Agrobacterium tumefaciens T pilus composed of cyclic T pilin is highly resilient to extreme environments

• Published in: FEMS microbiology letters Vol. 210; no. 1; pp. 111 - 114
• Main Authors: Lai, E.M, Kado, C.I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.04.2002; Blackwell; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: acetates; Acetic acid; Agrobacterium radiobacter; Agrobacterium tumefaciens; Agrobacterium tumefaciens - genetics; Agrobacterium tumefaciens - physiology; Bacterial plant pathogens; Bacterial Proteins - chemistry; Bacterial Proteins - isolation & purification; Bacterial Proteins - ultrastructure; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Cyclic peptide; Environmental conditions; environmental factors; Extreme environments; Filaments; fimbriae; Fimbriae Proteins; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glycerol; High temperature; Membrane Proteins - chemistry; Membrane Proteins - isolation & purification; Membrane Proteins - ultrastructure; Metabolism. Enzymes; Microbiology; octoxynol; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Pili; Pili, Sex - chemistry; Pili, Sex - physiology; Pilin; protein subunits; Rigidity; Sodium dodecyl sulfate; Sodium lauryl sulfate; Structural stability; T pilin; T pilus; temperature; Uranyl acetate; VirB2 gene; VirB2 gene; Cyclic peptide; T pilin; T pilus; Resistance; Structure stability; Plant pathogen; Agrobacterium tumefaciens; Variations; Bacteria; Environment; Pilus; Rhizobiaceae; Subunit
• ISSN: 0378-1097; 1574-6968
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2002.tb11168.x

Agrobacterium tumefaciens T pili are long semi-rigid, flexuous filaments of 10 nm diameter that are primarily composed of T pilin cyclized protein subunits. The cyclic character of T pilin apparently confers a high level of structural stability on the T pilus. Purified T pili subjected to extreme environmental conditions such as acid and alkali, including glycerol remained relatively unaffected morphologically. T pili lost their semi-rigidity when subjected to high temperatures and high pH, and dissociated into donut shaped subunits when exposed to Triton X-100. Sodium dodecyl sulfate increased the uptake of uranyl acetate exposing a 2 nm wide lumen running the length of the T pilus filament.