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Sensing stability

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Bacterial pili are surface fibers that must resist high shearing forces to remain associated with their target. The Escherichia coli type 1 pilus chaperone FimC serves as a 'sensor', ensuring that only stable pilins become incorporated into the growing fiber.

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Figure 1: 'Snapshot' model of type 1 pilus formation, including folding of FimA and its incorporation into the pilus fiber at the FimD usher.

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Author notes

  1. David Neves and Andréa Dessen: Both authors are at the Brazilian National Laboratory for Biosciences, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Andréa Dessen is at the Institut de Biologie Structurale, Bacterial Pathogenesis Group (Université Grenoble I, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Comissariat à l'Enérgie Atomique), Grenoble, France.,

    Andréa Dessen

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  1. David Neves
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  2. Andréa Dessen
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Correspondence to Andréa Dessen.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Neves, D., Dessen, A. Sensing stability. Nat Chem Biol 8, 681–682 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.1026

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.1026

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