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J. Bacteriol., Jun 1996, 3426-3433, Vol 178, No. 12
RA Edwards, J Cao and DM Schifferli
The 987P fimbriae of Escherichia coli consist mainly of the major subunit,
FasA, and two minor subunits, FasF and FasG. In addition to the previously
characterized outer membrane or usher protein FasD, the FasB, FasC, and
FasE proteins are required for fimbriation. To better understand the roles
of these minor proteins, their genes were sequenced and the predicted
polypeptides were shown to be most similar to periplasmic chaperone
proteins of fimbrial systems. Western blot (immunoblot) analysis and
immunoprecipitation of various fas mutants with specific antibody probes
identified both the subcellular localizations and associations of these
minor components. FasB was shown to be a periplasmic chaperone for the
major fimbrial subunit, FasA. A novel periplasmic chaperone, FasC, which
stabilizes and specifically interacts with the adhesin, FasG, was
identified. FasE, a chaperone-like protein, is also located in the
periplasm and is required for optimal export of FasG and possibly other
subunits. The use of different chaperone proteins for various 987P subunits
is a novel observation for fimbrial biogenesis in bacteria. Whether other
fimbrial systems use a similar tactic remains to be discovered.
Copyright © 1996, American Society for Microbiology
Identification of major and minor chaperone proteins involved in the export of 987P fimbriae
Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
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