Type I toxin-antitoxin systems in bacteria: from regulation to biological functions

Toxin-antitoxin systems are ubiquitous in the prokaryotic world and widely distributed among chromosomes and mobile genetic elements. Several different toxin-antitoxin system types exist, but what they all have in common is that toxin activity is prevented by the cognate antitoxin. In type I toxin-a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecosal plus 2024-05, p.eesp00252022-eesp00252022
Main Authors: Shore, Selene F H, Leinberger, Florian H, Fozo, Elizabeth M, Berghoff, Bork A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Domain 7 Genetics and Genetic Tools
Genetics and Molecular Biology
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Summary:Toxin-antitoxin systems are ubiquitous in the prokaryotic world and widely distributed among chromosomes and mobile genetic elements. Several different toxin-antitoxin system types exist, but what they all have in common is that toxin activity is prevented by the cognate antitoxin. In type I toxin-antitoxin systems, toxin production is controlled by an RNA antitoxin and by structural features inherent to the toxin messenger RNA. Most type I toxins are small membrane proteins that display a variety of cellular effects. While originally discovered as modules that stabilize plasmids, chromosomal type I toxin-antitoxin systems may also stabilize prophages, or serve important functions upon certain stress conditions and contribute to population-wide survival strategies. Here, we will describe the intricate RNA-based regulation of type I toxin-antitoxin systems and discuss their potential biological functions.
ISSN:2324-6200
2324-6200
DOI:10.1128/ecosalplus.esp-0025-2022