Towards a molecular picture of the archaeal cell surface

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53986-9

Authors: Matthew C. Gaines (University of Exeter) , Michail N. Isupov (University of Exeter) , Mathew Mclaren (University of Exeter) , Clara L. Mollat (University of Freiburg) , Risat U. I. Haque (University of Exeter) , Jake K. Stephenson (University of Exeter) , Shamphavi Sivabalasarma (University of Freiburg) , Cyril Hanus (Institute of Psychiatry and Neurosciences of Paris, Inserm UMR1266 -Université Paris Cité) , Daniel Kattnig (University of Exeter) , Vicki A. M. Gold (University of Exeter) , Sonja Albers (University of Freiburg) , Bertram Daum (University of Exeter)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Nature Communications , VOL 15

State: Published (Approved)
Published: December 2024
Diamond Proposal Number(s): 25452 , 32707

Abstract: Archaea produce various protein filaments with specialised functions. While some archaea produce only one type of filament, the archaeal model species Sulfolobus acidocaldarius generates four. These include rotary swimming propellers analogous to bacterial flagella (archaella), pili for twitching motility (Aap), adhesive fibres (threads), and filaments facilitating homologous recombination upon UV stress (UV pili). Here, we use cryo-electron microscopy to describe the structure of the S. acidocaldarius archaellum at 2.0 Å resolution, and update the structures of the thread and the Aap pilus at 2.7 Å and 2.6 Å resolution, respectively. We define features unique to archaella of the order Sulfolobales and compare their structure to those of Aap and threads in the context of the S-layer. We define distinct N-glycan patterns in the three filaments and identify a putative O-glycosylation site in the thread. Finally, we ascertain whether N-glycan truncation leads to structural changes in archaella and Aap.

Diamond Keywords: Archaea

Subject Areas: Biology and Bio-materials

Diamond Offline Facilities: Electron Bio-Imaging Centre (eBIC)
Instruments: Krios III-Titan Krios III at Diamond , Krios IV-Titan Krios IV at Diamond

Added On: 04/12/2024 08:48

Documents:
s41467-024-53986-9.pdf

Discipline Tags:

Structural biology Life Sciences & Biotech

Technical Tags:

Microscopy Electron Microscopy (EM) Cryo Electron Microscopy (Cryo EM)