Unraveling lactococcal phage baseplate assembly by mass spectrometry

Mol Cell Proteomics. 2011 Sep;10(9):M111.009787. doi: 10.1074/mcp.M111.009787. Epub 2011 Jun 6.

Abstract

Bacteriophages belonging to the Caudovirales order possess a tail acting as a molecular machine used during infection to recognize the host and ensure high-efficiency genome delivery to the cell cytoplasm. They bear a large and sophisticated multiprotein organelle at their distal tail end, either a baseplate or a tail-tip, which is the control center for infectivity. We report here insights into the baseplate assembly pathways of two lactoccocal phages (p2 and TP901-1) using electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry. Based on our "block cloning" strategy we have expressed large complexes of their baseplates as well as several significant structural subcomplexes. Previous biophysical characterization using size-exclusion chromatography coupled with on-line light scattering and refractometry demonstrated that the overproduced recombinant proteins interact with each other to form large (up to 1.9 MDa) and stable assemblies. The structures of several of these complexes have been determined by x-ray diffraction or by electron microscopy. In this contribution, we demonstrate that electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry yields accurate mass measurements for the different baseplate complexes studied from which their stoichiometries can be discerned, and that the subspecies observed in the spectra provide valuable information on the assembly mechanisms of these large organelles.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Escherichia coli
  • Lactococcus lactis / virology
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Models, Molecular
  • Multiprotein Complexes / chemistry*
  • Multiprotein Complexes / metabolism
  • Open Reading Frames
  • Plasmids
  • Protein Binding / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry*
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Siphoviridae / chemistry*
  • Siphoviridae / genetics
  • Siphoviridae / metabolism
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / methods*
  • Viral Tail Proteins / chemistry*
  • Viral Tail Proteins / genetics
  • Viral Tail Proteins / metabolism
  • Virus Assembly / genetics

Substances

  • Multiprotein Complexes
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Viral Tail Proteins