PilC/PilY1 proteins are tip-located adhesins of type IV pili (T4P) that are critical for T4P function in diverse behaviors including twitching moti...

Here, the authors elucidate TMPRSS2 protease recognition of the SARS-CoV-2 spike S2′ cleavage site, revealing the molecular basis of activation of membrane fusion, and show that antibodies recognizing...

A bile acid-bound structure of toxin TcdB revealed the mechanism of inhibition and guided the design of a synthetic bile acid that alleviated Clostridioides difficile infection in mice.

Author summary Type IV pili enable Pseudomonas aeruginosa to attach to surfaces, move (twitch), and form biofilms. Pilus extension is powered by the motor protein PilB, which is regulated by other fac...

The ability of bacteria to sense and respond to contact with surfaces is important for triggering changes in secondary messenger levels and gene expression, leading to the formation of biofilms and in...

In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, retractable protein filaments called type IV pili (T4P) facilitate surface adherence, sensing, and directional movement known as twitching motility. T4P are necessary for th...

The bacterial Tad pilus extends and retracts using a single bifunctional ATPase CpaF. Here, the authors employ cryo-EM, fluorescent microscopy, and AlphaFold modelling to propose how a rotary mechanis...

Cryo electron microscopy (cryo EM) is a major structural biology method for studying macromolecular complexes and cellular structures in their native states. Stable high resolution cryo microscopes, …

Bacteria colonize surfaces through complex mechanisms of surface sensing. Pili are dynamic bacterial appendages that play an important role in this process. In Caulobacter crescentus , tension on retr...