FimC, a chaperone-like periplasmic protein of Escherichia coli involved in biogenesis of type 1 fimbriae.

The product of the fimC gene of Escherichia coli K12 is required for the biogenesis of type 1 fimbriae. Mutations within the fimC gene abolish fimbrial synthesis. The FimC protein was found to be processed and the mature version was located in the periplasm. Unlike similar fimbrial systems, the major type 1 fimbriae structural protein FimA was found to be significantly resistant to proteolytic degradation when present in the periplasm in a fimC- host background. The fimC gene was sequenced, and the deduced primary structure of the FimC protein was compared to other similar known proteins involved in the biogenesis of various fimbriae.