Near-atomic resolution analysis of BipD, a component of the type III secretion system ofBurkholderia pseudomallei

Burkholderia pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis, possesses a type III protein secretion apparatus that is similar to those found in Salmonella and Shigella. A major function of these secretion systems is to inject virulence-associated proteins into target cells of the host organism. The bipD gene of B. pseudomallei encodes a secreted virulence factor that is similar in sequence and is most likely to be functionally analogous to IpaD from Shigella and SipD from Salmonella. Proteins in this family are thought to act as extracellular chaperones at the tip of the secretion needle to help the hydrophobic translocator proteins enter the target cell membrane, where they form a pore and may also link the translocon pore with the secretion needle. BipD has been crystallized in a monoclinic crystal form that diffracted X-rays to 1.5 Å resolution and the structure was refined to an R factor of 16.1% and an Rfree of 19.8% at this resolution. The putative dimer interface that was observed in previous crystal structures was retained and a larger surface area was buried in the new crystal form

Chapter 8: A View on South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Coast: Stressors and Coastal Management

South Africa has some of the finest beaches in the world, encompassing a pristine coastal stretch of Cape Vidal in KwaZulu-Natal to the Eastern Cape’s famous wild coast, from the penguin colony of Boulders beach to sun-drenched Camps Bay in the Western Cape. The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province of South Africa, also known as the “garden province,” is an extravagant and enticing destination flanked by the warm Indian Ocean on the east and soaring peaks to the west. The province stretches from Port Edward in the south to the borders of Swaziland and Mozambique to the north