1. The T3SS apparatus consists of rings that provide a continuous path across the inner (IM) and outer (OM) bacterial membranes, including the peptidoglycan layer (PGN).
The T3SS apparatus consists of rings that provide a continuous path across the inner (IM) and outer (OM) bacterial membranes, including the peptidoglycan layer (PGN). A needle-like structure associates with the outer membrane ring and projects from the bacterial surface. Considering the hollow tube-like morphology of the needle, an attractive theory is that the effector proteins are transported through the hollow center of this structure.
Bryan Coburn et al. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 2007; doi: /CMR