Solving the puzzle: connecting a heterologous Agrobacterium tumefaciens T6SS effector to a Pseudomonas aeruginosa spike complex
File(s)fcimb-10-00291.pdf (2.94 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Sarah Wettstadt, Sarah
Lai, Erh-Min
Filloux, Alain AM
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a contractile injection apparatus that translocates a spike loaded with various effectors directly into eukaryotic and prokaryotic target cells. Such T6SS spike consists of a needle-shaped trimer of VgrG proteins topped by a conical and sharp PAAR protein that facilitates puncturing of the target membrane. T6SS-delivered effector proteins can be either fused to one of the two spike proteins or interact with either in a highly specific manner. In Agrobacterium tumefaciens the T6SS effector Tde1 is targeted to its cognate VgrG1 protein. Here, we attempted to use a VgrG shuttle to deliver a heterologous T6SS effector by directing Tde1 onto a T6SS spike in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. For this, we designed chimeras between VgrG1 from A. tumefaciens and VgrG1a from P. aeruginosa and showed that modification of the spike protein hampered T6SS functionality in the presence of the Tde1 effector complex. We provide evidence suggesting that Tde1 specifically binds to the VgrG spike in the heterologous environment and propose that there are additional requirements to allow proper effector delivery and translocation. Our work sheds light on complex aspects of the molecular mechanisms of T6SS delivery and highlights some limitations on how effectors can be translocated using this nanomachine.
Date Issued
2020-06-23
Date Acceptance
2020-05-17
Citation
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 2020, 10
ISSN
2235-2988
Publisher
Frontiers Media
Journal / Book Title
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
Volume
10
Copyright Statement
© 2020 Wettstadt, Lai and Filloux. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Subjects
0601 Biochemistry and Cell Biology
0605 Microbiology
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN 291
Date Publish Online
2020-05-18