Some bacteria attack using spring-loaded poison daggers
Monday, February 27, 2012 - 18:30
in Biology & Nature
Bacteria have evolved different systems for secreting proteins. One, called a type VI secretion system, is found in about a quarter of all bacteria with two membranes. Despite being common, researchers have not understood how it works. Now scientists have figured out the structure of the type VI secretion system apparatus and proposed how it might work -- by shooting spring-loaded poison molecular daggers.