Archaeal DNA-import apparatus is homologous to bacterial conjugation machinery

Leticia C. Beltran; Virginija Cvirkaite-Krupovic; Jessalyn Miller; Fengbin Wang; Mark A. B. Kreutzberger; Jonasz B. Patkowski; Tiago R. D. Costa; Stefan Schouten; Ilya Levental; Vincent P. Conticello; Edward H. Egelman; Mart Krupovic

doi:10.1038/s41467-023-36349-8

Nature Communications (Feb 2023)

Archaeal DNA-import apparatus is homologous to bacterial conjugation machinery

Leticia C. Beltran,
Virginija Cvirkaite-Krupovic,
Jessalyn Miller,
Fengbin Wang,
Mark A. B. Kreutzberger,
Jonasz B. Patkowski,
Tiago R. D. Costa,
Stefan Schouten,
Ilya Levental,
Vincent P. Conticello,
Edward H. Egelman,
Mart Krupovic

Affiliations

Leticia C. Beltran: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia
Virginija Cvirkaite-Krupovic: Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Archaeal Virology Unit
Jessalyn Miller: Department of Chemistry, Emory University
Fengbin Wang: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia
Mark A. B. Kreutzberger: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia
Jonasz B. Patkowski: MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College
Tiago R. D. Costa: MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College
Stefan Schouten: NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry
Ilya Levental: Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia
Vincent P. Conticello: Department of Chemistry, Emory University
Edward H. Egelman: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia
Mart Krupovic: Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Archaeal Virology Unit

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36349-8
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 14, no. 1
pp. 1 – 13

Abstract

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Bacteria can exchange DNA through extracellular appendages (‘mating pili’) in a process known as conjugation. Here, Beltran et al. determine atomic structures by cryo-electron microscopy of a bacterial conjugative pilus and two archaeal pili, showing that the archaeal pili are homologous to bacterial mating pili.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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