Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32239779›Full record

ArticleMolecular microbiology2020

The TraK accessory factor activates substrate transfer through the pKM101 type IV secretion system independently of its role in relaxosome assembly.

Yang Grace Li, Peter J Christie

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular microbiology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
16citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

16 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Conjugative delivery of toxin genesJournal of bacteriology · 2025
    Article
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  10. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Yang Grace LiDepartment of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA.
Peter J ChristieDepartment of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9799-7067

Funding

TRANSLOCATION OF DNA ACROSS THE AGROBACTERIUM ENVELOPER01GM048746 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · PI CHRISTIE, PETER J. · 1998 to 2018
$6.9M
Biological And Structural Diversity Of Bacterial Type IV Secretion SystemsR35GM131892 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · PI PETER j. CHRISTIE · 2019 to 2026
$3.8M
NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM048746NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM131892
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

A large subfamily of the type IV secretion systems (T4SSs), termed the conjugation systems, transmit mobile genetic elements (MGEs) among many bacterial species. In the initiating steps of conjugative transfer, DNA transfer and replication (Dtr) proteins assemble at the origin-of-transfer (oriT) sequence as the relaxosome, which nicks the DNA strand destined for transfer and couples the nicked substrate with the VirD4-like substrate receptor. Here, we defined contributions of the Dtr protein TraK, a predicted member of the Ribbon-Helix-Helix (RHH) family of DNA-binding proteins, to transfer of DNA and protein substrates through the pKM101-encoded T4SS. Using a combination of cross-linking/affinity pull-downs and two-hybrid assays, we determined that TraK self-associates as a probable tetramer and also forms heteromeric contacts with pKM101-encoded TraI relaxase, VirD4-like TraJ receptor, and VirB11-like and VirB4-like ATPases, TraG and TraB, respectively. TraK also promotes stable TraJ-TraB complex formation and stimulates binding of TraI with TraB. Finally, TraK is required for or strongly stimulates the transfer of cognate (pKM101, TraI relaxase) and noncognate (RSF1010, MobA relaxase) substrates. We propose that TraK functions not only to nucleate pKM101 relaxosome assembly, but also to activate the Tra

Indexed as

Adenosine TriphosphatasesBacterial Outer Membrane ProteinsBacterial ProteinsConjugation, GeneticDNA, BacterialDNA-Binding ProteinsEscherichia coliEscherichia coli ProteinsMembrane ProteinsNucleoproteinsPeriplasmic ProteinsPlasmidsType IV Secretion SystemsAdenosine TriphosphatasesBacterial Outer Membrane ProteinsBacterial ProteinsDNA, BacterialDNA-Binding ProteinsEscherichia coli ProteinsMembrane ProteinsNucleoproteinsPeriplasmic ProteinstraB protein, BacteriaTraG protein, E coliTraJ protein, E colitraK protein, E coliType IV Secretion Systemsaccessory factorconjugationrelaxosometraffic ATPasetranslocationtype IV secretion

Identifiers

PMID32239779
PMCPMC7529830

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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.