Structure of an F-type phage tail-like bacteriocin from Listeria monocytogenes

• Published in: Nature communications 2025-02, Vol.16 (1), p.1695, Article 1695
• Main Authors: Gu, Zhiwei, Ge, Xiaofei, Wang, Jiawei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 101/28; 631/326/596/432; 631/45/535; 631/535/1258/1259; 631/57/2272; Anti-Bacterial Agents - chemistry; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Atomic properties; Atomic structure; Bactericidal activity; Bacteriocins; Bacteriocins - chemistry; Bacteriocins - metabolism; Bacteriocins - pharmacology; Bacteriophages - genetics; Bacteriophages - metabolism; Cell death; Contractility; Crystallography, X-Ray; Genetic engineering; Humanities and Social Sciences; Listeria; Listeria monocytogenes; Listeria monocytogenes - drug effects; Listeria monocytogenes - virology; Models, Molecular; Molecular structure; multidisciplinary; Phages; Protein structure; Proteins; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Viral Tail Proteins - chemistry; Viral Tail Proteins - genetics; Viral Tail Proteins - metabolism
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57075-3

F-type phage tail-like bacteriocins (PTLBs) are high-molecular-weight protein complexes exhibiting bactericidal activity and share evolutionary similarities with the tails of non-contractile siphoviruses. In this study, we present the atomic structure of monocin, a genetically engineered F-type PTLB from Listeria monocytogenes . Our detailed atomic-level analysis, excluding two chaperone proteins, provides crucial insights into the molecular architecture of F-type PTLBs. The core structure of monocin resembles TP901-1-like phage tails, featuring three side fibers with receptor-binding domains that connect to the baseplate for host adhesion. Based on these findings, we propose a potential mechanism by which F-type PTLBs induce cell death, offering a foundation for developing targeted antibacterial therapies. F-type phage-tail like bacteriocins (PTLBs) are protein complexes with bactericidal activity and share similarity with non-contractile phage tails. Here, authors report the atomic structure of monocin, an F-type PTLB from listeria monocytogenes.