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Nature 443, 511-512 (5 October 2006) | doi:10.1038/443511a; Published online 4 October 2006

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Microbiology: Death of a chaperone

Cesare Montecucco1 & Maurizio Molinari2

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To help their growth and spread, bacteria rely on virulence factors, many of which are toxic. One such factor is highly potent, as it attacks a key protein that 'chaperones' other proteins through their synthesis.

Microorganisms produce an almost infinite array of virulence factors. These molecules are shaped by evolution to alter selected physiological functions of the animal or plant hosts in such a way as to promote the microorganism's growth and/or spread in the world.

  1. Cesare Montecucco is in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, 2-35121 Padua, Italy. Email: cesare.montecucco@unipd.it
  2. Maurizio Molinari is at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Via Vincenzo Vela 6, CH-6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland. Email: maurizio.molinari@irb.unisi.ch

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