Crystallographic analysis of Bacillus subtilis CsaA

Bacillus subtilis CsaA (BsCsaA) has been proposed to act as a protein-secretion chaperone in the Sec-dependent translocation pathway, possibly compensating for the lack of SecB in the Gram-positive eubacterium Bacillus subtilis. This paper presents the cloning, purification, crystallization and structures of BsCsaA in two space groups (P42₁2 and P3₂21) solved and refined to resolutions of 1.9 and 2.0 Å, respectively. These structures complement the previously available crystal structure of CsaA from the Gram-negative eubacterium Thermus thermophilus (TtCsaA) and provide a direct structural basis for the interpretation of previously available biochemical data on BsCsaA. The sequence and structure of the proposed substrate-binding pocket are analyzed and discussed. A comparison with the TtCsaA structure reveals a different pattern of electrostatic potential in the vicinity of the binding site, which overlaps with a region of high sequence variability. In addition, the dimerization interface of this homodimeric protein is analyzed and discussed.