R-type pyocins, produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, are sheath-tube nanomachines that puncture the envelopes of target cells, inducing their death. Cryo-EM studies reveal the atomic structures of the pyocin R2 in its extended precontraction and postcontraction forms, which suggest a mechanism for the contraction process of this molecular syringe.
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I would like to thank Z.H. Zhou and P. Leiman for providing illustrations.
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Orlova, E. A molecular syringe that kills cells. Nat Struct Mol Biol 22, 357–359 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb.3021
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb.3021
