Structural and biochemical characterization of Clostridium perfringens pili protein B collagen-binding domains

Sortase-mediated pili are flexible rod proteins composed of major and minor/tip pilins, playing important roles in the initial adhesion of bacterial cells to host tissues. The pilus shaft is formed by covalent polymerization of major pilins, and the minor/tip pilin is covalently attached to the tip of the shaft involved in adhesion to the host cell. The Gram-positive bacterium Clostridium perfringens has a major pilin, and a minor/tip pilin (CppB) with the collagen-binding motif. Here, we report X-ray structures of CppB collagen-binding domains, collagen-binding assays and mutagenesis analysis, demonstrating that CppB collagen-binding domains adopt an L-shaped structure in open form, and that a small β-sheet unique to CppB provides a scaffold for a favourable binding site for collagen peptide.