A host-specific factor is necessary for efficient folding of the autotransporter plasmid-encoded toxin

作者：Nemec Kathleen N; Scaglione Patricia; Navarro Garcia Fernando; Huerta Jazmin; Tatulian Suren A; Teter Ken^*

来源：Biochimie, 2010, 92(2): 171-177.

DOI：10.1016/j.biochi.2009.11.006

• Autotransporter
• Circular dichroism
• Plasmid-encoded toxin
• Protein folding

Autotransporters are the most common virulence factors secreted from Gram-negative pathogens. Until recently, autotransporter folding and outer membrane translocation were thought to be self-mediated events that did not require accessory factors. Here, we report that two variants of the autotransporter plasmid-encoded toxin are secreted by a lab strain of Escherichia coli. Biophysical analysis and cell-based toxicity assays demonstrated that only one of the two variants was in a folded, active conformation. The misfolded variant was not produced by a pathogenic strain of enteroaggregative E. coli and did not result from protein overproduction in the lab strain of E coli. Our data suggest a host-specific factor is required for efficient folding of plasmid-encoded toxin.

• 出版日期2010-2