Structure and function of the type IV secretion system from the phytopathogen Xanthomonas citri by nuclear magnetic resonance in solution

Abstract

The Type IV Secretion System is a supramolecular complex (~ 1MDa), composed by several copies of approximately 12 proteins, and responsible for the secretion of substrates such as proteins or protein-DNA complexes across the bacterial cell envelope of gram-negative bacteria. The T4SS is involved in the pathogenicity of different bacteria, for example Helicobacter pilori and Agrobacterium tumefaciens, and in mechanisms of horizontal DNA transfer. Our research group has recently shown that the chromosomally encoded T4SS from the phytopathogen Xanthomonas citri (XAC) is involved in the secretion of toxins that kill other gram-negative bacteria (Souza et al. (2015) Nat Commun 6: 6453). Studies in our group have also focused the structure of different components of XAC's T4SS using solution NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography (Souza et al. (2015) Nat Commun 6: 6453). Some of these studies involve collaboration with the NMR group of the Utrecht University, which is leaded by professor Rolf Boelens. The goal of this project is to take advantage of the fact that Rolf Boelens is coming to Brazil in order to speak at the AUREMN conference (NMR Users Association) in Angra dos Reis, and bring him to visit our Department in São Paulo. This visit will be an excellent opportunity to tighten the bonds between our group and the NMR group of Utrecht, which is one of the main NMR groups in Europe. (AU)