Ankyrin-mediated self-protection during cell invasion by the bacterial predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus

DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9884
PMID: 26626559

Authors: Carey Lambert (Nottingham University) , Ian T. Cadby (University of Birmingham) , Rob Till (Nottingham University) , Nhat Khai Bui (Newcastle University) , Thomas R. Lerner (Nottingham University) , William S. Hughes (Nottingham University) , David J. Lee (Nottingham University) , Luke J. Alderwick (Nottingham University) , Waldemar Vollmer (Nottingham University) , Elizabeth R. Sockett (Nottingham University) , Andrew L Lovering (University of Birmingham)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Nature Communications , VOL 6

State: Published (Approved)
Published: December 2015
Diamond Proposal Number(s): 8359 , 10369

Abstract: Predatory Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus are natural antimicrobial organisms, killing other bacteria by whole-cell invasion. Self-protection against prey-metabolizing enzymes is important for the evolution of predation. Initial prey entry involves the predator's peptidoglycan DD-endopeptidases, which decrosslink cell walls and prevent wasteful entry by a second predator. Here we identify and characterize a self-protection protein from B. bacteriovorus, Bd3460, which displays an ankyrin-based fold common to intracellular pathogens of eukaryotes. Co-crystal structures reveal Bd3460 complexation of dual targets, binding a conserved epitope of each of the Bd3459 and Bd0816 endopeptidases. Complexation inhibits endopeptidase activity and cell wall decrosslinking in vitro. Self-protection is vital - ΔBd3460 Bdellovibrio deleteriously decrosslink self-peptidoglycan upon invasion, adopt a round morphology, and lose predatory capacity and cellular integrity. Our analysis provides the first mechanistic examination of self-protection in Bdellovibrio, documents protection-multiplicity for products of two different genomic loci, and reveals an important evolutionary adaptation to an invasive predatory bacterial lifestyle

Subject Areas: Biology and Bio-materials


Instruments: I02-Macromolecular Crystallography , I03-Macromolecular Crystallography , I04-Macromolecular Crystallography