Virginia Meikle

This study shows that the M. tuberculosis ESX-5 secretion system is critical for growth on specific carbon sources, survival in macrophages, and replication in mice, suggesting it is a key virulence factor.

The paper determines the cryo-EM structure of the hexameric MmpS4-MmpL4 complex from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, revealing the coiled-coil domain and conformational changes compared to the monomer.

This study identifies a master control mechanism for protein secretion in M. tuberculosis involving the ESX-4 system and reveals its role in virulence and host cell interaction.