Dissection of homologous translocon operons reveals a unique role for YopD in functional type III secretion by Yersinia.
Microbiology 2003 149: 2615-2626
Abstract:
The homologous pcrGVHpopBD and lcrGVHyopBD translocase operons of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and pathogenic Yersinia spp., respectively, are responsible for the translocation of anti-host effectors into the cytosol of infected eukaryotic cells. In Yersinia, this operon is also required for yop-regulatory control. To probe for key molecular interactions during the infection process, the functional interchangeability of popB/yopB and popD/yopD was investigated. Secretion of PopB produced in trans in a
yopB null mutant of Yersinia was only observed when co-produced with its native chaperone PcrH, but this was sufficient to complement the yopB translocation defect. The Yersinia
yopD null mutant synthesized and secreted PopD even in the absence of native PcrH, yet this did not restore YopD-dependent yop-regulatory control or effector translocation. Thus, this suggests that key residues in YopD, which are not conserved in PopD, are essential for functional Yersinia type III secretion.DOI-Link