A disease resistance protein triggers oligomerization of its NLR helper into a hexameric resistosome to mediate innate immunity.

NRCs are essential helper NLR (nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat) proteins that execute immune responses triggered by sensor NLRs. The resting state of NbNRC2 was recently shown to be a homodimer, but the sensor-activated state remains unclear. Using cryo-EM, we determined the structure of sensor-activated NbNRC2, which forms a hexameric inflammasome-like resistosome.

Differential temporal release and lipoprotein loading in B. thetaiotaomicron bacterial extracellular vesicles.

Bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEVs) contribute to stress responses, quorum sensing, biofilm formation and interspecies and interkingdom communication. However, the factors that regulate their release and heterogeneity are not well understood. We set out to investigate these factors in the common gut commensal Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron by studying BEV release throughout their growth cycle.

Protein encapsulation within the internal cavity of a bacterioferritin.

The thermal and chemical stability of 24mer ferritins has led to attempts to exploit their naturally occurring nanoscale (8 nm) internal cavities for biotechnological applications. An area of increasing interest is the encapsulation of molecules either for medical or biocatalysis applications. Encapsulation requires ferritin dissociation, typically induced using high temperature or acidic conditions (pH ≥ 2), which generally precludes the inclusion of fragile cargo such as proteins or peptide fragments.

The Use of a Replicating Virus Vector For Generation of Tobacco Mosaic Virus Nanorods Suitable For Metallization.

The production of designer-length tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) nanorods in plants has been problematic in terms of yields, particularly when modified coat protein subunits are incorporated. To address this, we have investigated the use of a replicating potato virus X-based vector (pEff) to express defined length nanorods containing either wild-type or modified versions of the TMV coat protein. This system has previously been shown to be an efficient method for producing virus-like particles of filamentous plant viruses.

A conserved cell division protein directly regulates FtsZ dynamics in filamentous and unicellular actinobacteria.

Bacterial cell division is driven by the polymerization of the GTPase FtsZ into a contractile structure, the so-called Z-ring. This essential process involves proteins that modulate FtsZ dynamics and hence the overall Z-ring architecture. Actinobacteria like and lack known key FtsZ-regulators.

Requirements for the Packaging of Geminivirus Circular Single-Stranded DNA: Effect of DNA Length and Coat Protein Sequence.

Geminivirus particles, consisting of a pair of twinned isometric structures, have one of the most distinctive capsids in the virological world. Until recently, there was little information as to how these structures are generated. To address this, we developed a system to produce capsid structures following the delivery of geminivirus coat protein and replicating circular single-stranded DNA (cssDNA) by the infiltration of gene constructs into plant leaves.

Covalent protein display on Hepatitis B core-like particles in plants through the in vivo use of the SpyTag/SpyCatcher system.

Virus-like particles (VLPs) can be used as nano-carriers and antigen-display systems in vaccine development and therapeutic applications. Conjugation of peptides or whole proteins to VLPs can be achieved using different methods such as the SpyTag/SpyCatcher system. Here we investigate the conjugation of tandem Hepatitis B core (tHBcAg) VLPs and the model antigen GFP in vivo in Nicotiana benthamiana.

The odd one out: Arabidopsis reticulon 20 does not bend ER membranes but has a role in lipid regulation.

Reticulons are integral ER membrane proteins characterised by a reticulon homology domain comprising four transmembrane domains which results in the proteins sitting in the membrane in a W-topology. Here we report on a novel subgroup of reticulons with an extended N-terminal domain and in particular on arabidopsis reticulon 20. Using high resolution confocal microscopy we show that reticulon 20 is located in a unique punctate pattern on the ER membrane.