Sporulation in Bacillus subtilis

SpoIIIA-SpoIIQ complex

Bacterial sporulation is a morphological differentiation process leading to the development of a spore that is resistant to extreme environments. Proper development of the spore requires the assembly of a multiprotein complex called the SpoIIIA-SpoIIQ complex or "A-Q complex". This complex displays similarities to endotoxin secretion systems and has been hypothesized to serve as a channel for molecular transport between the mother cell and the developing spore. We are studying the structure of the A-Q complex from Bacillus subtilis and Clostridia using biophysics, crystallography and cryo-EM.
Collaborations : G. Schoehn (IBS) ; D. Rudner (Harvard, Boston) ; C. Rodrigues (Univ. of Technology, Sydney, Australia).

3D reconstruction by electron cryo-electron microscopy of the multimeric SpoIIIAG ring and crystal structure of GerM, two major components of the A-Q complex

Rodrigues et al. 2016 PNAS 113, 11585.
Trouve et al. 2018 J. Struct. Biol. pii : S1047-8477(18)30270-3.