Bacterial delivery system does much more than cause disease
Cianciotto NP, Mayoral J, Garnett JA
Plant Pathogens
The same bacterial machinery responsible for wilting tomatoes and rotting potatoes in the garden also helps those microbes fight off competing fungi and shrug off antibiotics, which is exactly why plant diseases can be so stubborn to control.
Many disease-causing bacteria use a tiny molecular machine to push proteins out through their outer wall, like a mailroom shipping packages to targets outside the cell. Researchers found this machine, called the T2SS, is far busier than anyone realized: it can ship over 100 different proteins, attack plants and animals alike, help bacteria build slimy biofilms, fend off fungal competitors, and even dodge antibiotics. Understanding how it recognizes what to ship could eventually help scientists design better ways to stop crop and garden diseases at the source.
Key Findings
The T2SS can secrete and display more than 100 different proteins on the bacterial cell surface, far more than the small set of digestive enzymes it was originally known for.
The system contributes to virulence against humans, animals, and plants by targeting nearly every stage of infection, and also promotes biofilm formation and metal-reduction reactions.
New evidence links the T2SS to interbacterial competition, antagonism against fungi and protozoa, and bacterial resistance to antibiotics, expanding its known roles well beyond nutrient scavenging.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists reviewed decades of research on a bacterial protein-delivery system called the T2SS and found it does far more than release digestive enzymes: it also drives disease in humans, animals, and plants, helps bacteria compete with rivals and fungi, and even helps them resist antibiotics.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Revisiting the type II secretion system: it is more than you might think.
SUMMARYOne of the first gram-negative protein secretion systems to be discovered was the type II secretion system (T2SS), in which proteins first cross the inner membrane mainly via the Sec translo...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Gene editing removes 97% of celiac-triggering proteins from bread wheat
It could mean that people with celiac disease — roughly 1 in 100 worldwide — may one day safely eat bread made from real wheat, without sacrificing the taste...
Soil health is the capacity of soil to function as a living ecosystem, supporting complex interactions between microorganisms, soil fauna, and plant communities. For plant science, soil health is critical because these biological and chemical soil properties directly control nutrient availability,
arrow_forward Explore topic