Genome Property Definition Page

Accession

GenProp0056

Name

type IV pilus

Type

PHENOTYPIC

Description

Type IV pili, also called a type 4 fimbriae, are surface structures built from one major protein, pilin, oligomerized in a helical pattern to form a tube, and many minor structural proteins. Although usually found in gram-negative bacteria, there is one reported occurence found in the gram-positive speicies Streptococcus sanguis. Type IV pili can be used for flagellum-independent motility, called twitching motility (social gliding motility in Myxococcus xanthus), in which the pilus is extended, attached to a surface, and then retracted to drive the bacterium over a surface. Some genes for type IV pilus assembly are homologous to genes for type II protein secretion and competence for DNA uptake and transformation. Type IV pili may also be involved in conjugation, DNA transformation, pathogenesis, and phage infection [1].

Parent Property

GenProp0069: cell surface component
GenProp0073: cell motility
GenProp0074: virulence
GenProp0076: DNA handling

Literature References

[ 1 ]Mattick JS. Type IV pili and twitching motility. Annu Rev Microbiol. 2002;56:289-314. Epub 2002 Jan 30. PMID 12142488
[ 2 ]Carbonnelle E, Helaine S, Prouvensier L, Nassif X, Pelicic V Type IV pilus biogenesis in Neisseria meningitidis: PilW is involved in a step occurring after pilus assembly, essential for fibre stability and function. Mol Microbiol 2005 Jan;55(1):54-64. PMID 15612916

Gene Ontology Term

GO:0009289: pilus (cellular_component)

Parent Properties

Accession	Name
GenProp0069	cell surface component
GenProp0073	cell motility
GenProp0074	virulence
GenProp0076	DNA handling

Sibling Properties

Accession	Name
GenProp0007	flagella
GenProp0012	outer membrane
GenProp0022	S-layer
GenProp0062	capsule
GenProp0158	peptidoglycan(murein) biosynthesis
GenProp0297	lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis
GenProp0326	protein sorting system, PEP-CTERM/exosortase (generic)
GenProp0626	protein sorting system, sortase type, LPXTG/SrtA class
GenProp0664	protein sorting system, sortase type, SrtB class
GenProp0725	outer membrane protein assembly complex
GenProp0811	S-layer homology domain-mediated cell wall binding
GenProp0847	exosporium
GenProp0857	anchored repeat-class ABC transporter, P. acnes type
GenProp0859	protein sorting system, proteobacterial dedicated sortase type
GenProp0026	chemotaxis
GenProp0781	gliding motility, Bacteroidetes type
GenProp0848	actin-based motility of invasive bacteria
GenProp0032	pathogen of plants
GenProp0049	spore formation
GenProp0051	urease
GenProp0052	type III secretion
GenProp0154	intrinsic pathogen of animals
GenProp0648	phage shock protein regulon
GenProp0707	botulinum toxin system
GenProp0849	quorum-sensing, Bacillus PlcR-PapR system
GenProp0018	natural transformation
GenProp0115	DNA repair
GenProp0198	ruvABC Holliday junction complex
GenProp0311	competence-related genes
GenProp0489	F-type conjugation system
GenProp0490	Ti-type conjugation system
GenProp0699	DNA gyrase
GenProp0851	integration host factor
GenProp0855	integrating conjugative element, PFGI-1 class
GenProp0858	conjugative transposon, Bacteroides type