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Mol Microbiol

Title:		Molecular basis for control of conjugation by bacterial pheromone and inhibitor peptides
Author(s):		Kozlowicz BK; Shi K; Gu ZY; Ohlendorf DH; Earhart CA; Dunny GM;
Address:		"Department of Microbiology, 1460 Mayo Memorial Building, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA"
Journal Title:		Mol Microbiol
Year:		2006
Volume:		20061013
Issue:		4
Page Number:		958 - 969
DOI:		10.1111/j.1365-2958.2006.05434.x
ISSN/ISBN:		0950-382X (Print) 1365-2958 (Electronic) 0950-382X (Linking)
Abstract:		"In many bacteria expression of lateral gene transfer and of virulence factors is controlled by cell-cell signalling systems. Molecular interactions of microbial signal molecules with their cognate receptors are not well understood. For the Enterococcus faecalis conjugative plasmid pCF10, the PrgX protein serves as a molecular switch controlling expression of conjugation and virulence genes encoded by the plasmid. The induction state of a pCF10-carrying donor cell is determined by the ratio of two signalling peptides, cCF10 pheromone and iCF10 inhibitor. Recent analysis of PrgX/cCF10 interactions suggests a mechanism for conversion to the induced state. However, the means by which iCF10 peptide antagonizes cCF10 activity is unclear, and it has been suggested that inhibitor peptides block import of pheromone peptides. We now show that both of these peptides interact with the same binding pocket of PrgX, but they differentially alter the conformation of the protein and its oligomerization state, resulting in opposing biological activities"
Keywords:		"Bacterial Proteins/*physiology *Conjugation, Genetic DNA, Bacterial Enterococcus faecalis/chemistry/genetics/*physiology Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial Gene Transfer, Horizontal Genes, Bacterial Lac Operon Models, Molecular Mutation Oligopeptides/a;"
Notes:		"MedlineKozlowicz, Briana K Shi, Ke Gu, Zu-Yi Ohlendorf, Douglas H Earhart, Cathleen A Dunny, Gary M eng T32 DE07288/DE/NIDCR NIH HHS/ R01 GM049530-25/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/ T32 DE007288/DE/NIDCR NIH HHS/ R01 AI057585/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ AI57585/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ R01 AI057585-05/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ GM49530/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/ R01 GM049530/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/ T32 GM08347/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/ Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural England 2006/10/14 Mol Microbiol. 2006 Nov; 62(4):958-69. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2006.05434.x. Epub 2006 Oct 13"