Definition of a Bacterial Type IV Secretion Pathway for a DNA Substrate

Overview

Journal Science

Specialty Science

Date 2004 May 25

PMID 15155952

Citations 183

Authors

Eric Cascales

Peter J Christie

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Bacteria use conjugation systems, a subfamily of the type IV secretion systems, to transfer DNA to recipient cells. Despite 50 years of research, the architecture and mechanism of action of the channel mediating DNA transfer across the bacterial cell envelope remains obscure. By use of a sensitive, quantifiable assay termed transfer DNA immunoprecipitation (TrIP), we identify contacts between a DNA substrate (T-DNA) and 6 of 12 components of the VirB/D4 conjugation system of the phytopathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Our results define the translocation pathway for a DNA substrate through a bacterial conjugation machine, specifying the contributions of each subunit of the secretory apparatus to substrate passage.

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