Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 11, 2026
12:22
Biomimetic Materials to Characterize Bacteria-host Interactions
Published on: November 16, 2015
10.0K
A "dock, lock, and latch" structural model for a staphylococcal adhesin binding to fibrinogen
Karthe Ponnuraj1, M Gabriela Bowden, Stacey Davis
1School of Optometry and Center for Biophysical Sciences and Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
Cell
|October 22, 2003
Summary
Staphylococcus epidermidis SdrG adhesin uses a novel "dock, lock, and latch" mechanism to bind human fibrinogen. This binding is crucial for bacterial attachment to biomaterials and may be common in Gram-positive bacteria.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Structural Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Gram-positive bacteria possess cell wall-anchored proteins mediating host interactions.
- Adhesins facilitate bacterial attachment to host tissues, crucial for infection.
- SdrG from Staphylococcus epidermidis binds fibrinogen, enabling attachment to biomaterials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the structural basis of SdrG-fibrinogen interaction.
- To investigate the binding mechanism of the SdrG adhesin.
Main Methods:
- X-ray crystallography to determine the structure of SdrG and its complex with a fibrinogen peptide.
- Mutational studies of both SdrG and the fibrinogen peptide.
Main Results:
- Crystal structures revealed the ligand-binding region of SdrG.
- A dynamic "dock, lock, and latch" mechanism governs SdrG-ligand binding.
- Mutational analyses confirmed the proposed binding mechanism.
Conclusions:
- SdrG employs a unique "dock, lock, and latch" mechanism for fibrinogen binding.
- This mechanism is proposed as a general ligand-binding mode for related Gram-positive bacterial adhesins.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:30Assembly of Signaling Complexes
7.2K
Multiprotein signaling complexes are formed in a dynamic process involving protein-protein interactions at the cytoplasmic domain of transmembrane receptors or enzymatic and non-enzymatic proteins associated with the receptor. These complexes ensure the activation and propagation of intracellular signals that regulate cell functions.
Interaction domains in cell signaling
Interaction domains recognize exposed features of their binding partners containing post-translationally modified sequences,...
Interaction domains in cell signaling
Interaction domains recognize exposed features of their binding partners containing post-translationally modified sequences,...
7.2K
01:25Fibronectins Connect Cells with ECM
3.8K
Fibronectin is an adhesive glycoprotein present in the extracellular matrix of embryogenic and adult tissue. These molecules primarily aid in regulating cell motility and attachment. A fibronectin molecule is composed of two identical polypeptide chains attached to each other by a pair of disulfide bonds at the C-terminal.
Both proteoglycans and collagen are attached to fibronectin proteins, which, in turn, are attached to integrin proteins. These integrin proteins interact with transmembrane...
Both proteoglycans and collagen are attached to fibronectin proteins, which, in turn, are attached to integrin proteins. These integrin proteins interact with transmembrane...
3.8K
01:17Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions
3.8K
Integrins act both as extracellular input receivers and as intracellular processing activators. As their name suggests, integrins are entirely integrated into the membrane structure. Their hydrophobic membrane-spanning regions interact with the phospholipid bilayer's hydrophobic region. These membrane receptors provide extracellular attachment sites for effectors like hormones and growth factors. They activate intracellular response cascades when their effectors are bound and active.
Some...
Some...
3.8K
01:03Anchoring Junctions
5.7K
Anchoring junctions are multiprotein complexes that help cells connect to other cells and the extracellular matrix. Anchoring junctions are present on the lateral and basal surfaces of cells, providing strong and flexible connections. Focal adhesions are often formed due to cell interactions with the ECM substrata, which initiate signal transduction via kinase cascades and other mechanisms. Together, they provide stability and tissue integrity. There are three types of anchoring junctions:...
5.7K
01:24Adherens Junctions
7.8K
Strong contact points between adjacent cells anchor them to each other, forming tissues. Such anchoring junctions are of two types – adherens junctions and desmosomes. Adherens junctions are abundant in tissues such as epithelium and endothelium, forming a continuous zone of adhesion called the adhesion belt. In other tissues, such as heart muscle, they appear as clusters, linking the cells to produce coordinated heart muscle contraction.
Adherens Junctions are Dynamic
Adherens Junctions are Dynamic
7.8K
01:25Selectins
4.8K
Cell adhesion is an essential aspect of multicellularity. While stable cell interactions usually occur between cells of the same type, transient cell interactions occur between cells of different tissue types, such as between neutrophils and endothelial cells. Selectins are one class of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) that bind carbohydrate ligands to form transient cell adhesion. They are rod-like proteins with a long extracellular part of variable length ending with the lectin domain,...
4.8K