Identification of a bacterial factor required for actin-based motility of Burkholderia pseudomallei

Mol Microbiol. 2005 Apr;56(1):40-53. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2004.04528.x.

Abstract

Burkholderia pseudomallei is a Gram-negative facultative intracellular pathogen that enters and escapes from eukaryotic cells using the power of actin polymerization. We have identified a bacterial protein (BimA) that is required for the ability of B. pseudomallei to induce the formation of actin tails. BimA contains proline-rich motifs and WH2-like domains and shares limited homology at the C-terminus with the Yersinia autosecreted adhesin YadA. BimA is located at the pole of the bacterial cell at which actin polymerization occurs and mutation of bimA abolished actin-based motility of the pathogen in J774.2 cells. Transient expression of BimA in HeLa cells resulted in F-actin clustering reminiscent of that seen on WASP overexpression. Antibody-mediated clustering of a CD32 chimera in which the cytoplasmic domain was replaced with BimA resulted in localization of the chimera to the tips of F-actin enriched membrane protrusions. We report that purified truncated BimA protein binds monomeric actin in a concentration-dependent manner in cosedimentation assays and that BimA stimulates actin polymerization in vitro in a manner independent of the cellular Arp2/3 complex.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actins / metabolism*
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics*
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Burkholderia pseudomallei / genetics
  • Burkholderia pseudomallei / metabolism
  • Burkholderia pseudomallei / physiology*
  • Cell Line
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial*
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Microfilament Proteins / chemistry
  • Microfilament Proteins / genetics*
  • Microfilament Proteins / metabolism
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Movement
  • Mutation
  • Proline

Substances

  • Actins
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • BimA protein, Burkholderia pseudomallei
  • Microfilament Proteins
  • Proline