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Legionella pneumophila proteins that regulate Rab1 membrane cycling

Nature volume 450, pages 365–369 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Rab1 is a GTPase that regulates the transport of endoplasmic-reticulum-derived vesicles in eukaryotic cells. The intracellular pathogen Legionella pneumophila subverts Rab1 function to create a vacuole that supports bacterial replication by a mechanism that is not well understood. Here we describe L. pneumophila proteins that control Rab1 activity directly. We show that a region in the DrrA (defect in Rab1 recruitment A) protein required for recruitment of Rab1 to membranes functions as a guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor displacement factor. A second region of the DrrA protein stimulated Rab1 activation by functioning as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor. The LepB protein was found to inactivate Rab1 by stimulating GTP hydrolysis, indicating that LepB has GTPase-activating protein activity that regulates removal of Rab proteins from membranes. Thus, L. pneumophila encodes proteins that regulate three distinct biochemical reactions critical for Rab GTPase membrane cycling to redirect Rab1 to the pathogen-occupied vacuole and to control Rab1 function.

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Figure 1: DrrA has GDF activity that is required for activation of Rab1 bound to Rab GDI.
Figure 2: LepB interacts with GTP-bound Rab1 and is detected on the early LCV.
Figure 3: LepB interacts with Rab1–GTP and disrupts secretory transport in mammalian cells.
Figure 4: LepB is a Rab1-specific GAP.

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Acknowledgements

We thank G. Warren for his advice on the Rab1 binding studies, and M. P. Stein and L. Chesnel for technical suggestions and advice. This work was supported by the NIH (C.R.R. and D.G.L.) and an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (A.I.).

Author Contributions C.R.R. supervised the project. A.I. conducted all of the experiments in this study with the exception of the GEF assays, which were conducted by A.D. D.G.L. assisted with the GAP assays. All authors contributed to the writing of the manuscript

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut 06536, USA ,

    Alyssa Ingmundson & Craig R. Roy

  2. Program in Molecular Medicine and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, UMASS Medical School Two Biotech, 373 Plantation Street, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA,

    Anna Delprato & David G. Lambright

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Correspondence to Craig R. Roy.

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Ingmundson, A., Delprato, A., Lambright, D. et al. Legionella pneumophila proteins that regulate Rab1 membrane cycling. Nature 450, 365–369 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06336

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