Bacterial toxins: Offensive, defensive, or something else altogether?

Autor: Justine K Rudkin, Rachel M McLoughlin, Andrew Preston, Ruth C Massey
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2017
Předmět:
Zdroj: PLoS Pathogens, Vol 13, Iss 9, p e1006452 (2017)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1553-7366
1553-7374
DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006452
Popis: The secretion of proteins that damage host tissue is well established as integral to the infectious processes of many bacterial pathogens. However, recent advances in our understanding of the activity of toxins suggest that the attributes we have assigned to them from early in vitro experimentation have misled us into thinking of them as merely destructive tools. Here, we will discuss the multifarious ways in which toxins contribute to the lifestyle of bacteria and, by considering their activity from an evolutionary perspective, demonstrate how this extends far beyond their ability to destroy host tissue.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals