Structural characterization of the Sel1-like repeat protein LceB from Legionella pneumophila

Abstract

Legionella are freshwater Gram-negative bacteria that in their normal environment infect protozoa. However, this adaptation also allows Legionella to infect human alveolar macrophages and cause pneumonia. Central to Legionella pathogenesis are more than 330 secreted effectors, of which there are 9 core effectors that are conserved in all pathogenic species. Despite their importance, the biochemical function of several core effectors remains unclear. To address this, we have taken a structural approach to characterize the core effector of unknown function LceB, or Lpg1356, from Legionella pneumophila. Here we solve an X-ray crystal structure of LceB using an AlphaFold model for molecular replacement. The experimental structure shows that LceB adopts a Sel1- like repeat fold as predicted. However, the crystal structure captured multiple conformations of LceB all of which differed from the AlphaFold model. Comparison of the predicted model and the experimental models suggests that LceB is highly flexible in solution. Additionally, molecular analysis of LceB using its close structural homologues reveals sequence and structural motifs of known biochemical function.