The Photorhabdus asymbiotica virulence cassettes deliver protein effectors directly into target eukaryotic cells

• DOI: 10.7554/elife.46259
• Publication Date: 2019-09-17T00:00:21Z
• Authors: Isabella Vlisidou; Alexia Hapeshi; Joseph RJ Healey; Katie Smart; Guowei Yang; Nicholas R Waterf...
• Keywords: Photorhabdus; Photorhabdus luminescens

Photorhabdus is a highly effective insect pathogen and symbiont of insecticidal nematodes. To exert its potent effects, it elaborates myriad toxins small molecule effectors. Among these, the Virulence Cassettes (PVCs) represent an elegant self-contained delivery mechanism for diverse protein toxins. Importantly, these nanosyringes overcome host cell membrane barriers, act independently, at distance from bacteria itself. In this study, we demonstrate that Pnf, PVC needle complex associated toxin, Rho-GTPase, which acts via deamidation transglutamination to disrupt cytoskeleton. TEM Western blots have shown physical association between Pnf cognate mechanism. We effect, translocation across absolutely essential.