Structure of the lethal phage pinhole. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Perhaps the simplest of biological timing systems, bacteriophage holins accumulate during the phage morphogenesis period and then trigger to permeabilize the cytoplasmic membrane with lethal holes; thus, terminating the infection cycle. Canonical holins form very large holes that allow nonspecific release of fully-folded proteins, but a recently discovered class of holins, the pinholins, make much smaller holes, or pinholes, that serve only to depolarize the membrane. Here, we interrogate the structure of the prototype pinholin by negative-stain transmission electron-microscopy, cysteine-accessibility, and chemical cross-linking, as well as by computational approaches. Together, the results suggest that the pinholin forms symmetric heptameric structures with the hydrophilic surface of one transmembrane domain lining the surface of a central channel approximately 15 A in diameter. The structural model also suggests a rationale for the prehole state of the pinholin, the persistence of which defines the duration of the viral latent period, and for the sensitivity of the holin timing system to the energized state of the membrane.

published proceedings

  • Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

altmetric score

  • 7.056

author list (cited authors)

  • Pang, T., Savva, C. G., Fleming, K. G., Struck, D. K., & Young, R. y.

citation count

  • 63

complete list of authors

  • Pang, Ting||Savva, Christos G||Fleming, Karen G||Struck, Douglas K||Young, Ry

publication date

  • November 2009