Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems
A special issue of Toxins (ISSN 2072-6651). This special issue belongs to the section "Bacterial Toxins".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2019) | Viewed by 57035
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Bacterial toxin–antitoxin (TA) systems are ubiquitous modules found in almost all sequenced bacterial genomes. They consist of two genes, one encoding a stable toxin, whose overexpression kills the cell or causes growth stasis, and the other encoding an unstable antitoxin that neutralizes toxin action. To date, four different TA systems are known. Whereas in type I and III TA systems, the antitoxin is a small RNA, in type II and IV systems, toxins and antitoxins are proteins. In addition, two single instances have been reported as type V and type VI TA modules, both with proteinaceous toxins and antitoxins. Toxins are small polypeptides that use a variety of molecular mechanisms to inhibit essential cellular processes, such as cell division, DNA replication, translation or membrane integrity. Although toxin targets are known in many instances, their identification is still a challenging issue.
So far, three major biological functions of TA modules have been discovered, post-segregational killing ("plasmid addiction"), abortive infection (bacteriophage immunity through altruistic suicide), and persister formation (antibiotic tolerance through dormancy). Other functions have been proposed, but have not yet been experimentally supported. Many genomes carry multiple TA systems that frequently employ different mechanisms of growth inhibition.
This Special Issue will focus on the discovery and biological functions of new TA systems of all types, the characterization of toxins and the identification of their cellular targets, as well as regulatory mechanisms used by the corresponding antitoxins.
Dr. Sabine Brantl
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- Toxin–antitoxin systems
- Toxins
- Antitoxins
- Postsegregational killing
- Abortive infection
- Persister formation
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