Serine peptidase Vpr forms enzymatically active fibrils outside Bacillus bacteria revealed by cryo-EM

Yijia Cheng, Jianting Han, Meinai Song, Shuqin Zhang and Qin Cao ()
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Yijia Cheng: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Jianting Han: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Meinai Song: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shuqin Zhang: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Qin Cao: Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Bacteria develop a variety of extracellular fibrous structures crucial for their survival, such as flagella and pili. In this study, we use cryo-EM to identify protein fibrils surrounding lab-cultured Bacillus amyloiquefaciens and discover an unreported fibril species in addition to the flagellar fibrils. These previously unknown fibrils are composed of Vpr, an extracellular serine peptidase. We find that Vpr assembles into fibrils in an enzymatically active form, potentially representing a strategy of enriching Vpr activities around bacterial cells. Vpr fibrils are also observed under other culture conditions and around other Bacillus bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis, which may suggest a general mechanism across all Bacillus bacterial groups. Taken together, our study reveals fibrils outside the bacterial cell and sheds light on the physiological role of these extracellular fibrils.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43359-z

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