The breadth and molecular basis of Hcp-driven type six secretion system (T6SS) effector delivery
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Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a bacterial nanoscale weapon that delivers toxins into prey ranging from bacteria and fungi to animal hosts. The cytosolic contractile sheath of the system wraps around stacked hexameric rings of Hcp proteins, which form an inner tube. At the tip of this tube is a puncturing device comprising a trimeric VgrG topped by a monomeric PAAR protein. The number of toxins a single system delivers per firing event remains unknown, since effectors can be loaded on diverse sites of the T6SS apparatus, notably the inner tube and the puncturing device. Each VgrG or PAAR can bind one effector, and additional effector cargoes can be carried in the Hcp ring lumen. While many VgrG- and PAAR-bound toxins have been characterized, to date, very few Hcp-bound effectors are known. Here, we used 3 known Pseudomonas aeruginosa Hcp proteins (Hcp1 to -3), each of which associates with one of the three T6SSs in this organism (H1-T6SS, H2-T6SS, and H3-T6SS), to perform in vivo pulldown assays. We confirmed the known interactions of Hcp1 with Tse1 to -4, further copurified a Hcp1-Tse4 complex, and identified potential novel Hcp1-bound effectors. Moreover, we demonstrated that Hcp2 and Hcp3 can shuttle T6SS cargoes toxic to Escherichia coli. Finally, we used a Tse1-Bla chimera to probe the loading strategy for Hcp passengers and found that while large effectors can be loaded onto Hcp, the formed complex jams the system, abrogating T6SS function.
Date Issued
2021-06-01
Date Acceptance
2021-05-04
Citation
mBio, 2021, 12 (3), pp.1-19
ISSN
2150-7511
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology
Start Page
1
End Page
19
Journal / Book Title
mBio
Volume
12
Issue
3
Copyright Statement
© 2021 Howard et al.
This content is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
This content is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
License URL
Sponsor
Commission of the European Communities
Medical Research Council (MRC)
Identifier
https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/mBio.00262-21
Grant Number
328261
MR/S02316X/1
Subjects
0605 Microbiology
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2021-06-01