Type IV pili: dynamics, biophysics and functional consequences

doi:10.1038/s41579-019-0195-4

Review

. 2019 Jul;17(7):429-440.

doi: 10.1038/s41579-019-0195-4.

Type IV pili: dynamics, biophysics and functional consequences

Lisa Craig¹, Katrina T Forest², Berenike Maier³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. licraig@sfu.ca.
² Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA. forest@bact.wisc.edu.
³ Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany. berenike.maier@uni-koeln.de.

PMID: 30988511
DOI: 10.1038/s41579-019-0195-4

Review

Type IV pili: dynamics, biophysics and functional consequences

Lisa Craig et al. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2019 Jul.

. 2019 Jul;17(7):429-440.

doi: 10.1038/s41579-019-0195-4.

Authors

Lisa Craig¹, Katrina T Forest², Berenike Maier³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. licraig@sfu.ca.
² Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA. forest@bact.wisc.edu.
³ Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany. berenike.maier@uni-koeln.de.

PMID: 30988511
DOI: 10.1038/s41579-019-0195-4

Abstract

The surfaces of many bacteria are decorated with long, exquisitely thin appendages called type IV pili (T4P), dynamic filaments that are rapidly polymerized and depolymerized from a pool of pilin subunits. Cycles of pilus extension, binding and retraction enable T4P to perform a phenomenally diverse array of functions, including twitching motility, DNA uptake and microcolony formation. On the basis of recent developments, a comprehensive understanding is emerging of the molecular architecture of the T4P machinery and the filament it builds, providing mechanistic insights into the assembly and retraction processes. Combined microbiological and biophysical approaches have revealed how T4P dynamics influence self-organization of bacteria, how bacteria respond to external stimuli to regulate T4P activity for directed movement, and the role of T4P retraction in surface sensing. In this Review, we discuss the T4P machine architecture and filament structure and present current molecular models for T4P dynamics, with a particular focus on recent insights into T4P retraction. We also discuss the functional consequences of T4P dynamics, which have important implications for bacterial lifestyle and pathogenesis.

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References

1. Hospenthal, M. K., Costa, T. R. D. & Waksman, G. A comprehensive guide to pilus biogenesis in Gram-negative bacteria. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 15, 365–379 (2017). - PubMed
1. Giltner, C. L., Nguyen, Y. & Burrows, L. L. Type IV pilin proteins: versatile molecular modules. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 76, 740–772 (2012). - PubMed - PMC
1. Clausen, M., Koomey, M. & Maier, B. Dynamics of type IV pili is controlled by switching between multiple states. Biophys. J. 96, 1169–1177 (2009). - PubMed - PMC
1. Merz, A. J., So, M. & Sheetz, M. P. Pilus retraction powers bacterial twitching motility. Nature 407, 98–102 (2000). - PubMed
1. Skerker, J. M. & Berg, H. C. Direct observation of extension and retraction of type IV pili. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 98, 6901–6904 (2001). - PubMed

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[1] Hospenthal, M. K., Costa, T. R. D. & Waksman, G. A comprehensive guide to pilus biogenesis in Gram-negative bacteria. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 15, 365–379 (2017). - PubMed

[2] Hospenthal, M. K., Costa, T. R. D. & Waksman, G. A comprehensive guide to pilus biogenesis in Gram-negative bacteria. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 15, 365–379 (2017). - PubMed

[3] Giltner, C. L., Nguyen, Y. & Burrows, L. L. Type IV pilin proteins: versatile molecular modules. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 76, 740–772 (2012). - PubMed - PMC

[4] Giltner, C. L., Nguyen, Y. & Burrows, L. L. Type IV pilin proteins: versatile molecular modules. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 76, 740–772 (2012). - PubMed - PMC

[5] Clausen, M., Koomey, M. & Maier, B. Dynamics of type IV pili is controlled by switching between multiple states. Biophys. J. 96, 1169–1177 (2009). - PubMed - PMC

[6] Clausen, M., Koomey, M. & Maier, B. Dynamics of type IV pili is controlled by switching between multiple states. Biophys. J. 96, 1169–1177 (2009). - PubMed - PMC

[7] Merz, A. J., So, M. & Sheetz, M. P. Pilus retraction powers bacterial twitching motility. Nature 407, 98–102 (2000). - PubMed

[8] Merz, A. J., So, M. & Sheetz, M. P. Pilus retraction powers bacterial twitching motility. Nature 407, 98–102 (2000). - PubMed

[9] Skerker, J. M. & Berg, H. C. Direct observation of extension and retraction of type IV pili. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 98, 6901–6904 (2001). - PubMed

[10] Skerker, J. M. & Berg, H. C. Direct observation of extension and retraction of type IV pili. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 98, 6901–6904 (2001). - PubMed

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Type IV pili: dynamics, biophysics and functional consequences

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Type IV pili: dynamics, biophysics and functional consequences

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