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The Agrobacterium VirB/VirD4 T4SS: Mechanism and Architecture Defined Through In Vivo Mutagenesis and Chimeric Systems

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Agrobacterium Biology

Part of the book series: Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology ((CT MICROBIOLOGY,volume 418))

Abstract

The Agrobacterium tumefaciens VirB/VirD4 translocation machine is a member of a superfamily of translocators designated as type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) that function in many species of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. T4SSs evolved from ancestral conjugation systems for specialized purposes relating to bacterial colonization or infection. A. tumefaciens employs the VirB/VirD4 T4SS to deliver oncogenic DNA (T-DNA) and effector proteins to plant cells, causing the tumorous disease called crown gall. This T4SS elaborates both a cell-envelope-spanning channel and an extracellular pilus for establishing target cell contacts. Recent mechanistic and structural studies of the VirB/VirD4 T4SS and related conjugation systems in Escherichia coli have defined T4SS architectures, bases for substrate recruitment, the translocation route for DNA substrates, and steps in the pilus biogenesis pathway. In this review, we provide a brief history of A. tumefaciens VirB/VirD4 T4SS from its discovery in the 1980s to its current status as a paradigm for the T4SS superfamily. We discuss key advancements in defining VirB/VirD4 T4SS function and structure, and we highlight the power of in vivo mutational analyses and chimeric systems for identifying mechanistic themes and specialized adaptations of this fascinating nanomachine.

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Acknowledgements

Work in the Christie laboratory is supported by NIH grant R01GM48476.

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  1. Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, 6431 Fannin St, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Yang Grace Li & Peter J. Christie

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  1. Yang Grace Li
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  2. Peter J. Christie
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Correspondence to Peter J. Christie .

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    Stanton B. Gelvin

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Li, Y.G., Christie, P.J. (2018). The Agrobacterium VirB/VirD4 T4SS: Mechanism and Architecture Defined Through In Vivo Mutagenesis and Chimeric Systems. In: Gelvin, S. (eds) Agrobacterium Biology. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, vol 418. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/82_2018_94

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