mazEF: a chromosomal toxin-antitoxin module that triggers programmed cell death in bacteria

2005/09/22 by Hanna Engelberg-Kulka, Hanna Engelberg–Kulka, Ronen Hazan +1 · 29 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Environmental Science · #Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology #Bacteriophages and microbial interactions #Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria

paper · doi:10.1242/jcs.02619

Abstract

mazEF is a toxin-antitoxin module located on the Escherichia coli chromosome and that of some other bacteria, including pathogens. mazF specifies for a stable toxin, MazF, and mazE specifies for a labile antitoxin, MazE, that antagonizes MazF. MazF is a sequence-specific mRNA endoribonuclease that initiates a programmed cell death pathway in response to various stresses. The mazEF-mediated death pathway can act as a defense mechanism that prevents the spread of bacterial phage infection, allowing bacterial populations to behave like multicellular organisms.

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