A short C-terminal plug motif in a conserved type 4 pilus component controls pilus-tip localisation and filament biogenesis
It is shown that the last 12 residues of PilC, representing ∼1% of the protein, are both necessary and sufficient for pilus-tip localisation and filament biogenesis, defining the molecular basis of PilC/PilY1 function and localisation, and establishing a broadly applicable model for T4aP biogenesis.