The vapB-vapC Operon of Acidovorax citrulli Functions as a Bona-fide Toxin-Antitoxin Module.

ABSTRACT: Toxin-antitoxin systems are commonly found on plasmids and chromosomes of bacteria and archaea. These systems appear as biscystronic genes encoding a stable toxin and a labile antitoxin, which protects the cells from the toxin's activity. Under specific, mostly stressful conditions, the unstable antitoxin is degraded, the toxin becomes active and growth is arrested. Using genome analysis we identified a putative toxin-antitoxin encoding system in the genome of the plant pathogen Acidovorax citrulli. The system is homologous to vapB-vapC systems from other bacterial species. PCR and phylogenetic analyses suggested that this locus is unique to group II strains of A. citrulli. Using biochemical and molecular analyses we show that A. citrulli VapBC module is a bona-fide toxin-antitoxin module

SUBMITTER: Shavit R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4701950 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature