Cryo-EM structure and evolutionary history of the conjugation surface exclusion protein TraT
Abstract Conjugation plays a major role in dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes. Following transfer of IncF-like plasmids, recipients become refractory to a second wave of conjugation with the same plasmid via entry (TraS) and surface (TraT) exclusion mechanisms. Here, we show that TraT f...
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| Format: | Article |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-55834-w |
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| author | Chloe Seddon Sophia David Joshua L. C. Wong Naito Ishimoto Shan He Jonathan Bradshaw Wen Wen Low Gad Frankel Konstantinos Beis |
| author_facet | Chloe Seddon Sophia David Joshua L. C. Wong Naito Ishimoto Shan He Jonathan Bradshaw Wen Wen Low Gad Frankel Konstantinos Beis |
| author_sort | Chloe Seddon |
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| description | Abstract Conjugation plays a major role in dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes. Following transfer of IncF-like plasmids, recipients become refractory to a second wave of conjugation with the same plasmid via entry (TraS) and surface (TraT) exclusion mechanisms. Here, we show that TraT from the pKpQIL and F plasmids (TraTpKpQIL and TraTF) exhibits plasmid surface exclusion specificity. The cryo-EM structures of TraTpKpQIL and TraTF reveal that they oligomerise into decameric champagne bottle cork-like structures, which are anchored to the outer membrane via a diacylglycerol and palmitic acid modified α-helical barrel domain. Unexpectedly, we identify chromosomal TraT homologues from multiple Gram-negative phyla which form numerous divergent lineages in a phylogenetic tree of TraT sequences. Plasmid-associated TraT sequences are found in multiple distinct lineages, including two separate clades incorporating TraT from Enterobacteriaceae IncF/F-like and Legionellaceae F-like plasmids. These findings suggest that different plasmid backbones have acquired and co-opted TraT on independent occasions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c9e93a99d97a458da4018df4de2a24da |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-c9e93a99d97a458da4018df4de2a24da2025-01-19T12:30:09ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-01-0116111510.1038/s41467-025-55834-wCryo-EM structure and evolutionary history of the conjugation surface exclusion protein TraTChloe Seddon0Sophia David1Joshua L. C. Wong2Naito Ishimoto3Shan He4Jonathan Bradshaw5Wen Wen Low6Gad Frankel7Konstantinos Beis8Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonCentre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance, Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of OxfordDepartment of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonAbstract Conjugation plays a major role in dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes. Following transfer of IncF-like plasmids, recipients become refractory to a second wave of conjugation with the same plasmid via entry (TraS) and surface (TraT) exclusion mechanisms. Here, we show that TraT from the pKpQIL and F plasmids (TraTpKpQIL and TraTF) exhibits plasmid surface exclusion specificity. The cryo-EM structures of TraTpKpQIL and TraTF reveal that they oligomerise into decameric champagne bottle cork-like structures, which are anchored to the outer membrane via a diacylglycerol and palmitic acid modified α-helical barrel domain. Unexpectedly, we identify chromosomal TraT homologues from multiple Gram-negative phyla which form numerous divergent lineages in a phylogenetic tree of TraT sequences. Plasmid-associated TraT sequences are found in multiple distinct lineages, including two separate clades incorporating TraT from Enterobacteriaceae IncF/F-like and Legionellaceae F-like plasmids. These findings suggest that different plasmid backbones have acquired and co-opted TraT on independent occasions.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-55834-w |
| spellingShingle | Chloe Seddon Sophia David Joshua L. C. Wong Naito Ishimoto Shan He Jonathan Bradshaw Wen Wen Low Gad Frankel Konstantinos Beis Cryo-EM structure and evolutionary history of the conjugation surface exclusion protein TraT Nature Communications |
| title | Cryo-EM structure and evolutionary history of the conjugation surface exclusion protein TraT |
| title_full | Cryo-EM structure and evolutionary history of the conjugation surface exclusion protein TraT |
| title_fullStr | Cryo-EM structure and evolutionary history of the conjugation surface exclusion protein TraT |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cryo-EM structure and evolutionary history of the conjugation surface exclusion protein TraT |
| title_short | Cryo-EM structure and evolutionary history of the conjugation surface exclusion protein TraT |
| title_sort | cryo em structure and evolutionary history of the conjugation surface exclusion protein trat |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-55834-w |
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