Structural basis for the acetylation mechanism of the Legionella effector VipF

The pathogen Legionella pneumophila, which is the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, secrets hundreds of effectors into host cells via its Dot/Icm secretion system to subvert host-cell pathways during pathogenesis. VipF, a conserved core effector among Legionella species, is a putative acetyltransferase, but its structure and catalytic mechanism remain unknown. Here, three crystal structures of VipF in complex with its cofactor acetyl-CoA and/or a substrate are reported. The two GNAT-like domains of VipF are connected as two wings by two β-strands to form a U-shape. Both domains bind acetyl-CoA or CoA, but only in the C-terminal domain does the molecule extend to the bottom of the U-shaped groove as required for an active transferase reaction; the molecule in the N-terminal domain folds back on itself. Interestingly, when chloramphenicol, a putative substrate, binds in the pocket of the central U-shaped groove adjacent to the N-terminal domain, VipF remains in an open conformation. Moreover, mutations in the central U-shaped groove, including Glu129 and Asp251, largely impaired the acetyltransferase activity of VipF, suggesting a unique enzymatic mechanism for the Legionella effector VipF.