The Trojan horse of Staphylococcus aureus
Tuesday, November 20, 2018 - 14:40
in Biology & Nature
A weapons of Staphylococcus aureus is ?-toxin, which destroys host cells by forming pores in their membranes. Researchers at UNIGE have identified the mechanism that allows these pores to be harmful. They uncover how proteins of human cells assemble into a complex to which pores are docked. They also demonstrate that blocking the assembly of the complex by removing one of its elements allows pores to be removed from the membrane and cells to survive.