (EpdA, EpdB and EpdC). All of the proteins are likely processe...

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Main Authors: Divya B Nair, Daniel K C Chung, James Schneider, Kaoru Uchida, Shin-Ichi Aizawa, Ken F Jarrell
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2013-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/24386316/pdf/?tool=EBI
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author Divya B Nair
Daniel K C Chung
James Schneider
Kaoru Uchida
Shin-Ichi Aizawa
Ken F Jarrell
author_facet Divya B Nair
Daniel K C Chung
James Schneider
Kaoru Uchida
Shin-Ichi Aizawa
Ken F Jarrell
author_sort Divya B Nair
collection DOAJ
description Methanococcus maripaludis is an archaeon with two studied surface appendages, archaella and type IV-like pili. Previously, the major structural pilin was identified as MMP1685 and three additional proteins were designated as minor pilins (EpdA, EpdB and EpdC). All of the proteins are likely processed by the pilin-specific prepilin peptidase EppA. Six other genes were identified earlier as likely encoding pilin proteins processed also by EppA. In this study, each of the six genes (mmp0528, mmp0600, mmp0601, mmp0709, mmp0903 and mmp1283) was deleted and the mutants examined by electron microscopy to determine their essentiality for pili formation. While mRNA transcripts of all genes were detected by RT-PCR, only the deletion of mmp1283 led to nonpiliated cells. This strain could be complemented back to a piliated state by supplying a wildtype copy of the mmp1283 gene in trans. This study adds to the complexity of the type IV pili system in M. maripaludis and raises questions about the functions of the remaining five pilin-like genes and whether M. maripaludis under other growth conditions may be able to assemble additional pili-like structures.
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spelling doaj.art-83ff7e32f8e44163a5b8753626620bc12022-12-21T23:10:14ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032013-01-01812e8396110.1371/journal.pone.0083961Identification of an additional minor pilin essential for piliation in the archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis.Divya B NairDaniel K C ChungJames SchneiderKaoru UchidaShin-Ichi AizawaKen F JarrellMethanococcus maripaludis is an archaeon with two studied surface appendages, archaella and type IV-like pili. Previously, the major structural pilin was identified as MMP1685 and three additional proteins were designated as minor pilins (EpdA, EpdB and EpdC). All of the proteins are likely processed by the pilin-specific prepilin peptidase EppA. Six other genes were identified earlier as likely encoding pilin proteins processed also by EppA. In this study, each of the six genes (mmp0528, mmp0600, mmp0601, mmp0709, mmp0903 and mmp1283) was deleted and the mutants examined by electron microscopy to determine their essentiality for pili formation. While mRNA transcripts of all genes were detected by RT-PCR, only the deletion of mmp1283 led to nonpiliated cells. This strain could be complemented back to a piliated state by supplying a wildtype copy of the mmp1283 gene in trans. This study adds to the complexity of the type IV pili system in M. maripaludis and raises questions about the functions of the remaining five pilin-like genes and whether M. maripaludis under other growth conditions may be able to assemble additional pili-like structures.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/24386316/pdf/?tool=EBI
spellingShingle Divya B Nair
Daniel K C Chung
James Schneider
Kaoru Uchida
Shin-Ichi Aizawa
Ken F Jarrell
Identification of an additional minor pilin essential for piliation in the archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis.
PLoS ONE
title Identification of an additional minor pilin essential for piliation in the archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis.
title_full Identification of an additional minor pilin essential for piliation in the archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis.
title_fullStr Identification of an additional minor pilin essential for piliation in the archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis.
title_full_unstemmed Identification of an additional minor pilin essential for piliation in the archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis.
title_short Identification of an additional minor pilin essential for piliation in the archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis.
title_sort identification of an additional minor pilin essential for piliation in the archaeon methanococcus maripaludis
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/24386316/pdf/?tool=EBI
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