Structural insights into tiny bacterial harpoons
Friday, March 1, 2019 - 08:20
in Biology & Nature
New research sheds light onto how different bacterial species can build complex nano-harpoons with different protein building blocks. Bacteria use these harpoons called Type VI secretion systems to inject toxins into nearby cells. Researchers from the University of Sheffield found that while the proteins varied, there were structurally similar portions that interacted with the machinery.