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Toxin discovery reveals fresh ammunition for bacterial warfare

A previously unknown bacterial toxin has now been characterized. The protein is secreted into neighbouring cells, depleting them of essential energy-carrying molecules and so leading to the cells’ demise.
  1. Brent W. Anderson
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  2. Jue D. Wang
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To survive, bacteria must monopolize valuable resources. One way to do this is to attack and outcompete neighbouring cells — for example using the type VI secretion system, which injects neighbours with a toxin that can inhibit their growth or kill them1. Writing in Nature, Ahmad et al.2 describe a previously unknown toxin, Tas1, used in the type VI secretion system of the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Tas1 launches a two-pronged attack on cells: not only does it rapidly deplete them of essential energy-carrying ATP molecules, but it also produces a signalling molecule that prevents the synthesis of more ATP.

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Nature 575, 599-600 (2019)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-03217-9

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