Deep mutational scanning of PilE in Neisseria meningitidis

Type IV pili (TFP) are multifunctional micrometer-long filaments expressed at the surface of many prokaryotes. In Neisseria meningitidis, TFP are homopolymers of the major pilin PilE. They are crucial for virulence as they mediate interbacterial aggregation and adhesion to host cells although the mechanisms behind these functions remain unclear. Here, we simultaneously determined the regions of PilE involved in pili display, auto-aggregation and adhesion to human cells by using deep mutational scanning.