Journal of Molecular Biology
Volume 415, Issue 5, 3 February 2012, Pages 918-928
A Structural Basis for Sustained Bacterial Adhesion: Biomechanical Properties of CFA/I Pili
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Graphical Abstract
Research Highlights
► CFA/I pili are flexible organelles optimized to withstand harsh motion without breaking. ► The force needed for pilus unwinding is a function of subunit–subunit interactions and the pitch of the subunits. ► ETEC- (enterotoxigenic E. coli) and UPEC (uropathogenic E. coli)-expressed helix-like pili show similar force–extension responses. ► CFA/I pili are easy to unwind but hard to linearize.
Abbreviations
ETEC
enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli
CFA/I
colonization factor antigen I
UPEC
uropathogenic Escherichia coli
FMOT
force-measuring optical tweezer
EM
electron microscopy
AFM
atomic force microscopy
LL
layer-to-layer
WLC
worm-like chain
DFS
dynamic force spectroscopy
PBS
phosphate buffer solution
PDB
Protein Data Bank
Keywords
enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli
unwinding
optical tweezers
fimbriae
force spectroscopy
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