Bacterial toxin HigB associates with ribosomes and mediates translation-dependent mRNA cleavage at A-rich sites.

ABSTRACT: Most pathogenic Proteus species are primarily associated with urinary tract infections, especially in persons with indwelling catheters or functional/anatomic abnormalities of the urinary tract. Urinary tract infections caused by Proteus vulgaris typically form biofilms and are resistant to commonly used antibiotics. The Rts1 conjugative plasmid from a clinical isolate of P. vulgaris carries over 300 predicted open reading frames, including antibiotic resistance genes. The maintenance of the Rts1 plasmid is ensured in part by the HigBA toxin-antitoxin system. We determined the precise mechanism of action of the HigB toxin in vivo, which is distinct from other known toxins. We demonstrate that HigB is an endoribonuclease whose enzymatic activity is dependent on association with ribosomes th

SUBMITTER: Hurley JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2707191 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature