A Bacterial Phage Tail-like Structure Kills Eukaryotic Cells by Injecting a Nuclease Effector
Abstract
Many bacteria interact with target organisms using syringe-like structures called contractile injection systems (CISs). CISs structurally resemble headless bacteriophages and share evolutionarily related proteins such as the tail tube, sheath, and baseplate complex. In many cases, CISs mediate trans-kingdom interactions between bacteria and eukaryotes by delivering effectors to target cells. However, the specific effectors and their modes of action are often unknown. Here, we establish an ex vivo model to study an extracellular CIS (eCIS) called metamorphosis-associated contractile structures (MACs) that target eukaryotic cells. MACs kill two eukaryotic cell lines, fall armyworm Sf9 cells and J774A.1 murine macrophage cells, by translocating an effector termed Pne1. Before the identification of Pne1, no CIS effector exhibiting nuclease activity against eukaryotic cells had been described. Our results define a new mechanism of CIS-mediated bacteria-eukaryote interaction and are a step toward developing CISs as novel delivery systems for eukaryotic hosts. Mehr anzeigen
Persistenter Link
https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000353083Publikationsstatus
publishedExterne Links
Zeitschrift / Serie
Cell ReportsBand
Seiten / Artikelnummer
Verlag
ElsevierThema
phage; Cell line; effector; T6SS; CIS; secretion system; MACsOrganisationseinheit
09463 - Pilhofer, Martin / Pilhofer, Martin
Förderung
679209 - Multiscale model of bacterial cell-cell interactions (EC)