Biomedical subjects

Isabel Sorg

Publications and source records attributed to Isabel Sorg.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

The discovery of SycO highlights a new function for type III secretion effector chaperones.

Bacterial injectisomes deliver effector proteins straight into the cytosol of eukaryotic cells (type III secretion, T3S). Many effectors are associated with a specific chaperone that remains inside the bacterium when the effector is delivered. The structure of such chaperones and the way they interact with their substrate is well characterized but their main function remains elusive. Here, we describe and characterize SycO, a new chaperone for the Yersinia effector kinase YopO. The chaperone-binding domain (CBD) within YopO coincides with the membrane localization domain (MLD) targeting YopO to the host cell membrane. The CBD/MLD causes intrabacterial YopO insolubility and the binding of SycO prevents this insolubility but not folding and activity of the kinase. Similarly, SycE masks the MLD of YopE and SycT covers an aggregation-prone domain of YopT, presumably corresponding to its MLD. Thus, SycO, SycE and most likely SycT mask, inside the bacterium, a domain needed for proper localization of their cognate effector in the host cell. We propose that covering an MLD might be an essential function of T3S effector chaperones.

Bacterial Proteins↗

PubMed2006

Length control of extended protein structures in bacteria and bacteriophages.

The length of the tail of bacteriophages is controlled by a protein which acts as a molecular ruler. The needle of the injectisome, which is assembled by the polymerization of subunits that are exported through the nascent injectisome, is functionally related to the tail of bacteriophages. Interestingly, its length is controlled by a protein, which is itself exported and acts as a molecular ruler that is coupled to a substrate specificity switch. The bacterial flagellum is evolutionarily related to the injectisome. The length of the hook is also controlled by a secreted protein. This protein acts as a substrate specificity switch and, possibly, also as a ruler.

Bacteria↗

PubMed2005

The V-antigen of Yersinia forms a distinct structure at the tip of injectisome needles.

Many pathogenic bacteria use injectisomes to deliver effector proteins into host cells through type III secretion. Injectisomes consist of a basal body embedded in the bacterial membranes and a needle. In Yersinia, translocation of effectors requires the YopB and YopD proteins, which form a pore in the target cell membrane, and the LcrV protein, which assists the assembly of the pore. Here we report that LcrV forms a distinct structure at the tip of the needle, the tip complex. This unique localization of LcrV may explain its crucial role in the translocation process and its efficacy as the main protective antigen against plague.

Antigens, Bacterial↗

PubMed2005

Type III secretion: the bacteria-eukaryotic cell express.

Type III secretion (T3S) is an export pathway used by Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria to inject bacterial proteins into the cytosol of eukaryotic host cells. This pathway is characterized by (i) a secretion nanomachine related to the bacterial flagellum, but usually topped by a stiff needle-like structure; (ii) the assembly in the eukaryotic cell membrane of a translocation pore formed by T3S substrates; (iii) a non-cleavable N-terminal secretion signal; (iv) T3S chaperones, assisting the secretion of some substrates; (v) a control mechanism ensuring protein delivery at the right place and time. Here, we review these different aspects focusing in open questions that promise exciting findings in the near future.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Bacterial injectisomes: needle length does matter.

Many pathogenic bacteria use a type III secretion nanomachine (an injectisome) to deliver virulence proteins into the cytosol of their eukaryotic host cells. Most injectisomes possess a stiff needlelike structure of a genetically defined length. We found that a minimal needle length was required for efficient functioning of the Yersinia enterocolitica injectisome. This minimal needle length correlated with the length of the major adhesin at the bacterial surface. The needle may be required for triggering type III secretion, and its length may have evolved to match specific structures at the bacterial and host cell surfaces.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗

PubMed2005

Characterization of a Type III secretion substrate specificity switch (T3S4) domain in YscP from Yersinia enterocolitica.

The length of the needle ending the Yersinia Ysc injectisome is determined by YscP, a protein acting as a molecular ruler. In addition, YscP is required for Yop secretion. In the present paper, by a systematic deletion analysis, we localized accurately the region required for Yop secretion between residues 405 and 500. As this C-terminal region of YscP has also been shown to control needle length it probably represents the substrate specificity switch of the machinery. By a bioinformatics analysis, we show that this region has a globular structure, an original alpha/beta fold, a P-x-L-G signature and presumably no catalytic activity. In spite of very limited sequence similarities, this structure is conserved among the proteins that are presumed to control the needle length in many different injectisomes and also among members of the FliK family, which control the flagellar hook length. This region thus represents a new protein domain that we called T3S4 for Type III secretion substrate specificity switch. The T3S4 domain of YscP can be replaced by the T3S4 domain of AscP (Aeromonas salmonicida) or PscP (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) but not by the one from FliK, indicating that in spite of a common global structure, these domains need to fit their partner proteins in the secretion apparatus.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2005

Secretion of YscP from Yersinia enterocolitica is essential to control the length of the injectisome needle but not to change the type III secretion substrate specificity.

The length of the needle of the Yersinia Ysc injectisome is determined by a protein called YscP. This protein, which acts both as a molecular ruler and as a substrate-specificity switch for type III secretion is itself secreted by the injectisome. In this report, we address the question why YscP is secreted. By a systematic deletion analysis and by fusing different parts of the molecule to the adenylate cyclase reporter, we identified two independent secretion signals. One of them is encompassed within the 35 N-terminal residues while the second one spans residues 97-137. These two signals are functionally different from Yop secretion signals. When both secretion signals were removed, Yops could still be secreted but the needle length control was lost. YscP possessing only one signal did not control needle length properly but the control was improved when more YscP was produced and secreted. YscP deprived of both signals could not control length, even when overproduced. We conclude from this that YscP needs to be secreted to exert its length control function but not its substrate-specificity switch function.

Bacterial Proteins↗

PubMed2003

The C terminus of YopT is crucial for activity and the N terminus is crucial for substrate binding.

Recently, it was shown that Yersinia outer protein T (YopT) belongs to a new family of cysteine proteases containing invariant C, H, and D residues that are crucial for its activity. YopT cleaves RhoA, Rac, and Cdc42 at their C termini, thereby releasing them from the membrane. Moreover, YopT inhibits the Rho-rhotekin and Rho-guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor interactions. To characterize the active domain of YopT, we constructed N- and C-terminal truncations and expressed them as glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins in Escherichia coli. The toxin fragments were tested for stability by trypsin digestion. The activity of the proteins was studied by membrane release assay, rhotekin pulldown experiments, and microinjection. Whereas deletion of the first 74 N-terminal amino acids did not influence the activity of YopT, deletion of 8 amino acids from the C terminus led to complete loss of activity. N-terminal deletion of 100 amino acids led to an inactive protein, although it still contained the amino acids C139, H258, and D274, which are essential for catalysis. Loss of activity of the N-terminal deletions corresponded to the block of interaction with RhoA, indicating that residues 75 to 100 of YopT are essential for binding to the GTPase. By contrast, when up to 15 amino acids of the C terminus were deleted, the protein had no activity but was still able to interact with RhoA, suggesting a role for the C terminus in the enzyme activity of YopT.

Animals↗