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Significance Type 4 pili (T4P)—important in bacterial pathogens—are filaments composed of one well-characterized major pilin, and several minor pilins whose roles are often poorly understood. Streptococcus sanguinis T4P are composed… Click to show full abstract
Significance Type 4 pili (T4P)—important in bacterial pathogens—are filaments composed of one well-characterized major pilin, and several minor pilins whose roles are often poorly understood. Streptococcus sanguinis T4P are composed of five pilins, which makes it a good model to determine the role of each pilin subunit in detail. Here, we characterize PilA and PilC, showing how they interact and how they function. Together with our previous findings, this provides an integrated view of the role of the five pilin subunits in S. sanguinis T4P. PilE1/PilE2 are the major pilins forming the backbone of the filament, while the three minor pilins (PilA, PilB, and PilC) form a tip-located complex promoting adhesion to various host receptors.
Journal Title: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Year Published: 2023
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