F‐Type Pyocin Versus Phage λ Tail: Conserved Hub, Divergent Fibers
4 affiliations
- 1State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure School of Life Sciences Tsinghua University Beijing P. R. China
- 2State Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity and Innovative Utilization Institute of Microbiology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing P. R. China
- 3University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing P. R. China
- 4Health and Wellness City University of Macau Macau P. R. China
Abstract
Bacteriocins are ribosomally synthesized antimicrobial peptides or proteins that offer an alternative to conventional antibiotics against multidrug‐resistant pathogens. Phage tail‐like bacteriocins (tailocins) are classified into rigid R‐type and flexible F‐type variants. While R‐type pyocins from Pseudomonas aeruginosa are well‐characterized, F‐type pyocins remain poorly understood, especially with respect to the molecular mechanisms for their Gram‐negative bactericidal activity. Here, we report cryo‐electron microscopy structures of the F‐type pyocin from P. aeruginosa ATCC 15442 at 2.29–3.26 Å resolution, encompassing three modular components: the tail cap, tail tip, and tail fiber. Structural comparisons with bacteriophage λ reveal a conserved tail tip architecture, including the baseplate hub proteins, distal tail protein, tail assembly protein, and tape measure protein. Unexpectedly, we identify three trimeric side fibers that attach not to the distal tail protein, as in canonical systems, but to the α‐helical shaft of the central fiber, indicating a previously unrecognized attachment mode. The receptor‐binding domain of the side fiber shares structural similarity with LPS‐recognizing domains of R‐type pyocins. Together, these results define the structural basis of F‐type pyocin assembly and host recognition, reveal conserved and unique features relative to phage λ, and provide a framework for engineering tailocins as precision antimicrobials against drug‐resistant P. aeruginosa.
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BibTeX
@article{gu2026ftype,
title = {{F‐Type Pyocin Versus Phage λ Tail: Conserved Hub, Divergent Fibers}},
author = {Zhiwei Gu and Yufan Xie and Lanxin Wang and Luyan Ma and Xiaofei Ge and Jiawei Wang},
journal = {Advanced Science},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1002/advs.77063},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.77063},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - F‐Type Pyocin Versus Phage λ Tail: Conserved Hub, Divergent Fibers
AU - Zhiwei Gu
AU - Yufan Xie
AU - Lanxin Wang
AU - Luyan Ma
AU - Xiaofei Ge
AU - Jiawei Wang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/10
JO - Advanced Science
DO - 10.1002/advs.77063
UR - https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.77063
AB - Bacteriocins are ribosomally synthesized antimicrobial peptides or proteins that offer an alternative to conventional antibiotics against multidrug‐resistant pathogens. Phage tail‐like bacteriocins (tailocins) are classified into rigid R‐type and flexible F‐type variants. While R‐type pyocins from Pseudomonas aeruginosa are well‐characterized, F‐type pyocins remain poorly understood, especially with respect to the molecular mechanisms for their Gram‐negative bactericidal activity. Here, we report cryo‐electron microscopy structures of the F‐type pyocin from P. aeruginosa ATCC 15442 at 2.29–3.26 Å resolution, encompassing three modular components: the tail cap, tail tip, and tail fiber. Structural comparisons with bacteriophage λ reveal a conserved tail tip architecture, including the baseplate hub proteins, distal tail protein, tail assembly protein, and tape measure protein. Unexpectedly, we identify three trimeric side fibers that attach not to the distal tail protein, as in canonical systems, but to the α‐helical shaft of the central fiber, indicating a previously unrecognized attachment mode. The receptor‐binding domain of the side fiber shares structural similarity with LPS‐recognizing domains of R‐type pyocins. Together, these results define the structural basis of F‐type pyocin assembly and host recognition, reveal conserved and unique features relative to phage λ, and provide a framework for engineering tailocins as precision antimicrobials against drug‐resistant P. aeruginosa.
SN - 2198-3844
ER -