PXD066540-1

PXD066540 is an original dataset announced via ProteomeXchange.

Title	A New Family of Tubular Pilus from Microcystis aeruginosa, a Harmful Algal 2 Bloom Forming Cyanobacterium
Description	Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic prokaryotes vital to global biogeochemical cycles. However, some form harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) that disrupt ecosystems and produce toxins. The mechanisms by which these blooms form have yet to be fully understood, particularly the role of extracellular components. Here, we present a 2.4 Å cryo-EM structure of a pilus, termed the cyanobacterial tubular (CT) pilus, found in the cyanoHAB-forming species Microcystis aeruginosa. The pilin exhibits a novel protein fold, forming a tubular pilus structure with tight, double-layer anti-parallel β-sheet interactions. We show that CT pili are essential for buoyancy by facilitating the formation of micro-colonies, which increases drag force and prevents sinking. Furthermore, the CT pilus surface is heavily glycosylated with ten monosaccharide modifications per pilin. We also found that CT pili can enrich microcystin, potentially enhancing cellular resilience, and co-localize with iron-enriched extracellular matrix components. Thus, we propose that this pilus plays an important role in the proliferation of cyanoHABs. This newly discovered pilus family appears to be widely distributed across several cyanobacterial orders, including Chroococcales, Nostocales, and Synechococcales. Our structural and functional characterization of CT pili provide insights into cyanobacterial cell morphology, physiology, and toxin interactions, and identify potential targets for disrupting bloom formation.
HostingRepository	PRIDE
AnnounceDate	2026-02-09
AnnouncementXML	Submission_2026-02-08_16:08:58.837.xml
DigitalObjectIdentifier	https://dx.doi.org/10.6019/PXD066540
ReviewLevel	Peer-reviewed dataset
DatasetOrigin	Original dataset
RepositorySupport	Supported dataset by repository
PrimarySubmitter	John Ricca
SpeciesList	scientific name: Microcystis aeruginosa PCC 7806SL; NCBI TaxID: NEWT:1903187;
ModificationList	2-pyrrolidone-5-carboxylic acid (Gln)
Instrument	Orbitrap Fusion Lumos

Revision	Datetime	Status	ChangeLog Entry
0	2025-07-24 08:19:46	ID requested
⏵ 1	2026-02-08 16:08:59	announced

10.6019/PXD066540;

Ricca JG, Petersen HA, Grosvirt-Dramen A, Mayali X, Naylon SH, Duersch BG, Dufresne CP, Weber PK, Sonani RR, Prevelige PE, Hochbaum AI, Merk V, Louda JW, Wang F, A family of tubular pili from harmful algal bloom forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. Nat Commun, 16(1):8082(2025) [pubmed]

10.1038/s41467-025-63379-1;

submitter keyword: CT pili, Microcystis aeruginosa, Cryo-EM, Cyanobacteria

Bill Louda
contact affiliation	Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida.
contact email	blouda@fau.edu
lab head
John Ricca
contact affiliation	University of Strasbourg
contact email	jgricca@unistra.fr
dataset submitter

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PRIDE project URI

• PRIDE
  1. PXD066540
     1. Label: PRIDE project
     2. Name: A New Family of Tubular Pilus from Microcystis aeruginosa, a Harmful Algal 2 Bloom Forming Cyanobacterium