7T31

X-ray Structure of Clostridiodies difficile PilW

Summary for 7T31

• Entry DOI: 10.2210/pdb7t31/pdb
• Related: 4OGM 4PE2 4TSM 6T8S
• Descriptor: Maltose/maltodextrin-binding periplasmic protein,Putative pilin protein chimera (2 entities in total)
• Functional Keywords: type iv pilin, gram-positive, dna binding protein
• Biological source: Clostridioides difficile R20291; More
• Total number of polymer chains: 4
• Total formula weight: 223957.33

Authors

Ronish, L.A.,Piepenbrink, K.H. (deposition date: 2021-12-06, release date: 2022-10-19, Last modification date: 2024-04-03)

Primary citation

Ronish, L.A.,Sidner, B.,Yu, Y.,Piepenbrink, K.H.
Recognition of extracellular DNA by type IV pili promotes biofilm formation by Clostridioides difficile.
J.Biol.Chem., 298:102449-102449, 2022

PubMed Abstract: Clostridioides difficile is a Gram-positive bacillus, which is a frequent cause of gastrointestinal infections triggered by the depletion of the gut microbiome. Because of the frequent recurrence of these infections after antibiotic treatment, mechanisms of C. difficile persistence and recurrence, including biofilm formation, are of increasing interest. Previously, our group and others found that type IV pili, filamentous helical appendages polymerized from protein subunits, promoted microcolony and biofilm formation in C. difficile. In Gram-negative bacteria, the ability of type IV pili to mediate bacterial self-association has been explained through interactions between the pili of adjacent cells, but type IV pili from several Gram-negative species are also required for natural competence through DNA uptake. Here, we report the ability of two C. difficile pilin subunits, PilJ and PilW, to bind to DNA in vitro, as well as the defects in biofilm formation in the pilJ and pilW gene-interruption mutants. Additionally, we have resolved the X-ray crystal structure of PilW, which we use to model possible structural mechanisms for the formation of C. difficile biofilm through interactions between type IV pili and the DNA of the extracellular matrix. Taken together, our results provide further insight into the relationship between type IV pilus function and biofilm formation in C. difficile and, more broadly, suggest that DNA recognition by type IV pili and related structures may have functional importance beyond DNA uptake for natural competence.

PubMed: 36064001
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102449

Experimental method

X-RAY DIFFRACTION (2.3 Å)