Biophysical characterization of Eag chaperones suggests the mechanism of effector transmembrane domain release

The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a dynamic protein nanomachine found in Gram-negative bacteria that secretes toxic effectors into prey-cells. For secretion, effectors require chaperones or adaptors for proper loading onto the T6SS. Effector associated genes (Eags) are a family of T6SS chaperones that stabilize N-terminal transmembrane domains (TMDs) found in thousands of effectors. Eags are essential for secretion and inhibit effector …