The 33 carboxyl-terminal residues of Spa40 orchestrate the multi-step assembly process of the type III secretion needle complex in Shigella flexneri

On the role of the sorting platform in hierarchical type III secretion regulation in enteropathogenic Escherichia coli

The virulence of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) depends on a type III secretion system (T3SS), a membrane-spanning apparatus that injects effector proteins into the cytoplasm of target enterocytes. The T3SS, or injectisome, is a self-assembled nanomachine whose biogenesis and function rely on the ordered secretion of three distinct categories of proteins: early, middle, and late type III substrates. In EPEC, this hierarchical secretion is assisted by several cytosolic protein complexes at the base of the injectisome. Among these, the sorting platform is involved in the recognition and sequential loading of the different classes of T3-substrates. In addition, a heterotrimeric gatekeeper complex, also known as a molecular switch, operates in concert with components of the T3SS export apparatus to guarantee the delivery of middle substrates prior to late substrate secretion. In this study, we showed that the sorting platform is differentially required for the secretion of distinct categories of substrates. Moreover, we demonstrated a cooperative interplay and protein-protein interactions between the sorting platform and the gatekeeper complex for proper middle and late substrate docking and secretion. Overall, our results provide new insights into the intricate molecular mechanisms that regulate protein secretion hierarchy during T3SS assembly.IMPORTANCEEnteropathogenic Escherichia coli employs a type III secretion system to deliver virulence proteins directly into host cells, disrupting multiple cellular processes to promote infection. This multiprotein system assembles in a precise stepwise manner, with specific proteins being recruited and secreted at distinct stages. The sorting platform and the gatekeeper complex play critical roles in regulating this process, but their cooperative mechanism has not been fully elucidated. Here, we reveal a novel functional interaction between these two components, which is critical for hierarchical substrate recognition and secretion. These findings advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying bacterial virulence and suggest new potential targets for antimicrobial strategies aimed at disrupting T3SS function.

The Shigella Type III Secretion System: An Overview from Top to Bottom

Shigella comprises four species of human-restricted pathogens causing bacillary dysentery. While Shigella possesses multiple genetic loci contributing to virulence, a type III secretion system (T3SS) is its primary virulence factor. The Shigella T3SS nanomachine consists of four major assemblies: the cytoplasmic sorting platform; the envelope-spanning core/basal body; an exposed needle; and a needle-associated tip complex with associated translocon that is inserted into host cell membranes. The initial subversion of host cell activities is carried out by the effector functions of the invasion plasmid antigen (Ipa) translocator proteins, with the cell ultimately being controlled by dedicated effector proteins that are injected into the host cytoplasm though the translocon. Much of the information now available on the T3SS injectisome has been accumulated through collective studies on the T3SS from three systems, those of Shigella flexneri, Salmonella typhimurium and Yersinia enterocolitica/Yersinia pestis. In this review, we will touch upon the important features of the T3SS injectisome that have come to light because of research in the Shigella and closely related systems. We will also briefly highlight some of the strategies being considered to target the Shigella T3SS for disease prevention.

Tchagang C, Tomaro K, Campbell-Valois FX. The T3SS of Shigella: Expression, Structure, Function, and Role in Vacuole Escape

Shigella spp. are one of the leading causes of infectious diarrheal diseases. They are Escherichia coli pathovars that are characterized by the harboring of a large plasmid that encodes most virulence genes, including a type III secretion system (T3SS). The archetypal element of the T3SS is the injectisome, a syringe-like nanomachine composed of approximately 20 proteins, spanning both bacterial membranes and the cell wall, and topped with a needle. Upon contact of the tip of the needle with the plasma membrane, the injectisome secretes its protein substrates into host cells. Some of these substrates act as translocators or effectors whose functions are key to the invasion of the cytosol and the cell-to-cell spread characterizing the lifestyle of Shigella spp. Here, we review the structure, assembly, function, and methods to measure the activity of the injectisome with a focus on Shigella, but complemented with data from other T3SS if required. We also present the regulatory cascade that controls the expression of T3SS genes in Shigella. Finally, we describe the function of translocators and effectors during cell-to-cell spread, particularly during escape from the vacuole, a key element of Shigella’s pathogenesis that has yet to reveal all of its secrets.

The Structure of an Injectisome Export Gate Demonstrates Conservation of Architecture in the Core Export Gate between Flagellar and Virulence Type III Secretion Systems

Export of proteins through type III secretion systems (T3SS) is critical for motility and virulence of many major bacterial pathogens. Proteins are exported through a genetically defined export gate complex consisting of three proteins. We have recently shown at 4.2 Å that the flagellar complex of these three putative membrane proteins (FliPQR in flagellar systems, SctRST in virulence systems) assembles into an extramembrane helical assembly that likely seeds correct assembly of the rod. Here we present the structure of an equivalent complex from the Shigella virulence system at 3.5 Å by cryo-electron microscopy. This higher-resolution structure yields a more precise description of the structure and confirms the prediction of structural conservation in this core complex. Analysis of particle heterogeneity also suggests how the SctS/FliQ subunits sequentially assemble in the complex.IMPORTANCE Although predicted on the basis of sequence conservation, the work presented here formally demonstrates that all classes of type III secretion systems, flagellar or virulence, share the same architecture at the level of the core structures. This absolute conservation of the unusual extramembrane structure of the core export gate complex now allows work to move to focusing on both mechanistic studies of type III but also on fundamental studies of how such a complex is assembled.

Assembly and Post-assembly Turnover and Dynamics in the Type III Secretion System

The type III secretion system (T3SS) is one of the largest transmembrane complexes in bacteria, comprising several intricately linked and embedded substructures. The assembly of this nanomachine is a hierarchical process which is regulated and controlled by internal and external cues at several critical points. Recently, it has become obvious that the assembly of the T3SS is not a unidirectional and deterministic process, but that parts of the T3SS constantly exchange or rearrange. This article aims to give an overview on the assembly and post-assembly dynamics of the T3SS, with a focus on emerging general concepts and adaptations of the general assembly pathway.

The inner-rod component of Shigella flexneri type 3 secretion system, MxiI, is involved in the transmission of the secretion activation signal by its interaction with MxiC

The virulence of Shigella mainly resides in the use of a Type 3 Secretion System (T3SS) to inject several proteins inside the host cell. Three categories of proteins are hierarchically secreted: (1) the needle components (MxiH and MxiI), (2) the translocator proteins which form a pore (translocon) inside the host cell membrane, and (3) the effectors interfering with the host cell signaling pathways. In the absence of host cell contact, the T3SS is maintained in an “off” state by the presence of a tip complex. We have previously identified a gatekeeper protein, MxiC, which sequesters effectors inside the bacteria probably by interacting with MxiI, the inner‐rod component. Upon cell contact and translocon insertion, a signal is most likely transmitted from the top of the needle to the base, passing through the needle and allowing effectors release. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the transmission of the activation signal through the needle is still poorly understood. In this work, we investigate the role of MxiI in the activation of the T3SS by performing a mutational study. Interestingly we have shown that mutations of a single residue in MxiI (T82) induce an mxiC‐like phenotype and prevent the interaction with MxiC. Moreover, we have shown that the L26A mutation significantly reduces T3 secretion. The L26A mutation impairs the interaction between MxiI and Spa40, a keystone component of the switch between needle assembly and translocators secretion. The L26A mutation also sequesters MxiC. All these results highlight the crucial role of MxiI in regulating the secretion and transmitting the activation signal of the T3SS.

Detection of Protein Interactions in T3S Systems Using Yeast Two-Hybrid Analysis

Two-hybrid systems, sometimes termed interaction traps, are genetic systems designed to find and analyze interactions between proteins. The most common systems are yeast based (commonly Saccharomyces cerevisae) and rely on the functional reconstitution of the GAL4 transcriptional activator. Reporter genes, such as the lacZ gene of Escherichia coli (encodes β-galactosidase), are placed under GAL4-dependent transcriptional control to provide quick and reliable detection of protein interactions. In this method the use of a yeast-based two-hybrid system is described to study protein interactions between components of type III secretion systems.

The Structure and Function of Type III Secretion Systems

Type III secretion systems (T3SSs) afford Gram-negative bacteria an intimate means of altering the biology of their eukaryotic hosts--the direct delivery of effector proteins from the bacterial cytoplasm to that of the eukaryote. This incredible biophysical feat is accomplished by nanosyringe "injectisomes," which form a conduit across the three plasma membranes, peptidoglycan layer, and extracellular space that form a barrier to the direct delivery of proteins from bacterium to host. The focus of this chapter is T3SS function at the structural level; we will summarize the core findings that have shaped our understanding of the structure and function of these systems and highlight recent developments in the field. In turn, we describe the T3SS secretory apparatus, consider its engagement with secretion substrates, and discuss the posttranslational regulation of secretory function. Lastly, we close with a discussion of the future prospects for the interrogation of structure-function relationships in the T3SS.

Ribosomal frameshifting and transcriptional slippage: From genetic steganography and cryptography to adventitious use

Genetic decoding is not ‘frozen’ as was earlier thought, but dynamic. One facet of this is frameshifting that often results in synthesis of a C-terminal region encoded by a new frame. Ribosomal frameshifting is utilized for the synthesis of additional products, for regulatory purposes and for translational ‘correction’ of problem or ‘savior’ indels. Utilization for synthesis of additional products occurs prominently in the decoding of mobile chromosomal element and viral genomes. One class of regulatory frameshifting of stable chromosomal genes governs cellular polyamine levels from yeasts to humans. In many cases of productively utilized frameshifting, the proportion of ribosomes that frameshift at a shift-prone site is enhanced by specific nascent peptide or mRNA context features. Such mRNA signals, which can be 5′ or 3′ of the shift site or both, can act by pairing with ribosomal RNA or as stem loops or pseudoknots even with one component being 4 kb 3′ from the shift site. Transcriptional realignment at slippage-prone sequences also generates productively utilized products encoded trans-frame with respect to the genomic sequence. This too can be enhanced by nucleic acid structure. Together with dynamic codon redefinition, frameshifting is one of the forms of recoding that enriches gene expression.

Implications of Spatiotemporal Regulation of Shigella flexneri Type Three Secretion Activity on Effector Functions: Think Globally, Act Locally

Shigella spp. are Gram-negative bacterial pathogens that infect human colonic epithelia and cause bacterial dysentery. These bacteria express multiple copies of a syringe-like protein complex, the Type Three Secretion apparatus (T3SA), which is instrumental in the etiology of the disease. The T3SA triggers the plasma membrane (PM) engulfment of the bacteria by host cells during the initial entry process. It then enables bacteria to escape the resulting phagocytic-like vacuole. Freed bacteria form actin comets to move in the cytoplasm, which provokes bacterial collision with the inner leaflet of the PM. This phenomenon culminates in T3SA-dependent secondary uptake and vacuolar rupture in neighboring cells in a process akin to what is observed during entry and named cell-to-cell spread. The activity of the T3SA of Shigella flexneri was recently demonstrated to display an on/off regulation during the infection. While the T3SA is active when bacteria are in contact with PM-derived compartments, it switches to an inactive state when bacteria are released within the cytosol. These observations indicate that effector proteins transiting through the T3SA are therefore translocated in a highly time and space constrained fashion, likely impacting on their cellular distribution. Herein, we present what is currently known about the composition, the assembly and the regulation of the T3SA activity and discuss the consequences of the on/off regulation of T3SA on Shigella effector properties and functions during the infection. Specific examples that will be developed include the role of effectors IcsB and VirA in the escape from LC3/ATG8-positive vacuoles formed during cell-to-cell spread and of IpaJ protease activity against N-miristoylated proteins. The conservation of a similar regulation of T3SA activity in other pathogens such as Salmonella or Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli will also be briefly discussed.

YscU/FlhB of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Harbors a C-terminal Type III Secretion Signal

All type III secretion systems (T3SS) harbor a member of the YscU/FlhB family of proteins that is characterized by an auto-proteolytic process that occurs at a conserved cytoplasmic NPTH motif. We have previously demonstrated that YscUCC, the C-terminal peptide generated by auto-proteolysis of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis YscU, is secreted by the T3SS when bacteria are grown in Ca(2+)-depleted medium at 37 °C. Here, we investigated the secretion of this early T3S-substrate and showed that YscUCC encompasses a specific C-terminal T3S signal within the 15 last residues (U15). U15 promoted C-terminal secretion of reporter proteins like GST and YopE lacking its native secretion signal. Similar to the "classical" N-terminal secretion signal, U15 interacted with the ATPase YscN. Although U15 is critical for YscUCC secretion, deletion of the C-terminal secretion signal of YscUCC did neither affect Yop secretion nor Yop translocation. However, these deletions resulted in increased secretion of YscF, the needle subunit. Thus, these results suggest that YscU via its C-terminal secretion signal is involved in regulation of the YscF secretion.

Bacterial type III secretion systems: specialized nanomachines for protein delivery into target cells

One of the most exciting developments in the field of bacterial pathogenesis in recent years is the discovery that many pathogens utilize complex nanomachines to deliver bacterially encoded effector proteins into target eukaryotic cells. These effector proteins modulate a variety of cellular functions for the pathogen's benefit. One of these protein-delivery machines is the type III secretion system (T3SS). T3SSs are widespread in nature and are encoded not only by bacteria pathogenic to vertebrates or plants but also by bacteria that are symbiotic to plants or insects. A central component of T3SSs is the needle complex, a supramolecular structure that mediates the passage of the secreted proteins across the bacterial envelope. Working in conjunction with several cytoplasmic components, the needle complex engages specific substrates in sequential order, moves them across the bacterial envelope, and ultimately delivers them into eukaryotic cells. The central role of T3SSs in pathogenesis makes them great targets for novel antimicrobial strategies.

Assembly of the bacterial type III secretion machinery

Many bacteria that live in contact with eukaryotic hosts, whether as symbionts or as pathogens, have evolved mechanisms that manipulate host cell behaviour to their benefit. One such mechanism, the type III secretion system, is employed by Gram-negative bacterial species to inject effector proteins into host cells. This function is reflected by the overall shape of the machinery, which resembles a molecular syringe. Despite the simplicity of the concept, the type III secretion system is one of the most complex known bacterial nanomachines, incorporating one to more than hundred copies of up to twenty different proteins into a multi-MDa transmembrane complex. The structural core of the system is the so-called needle complex that spans the bacterial cell envelope as a tripartite ring system and culminates in a needle protruding from the bacterial cell surface. Substrate targeting and translocation are accomplished by an export machinery consisting of various inner membrane embedded and cytoplasmic components. The formation of such a multimembrane-spanning machinery is an intricate task that requires precise orchestration. This review gives an overview of recent findings on the assembly of type III secretion machines, discusses quality control and recycling of the system and proposes an integrated assembly model.

Shigella type III secretion protein MxiI is recognized by Naip2 to induce Nlrc4 inflammasome activation independently of Pkcδ

Recognition of intracellular pathogenic bacteria by members of the nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat containing (NLR) family triggers immune responses against bacterial infection. A major response induced by several Gram-negative bacteria is the activation of caspase-1 via the Nlrc4 inflammasome. Upon activation, caspase-1 regulates the processing of proIL-1β and proIL-18 leading to the release of mature IL-1β and IL-18, and induction of pyroptosis. The activation of the Nlrc4 inflammasome requires the presence of an intact type III or IV secretion system that mediates the translocation of small amounts of flagellin or PrgJ-like rod proteins into the host cytosol to induce Nlrc4 activation. Using the Salmonella system, it was shown that Naip2 and Naip5 link flagellin and the rod protein PrgJ, respectively, to Nlrc4. Furthermore, phosphorylation of Nlrc4 at Ser533 by Pkcδ was found to be critical for the activation of the Nlrc4 inflammasome. Here, we show that Naip2 recognizes the Shigella T3SS inner rod protein MxiI and induces Nlrc4 inflammasome activation. The expression of MxiI in primary macrophages was sufficient to induce pyroptosis and IL-1β release, which were prevented in macrophages deficient in Nlrc4. In the presence of MxiI or Shigella infection, MxiI associated with Naip2, and Naip2 interacted with Nlrc4. siRNA-mediated knockdown of Naip2, but not Naip5, inhibited Shigella-induced caspase-1 activation, IL-1β maturation and Asc pyroptosome formation. Notably, the Pkcδ kinase was dispensable for caspase-1 activation and secretion of IL-1β induced by Shigella or Salmonella infection. These results indicate that activation of caspase-1 by Shigella is triggered by the rod protein MxiI that interacts with Naip2 to induce activation of the Nlrc4 inflammasome independently of the Pkcδ kinase.

Shigella are bacterial pathogens that are the cause of bacillary dysentery. An important feature of Shigella is their ability to invade the cytoplasm of host epithelial cells and macrophages. A major component of host recognition of Shigella invasion is the activation of the inflammasome, a molecular platform that drives the activation of caspase-1 in macrophages. Although Shigella is known to induce the activation of the Nlrc4 inflammasome, the mechanism by which the bacterium activates Nlrc4 is largely unknown. We discovered that the Shigella T3SS inner rod protein MxiI induces Nlrc4 inflammasome activation through the interaction with host Naip2, which promoted the association of Naip2 with Nlrc4 in macrophages. Expression of MxiI induced caspase-1 activation, Asc oligomerization, pyroptosis and IL-1β release which required Naip2, but not Naip5. Significantly, caspase-1 activation induced by Shigella infection was unaffected by deficiency of the Pkcδ kinase. This study elucidates the microbial-host interactions that drive the activation of the Nlrc4 inflammasome in Shigella-infected macrophages.

Spa13 of Shigella flexneri has a dual role: chaperone escort and export gate-activator switch of the type III secretion system

The type III secretion apparatus (T3SA) is used by numerous Gram-negative pathogens to inject virulence factors into eukaryotic cells. The Shigella flexneri T3SA spans the bacterial envelope and its assembly requires the products of ~20 mxi and spa genes. Despite progress made in understanding how the T3SA is assembled, the role of several predicted soluble components, such as Spa13, remains elusive. Here, we show that the secretion defect of the spa13 mutant is associated with lack of T3SA assembly which is partly due to the instability of the needle component MxiH. In contrast to its Yersinia counterpart, Spa13 is not a secreted protein. We identified a network of interactions between Spa13 and the ATPase Spa47, the C-ring protein Spa33, and the inner-membrane protein Spa40. Moreover, we revealed a Spa13 interaction with the inner-membrane MxiA and showed that overexpression of the large cytoplasmic domain of MxiA in the WT background shuts off secretion. Lastly, we demonstrated that Spa13 interacts with the cleaved form of Spa40 and with the translocator chaperone IpgC, suggesting that Spa13 intervenes during the secretion hierarchy switch process. Collectively, our results support a dual role of Spa13 as a chaperone escort and as an export gate-activator switch.

A sophisticated multi-step secretion mechanism: how the type 3 secretion system is regulated

Many Gram-negative pathogens utilize type 3 secretion systems (T3SSs) for a successful infection. The T3SS is a large macromolecular complex which spans both bacterial membranes and delivers effector proteins into the host cell. The infection requires spatiotemporal control of diverse sets of secreted effectors and various mechanisms have evolved to regulate T3SS in response to external stimuli. This review will describe mechanisms that may control type 3 secretion, revealing a multi-step regulatory strategy. We then propose an updated model of T3SS that illustrates different stages of secretion and integrates the most recent structural and functional data.

Needle length control and the secretion substrate specificity switch are only loosely coupled in the type III secretion apparatus of Shigella

The type III secretion apparatus (T3SA), which is evolutionarily and structurally related to the bacterial flagellar hook basal body, is a key virulence factor used by many Gram-negative bacteria to inject effector proteins into host cells. A hollow extracellular needle forms the injection conduit of the T3SA. Its length is tightly controlled to match specific structures at the bacterial and host-cell surfaces but how this occurs remains incompletely understood. The needle is topped by a tip complex, which senses the host cell and inserts as a translocation pore in the host membrane when secretion is activated. The interaction of two conserved proteins, inner-membrane Spa40 and secreted Spa32, respectively, in Shigella, is proposed to regulate needle length and to flick a type III secretion substrate specificity switch from needle components/Spa32 to translocator/effector substrates. We found that, as in T3SAs from other species, substitution N257A within the conserved cytoplasmic NPTH region in Spa40 prevented its autocleavage and substrate specificity switching. Yet, the spa40_N257A mutant made only slightly longer needles with a few needle tip complexes, although it could not form translocation pores. On the other hand, Δspa32, which makes extremely long needles and also formed only few tip complexes, could still form some translocation pores, indicating that it could switch substrate specificity to some extent. Therefore, loss of needle length control and defects in secretion specificity switching are not tightly coupled in either a Δspa32 mutant or a spa40_N257A mutant.

EscI: a crucial component of the type III secretion system forms the inner rod structure in enteropathogenic Escherichia coli

The T3SS (type III secretion system) is a multi-protein complex that plays a central role in the virulence of many gram-negative bacterial pathogens. This apparatus spans both bacterial membranes and transports virulence factors from the bacterial cytoplasm into eukaryotic host cells. The T3SS exports substrates in a hierarchical and temporal manner. The first secreted substrates are the rod/needle proteins which are incorporated into the T3SS apparatus and are required for the secretion of later substrates, the translocators and effectors. In the present study, we provide evidence that rOrf8/EscI, a poorly characterized locus of enterocyte effacement-encoded protein, functions as the inner rod protein of the T3SS of EPEC (enteropathogenic Escherichia coli). We demonstrate that EscI is essential for type III secretion and is also secreted as an early substrate of the T3SS. We found that EscI interacts with EscU, the integral membrane protein that is linked to substrate specificity switching, implicating EscI in the substrate-switching event. Furthermore, we showed that EscI self-associates and interacts with the outer membrane secretin EscC, further supporting its function as an inner rod protein. Overall, the results of the present study suggest that EscI is the YscI/PrgJ/MxiI homologue in the T3SS of attaching and effacing pathogens.

Shigella: a model of virulence regulation in vivo

Much is known about the molecular effectors of pathogenicity of gram-negative enteric pathogens, among which Shigella can be considered a model. This is due to its capacity to recapitulate the multiple steps required for a pathogenic microbe to survive close to its mucosal target, colonize and then invade its epithelial surface, cause its inflammatory destruction and simultaneously regulate the extent of the elicited innate response to likely survive the encounter and achieve successful subsequent transmission. These various steps of the infectious process represent an array of successive environmental conditions to which the bacteria need to successfully adapt. These conditions represent the selective pressure that triggered the "arms race" in which Shigella acquired the genetic and molecular effectors of its pathogenic armory, including the regulatory hierarchies that regulate the expression and function of these effectors. They also represent cues through which Shigella achieves the temporo-spatial expression and regulation of its virulence effectors. The role of such environmental cues has recently become obvious in the case of the major virulence effector of Shigella, the type three secretion system (T3SS) and its dedicated secreted virulence effectors. It needs to be better defined for other major virulence components such as the LPS and peptidoglycan which are used as examples here, in addition to the T3SS as models of regulation as it relates to the assembly and functional regulation of complex macromolecular systems of the bacterial surface. This review also stresses the need to better define what the true and relevant environmental conditions can be at the various steps of the progression of infection. The "identity" of the pathogen differs depending whether it is cultivated under in vitro or in vivo conditions. Moreover, this "identity" may quickly change during its progression into the infected tissue. Novel concepts and relevant tools are needed to address this challenge in microbial pathogenesis.

Interaction of MxiG with the cytosolic complex of the type III secretion system controls Shigella virulence

Gram-negative bacteria use the type 3 secretion system (T3SS) to colonize host cells. T3SSs are ring-shaped macromolecular complexes specific for the transport of effector molecules into host cells. It was recently suggested that a cytosolic ring-shaped protein complex delivers effector molecules to the T3SS. However, how transport of effector proteins is regulated is not known. Here, we report the high-resolution X-ray crystal structure of the whole cytosolic domain of MxiG (MxiG(1-126)), a major component of the inner T3SS rings in Shigella flexneri. MxiG(1-126) folds as an FHA domain, which specifically binds phosphorylated threonines. Indeed, MxiG(1-126) binds to Spa33, a cytoplasmic-ring component of Shigella, as revealed in pulldown studies. Surface plasmon resonance analysis showed specific interaction of MxiG with a Spa33 peptide only if phosphorylated. In total, 24 copies of the MxiG(1-126) crystal structure were fitted into the cryo-EM map of the Shigella T3SS. The phosphoprotein binding site of each MxiG molecule faces the channel of the T3SS, allowing interaction with cytosolic binding partners. Secretion assays and host cell invasion studies of complemented Shigella knockout cells indicated that the phosphoprotein binding of MxiG is essential for bacterial virulence. Our findings suggest that MxiG is involved in T3SS regulation.

Role of EscU auto-cleavage in promoting type III effector translocation into host cells by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli

Background

Type III secretion systems (T3SS) of bacterial pathogens coordinate effector protein injection into eukaryotic cells. The YscU/FlhB group of proteins comprises members associated with T3SS which undergo a specific auto-cleavage event at a conserved NPTH amino acid sequence. The crystal structure of the C-terminal portion of EscU from enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) suggests this auto-cleaving protein provides an interface for substrate interactions involved in type III secretion events.

Results

We demonstrate EscU must be auto-cleaved for bacteria to efficiently deliver type III effectors into infected cells. A non-cleaving EscU(N262A) variant supported very low levels of in vitro effector secretion. These effector proteins were not able to support EPEC infection of cultured HeLa cells. In contrast, EscU(P263A) was demonstrated to be partially auto-cleaved and moderately restored effector translocation and functionality during EPEC infection, revealing an intermediate phenotype. EscU auto-cleavage was not required for inner membrane association of the T3SS ATPase EscN or the ring forming protein EscJ. In contrast, in the absence of EscU auto-cleavage, inner membrane association of the multicargo type III secretion chaperone CesT was altered suggesting that EscU auto-cleavage supports docking of chaperone-effector complexes at the inner membrane. In support of this interpretation, evidence of novel effector protein breakdown products in secretion assays were linked to the non-cleaved status of EscU(N262A).

Conclusions

These data provide new insight into the role of EscU auto-cleavage in EPEC. The experimental data suggests that EscU auto-cleavage results in a suitable binding interface at the inner membrane that accommodates protein complexes during type III secretion events. The results also demonstrate that altered EPEC genetic backgrounds that display intermediate levels of effector secretion and translocation can be isolated and studied. These genetic backgrounds should be valuable in deciphering sequential and temporal events involved in EPEC type III secretion.