Mycobacteria are characterized by their impermeable outer membrane, which is rich in mycolic acids. To transport substrates across this complex cell envelope, mycobacteria rely on type VII (also known as ESX) secretion systems. In Mycobacterium tuberculosis, these ESX systems are essential for growth and full virulence and therefore represent an attractive target for anti-tuberculosis drugs. However, the molecular details underlying type VII secretion are largely unknown, due to a lack of structural information. Here, we report the molecular architecture of the ESX-5 membrane complex from Mycobacterium xenopi determined at 13 Å resolution by electron microscopy. The four core proteins of the ESX-5 complex (EccB, EccC, EccD and EccE) assemble with equimolar stoichiometry into an oligomeric assembly that displays six-fold symmetry. This membrane-associated complex seems to be embedded exclusively in the inner membrane, which indicates that additional components are required to translocate substrates across the mycobacterial outer membrane. Furthermore, the extended cytosolic domains of the EccC ATPase, which interact with secretion effectors, are highly flexible, suggesting an as yet unseen mode of substrate interaction. Comparison of our results with known structures of other bacterial secretion systems demonstrates that the architecture of type VII secretion system is fundamentally different, suggesting an alternative secretion mechanism.

We have previously identified a Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant that is markedly more resistant than wild-type to Dahlia merckii antimicrobial peptide 1 (DmAMP1), an antifungal plant defensin isolated from seeds of dahlia (Dahlia merckii). A complementation approach was followed that consisted of the introduction of a genomic library of DmAMP1-sensitive wild-type yeast into the DmAMP1-resistant yeast mutant and screening for restored sensitivity to DmAMP1. The gene determining sensitivity of S. cerevisiae to DmAMP1 was identified as IPT1, a gene encoding an enzyme involved in the last step of the synthesis of the sphingolipid mannose-(inositol-phosphate)2-ceramide. Strains with a nonfunctional IPT1 allele lacked mannose-(inositol-phosphate)2-ceramide in their plasma membranes, bound significantly less DmAMP1 compared with wild-type strains, and were highly resistant to DmAMP1-mediated membrane permeabilization. All of these phenotypic deviations could be restored by reintroduction of a functional IPT1 gene. Our data support a model in which membrane patches containing sphingolipids act as binding sites for DmAMP1 or, alternatively, are required to anchor membrane or cell wallassociated proteins, which themselves interact with DmAMP1.

Summary Loss-of-function mutations in the NF1 tumor suppressor result in deregulated Ras signaling and drive tumorigenesis in the familial cancer syndrome neurofibromatosis type I. However, the extent to which NF1-inactivation promotes sporadic tumorigenesis is unknown. Here we report that NF1 is inactivated in sporadic gliomas via two mechanisms: excessive proteasomal degradation and genetic loss. NF1 protein destabilization is triggered by the hyperactivation of protein kinase C (PKC) and confers sensitivity to PKC inhibitors. However complete genetic loss, which only occurs when p53 is inactivated, mediates sensitivity to mTOR inhibitors. These studies reveal an expanding role for NF1-inactivation in sporadic gliomagenesis and illustrate how different mechanisms of inactivation are utilized in genetically distinct tumors, which consequently impacts therapeutic sensitivity. Significance Tumor suppressors are often mutated in human cancer; however, the excessive proteasomal destruction of tumor suppressor proteins also promotes tumorigenesis. Here we show that the NF1 protein is destabilized in sporadic GBMs as a consequence of the hyperactivation of PKC. Notably, this destabilization confers sensitivity to PKC inhibitors. In contrast, a separate subset of GBMs that possess NF1 mutations are insensitive to PKC inhibitors but are sensitive to mTOR inhibitors. These findings reveal a broad role for NF1-inactivation in gliomagenesis and illustrate how different mechanisms of inactivation are utilized in the same tumor-type. Moreover they highlight the importance of elucidating the molecular mechanisms that underlie tumorigenesis, as such knowledge may be essential for developing personalized therapies.

Summary The growth or virulence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli depends on homologous type VII secretion systems, ESX-1, ESX-3 and ESX-5, which export a number of protein effectors across membranes to the bacterial surface and environment. PE and PPE proteins represent two large families of highly polymorphic proteins that are secreted by these ESX systems. Recently, it was shown that these proteins require system-specific cytoplasmic chaperones for secretion. Here, we report the crystal structure of M. tuberculosis ESX-5-secreted PE25–PPE41 heterodimer in complex with the cytoplasmic chaperone EspG5. EspG5 represents a novel fold that is unrelated to previously characterized secretion chaperones. Functional analysis of the EspG5-binding region uncovered a hydrophobic patch on PPE41 that promotes dimer aggregation, and the chaperone effectively abolishes this process. We show that PPE41 contains a characteristic chaperone-binding sequence, the hh motif, which is highly conserved among ESX-1-, ESX-3- and ESX-5-specific PPE proteins. Disrupting the interaction between EspG5 and three different PPE target proteins by introducing different point mutations generally affected protein secretion. We further demonstrate that the EspG5 chaperone plays an important role in the ESX secretion mechanism by keeping aggregation-prone PE–PPE proteins in their soluble state.