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Related Experiment Videos

A bacterial conjugation machinery recruited for pathogenesis.

Anja Seubert1, Rosemarie Hiestand, Fernando de la Cruz

  • 1Division of Molecular Microbiology, Biozentrum of the University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland.

Molecular Microbiology
|August 28, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Type IV secretion systems (T4SS) in Bartonella tribocorum are highly similar to DNA transfer systems, revealing their dual role in bacterial pathogenesis and conjugation. This finding highlights rapid evolution in bacterial virulence and DNA transfer mechanisms.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Bacterial Pathogenesis
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Type IV secretion systems (T4SS) are versatile bacterial transporters with roles in DNA transfer and effector protein delivery.
  • Sequence conservation among T4SS is typically modest, reflecting functional divergence and evolutionary distance.
  • Bartonella tribocorum causes intraerythrocytic parasitism, necessitating a functional secretion system.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the nature and conservation of the T4SS in Bartonella tribocorum.
  • To compare the B. tribocorum T4SS with known conjugation systems, specifically the Trw system of plasmid R388.
  • To explore the functional and regulatory conservation between these T4SS.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative sequence analysis of T4SS components between B. tribocorum and plasmid R388.

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  • Functional complementation assays to test the interchangeability of T4SS components.
  • Analysis of transcriptional regulatory circuits, including repressor systems.

    • Main Results:

    • The B. tribocorum T4SS exhibits unprecedented sequence identity (up to 80%) with the R388 Trw conjugation machinery.
    • Gene duplications in B. tribocorum T4SS loci primarily encode variant pilus subunits.
    • Functional complementation demonstrated interchangeability of key T4SS components (TrwD, TrwH) between the two systems.
    • A highly homologous and interchangeable KorA/KorB repressor system regulates T4SS expression in both systems.

    Conclusions:

    • B. tribocorum T4SS represents a highly conserved system with strong links to bacterial conjugation machinery.
    • T4SS can rapidly evolve specialized functions in pathogenesis or DNA transfer.
    • Conjugation systems of broad-host-range plasmids may play a role in the evolution of bacterial pathogens.