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The Chlamydia trachomatis type III-secreted effector protein CteG induces centrosome amplification through interactions with centrin-2
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

The Chlamydia trachomatis type III-secreted effector protein CteG induces centrosome amplification through interactions with centrin-2

Brianna Steiert, Carolina M Icardi, Robert Faris, Paige N McCaslin, Parker Smith, Aloysius J Klingelhutz, Peter M Yau and Mary M Weber
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS, Vol.120(20), e2303487120
05/16/2023
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2303487120
PMCID: PMC10193975
PMID: 37155906
url
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2303487120View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

The centrosome is the main microtubule organizing center of the cell and is crucial for mitotic spindle assembly, chromosome segregation, and cell division. Centrosome duplication is tightly controlled, yet several pathogens, most notably oncogenic viruses, perturb this process leading to increased centrosome numbers. Infection by the obligate intracellular bacterium ( ) correlates with blocked cytokinesis, supernumerary centrosomes, and multipolar spindles; however, the mechanisms behind how induces these cellular abnormalities remain largely unknown. Here we show that the secreted effector protein, CteG, binds to centrin-2 (CETN2), a key structural component of centrosomes and regulator of centriole duplication. Our data indicate that both CteG and CETN2 are necessary for infection-induced centrosome amplification, in a manner that requires the C-terminus of CteG. Strikingly, CteG is important for in vivo infection and growth in primary cervical cells but is dispensable for growth in immortalized cells, highlighting the importance of this effector protein to chlamydial infection. These findings begin to provide mechanistic insight into how induces cellular abnormalities during infection, but also indicate that obligate intracellular bacteria may contribute to cellular transformation events. Centrosome amplification mediated by CteG-CETN2 interactions may explain why chlamydial infection leads to an increased risk of cervical or ovarian cancer.
Cell Division Centrosome - metabolism Cervix Uteri Chlamydia trachomatis Chromosome Segregation Female Humans Spindle Apparatus - metabolism

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