ArticlePLoS genetics2019
PilT and PilU are homohexameric ATPases that coordinate to retract type IVa pili.
Article in PLoS genetics, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 50 papers.
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Who cites it
50 citing papers in PubMed, 67 citations in OpenAlex.
- Discovery of PilU as a second type IV pilus retraction motor inJournal of bacteriology · 2026Article
- High-throughput recovery of integron cassettes for gene discovery screens.Nature microbiology · 2026Article
- Tandem receiver domain response regulator DrdR modulates swarming by controlling PilB/PilT activity inmLife · 2026Article
- Structural modeling reveals the mechanism of motor ATPase coordination during type IV pilus retraction.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026Article
- Analysis of the heterogenous structural states of the hexameric ATPase PilU of the type IV pili from Vibrio cholerae.Protein science : a publication of the Protein Society · 2026Article
- The stoichiometry of minor-to-major pilins regulates the dynamic activity of the type IVa competence pilus in Vibrio cholerae.PLoS genetics · 2026Article
- Visualization of Type IV Pili: Linking Structural Architecture, Dynamic Function, and Translational Opportunities.Biology · 2026Review
- Network-level divergence in cyclic di-GMP signalling drives ecological versatility in Acinetobacter baumannii.NPJ biofilms and microbiomes · 2026Article
- Analysis of the heterogenous structural states of the hexameric ATPase PilU of the Type IV pili frombioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Separation ofmBio · 2025Article
- Integrative Structure and Function of thebioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Phenotypic Characterization ofAntibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Environmental DNA adsorption to chitin can promote horizontal gene transfer by natural transformation.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025Article
- Cryo-Electron Microscopy of BfpB Reveals a Type IVb Secretin Multimer Adapted to Accommodate the Exceptionally Wide Bundle-Forming Pilus.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Xanthomonas oryzae Orphan Response Regulator EmvR Is Involved in Virulence, Extracellular Polysaccharide Production and Cell Motility.Molecular plant pathology · 2025Article
- Carbapenem-ResistantAntibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- The role of PilU in the surface behaviors ofmLife · 2025Article
- A Phage-Based Approach to Identify Antivirulence Inhibitors of Bacterial Type IV Pili.Microbial biotechnology · 2025Article
- Building permits-control of type IV pilus assembly by PilB and its cofactors.Journal of bacteriology · 2024Review
- Type IV pili ofEcoSal Plus · 2024Review
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Bacterial type IV pili are critical for diverse biological processes including horizontal gene transfer, surface sensing, biofilm formation, adherence, motility, and virulence. These dynamic appendages extend and retract from the cell surface. In many type IVa pilus systems, extension occurs through the action of an extension ATPase, often called PilB, while optimal retraction requires the action of a retraction ATPase, PilT. Many type IVa systems also encode a homolog of PilT called PilU. However, the function of this protein has remained unclear because pilU mutants exhibit inconsistent phenotypes among type IV pilus systems and because it is relatively understudied compared to PilT. Here, we study the type IVa competence pilus of Vibrio cholerae as a model system to define the role of PilU. We show that the ATPase activity of PilU is critical for pilus retraction in PilT Walker A and/or Walker B mutants. PilU does not, however, contribute to pilus retraction in ΔpilT strains. Thus, these data suggest that PilU is a bona fide retraction ATPase that supports pilus retraction in a PilT-dependent manner. We also found that a ΔpilU mutant exhibited a reduction in the force of retraction suggesting that PilU is important for generating maximal retraction forces. Additional in vitro and in vivo data show that PilT and PilU act as independent homo-hexamers that may form a complex to facilitate pilus retraction. Finally, we demonstrate that the role of PilU as a PilT-dependent retraction ATPase is conserved in Acinetobacter baylyi, suggesting that the role of PilU described here may be broadly applicable to other type IVa pilus systems.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.