Type II Toxin-Antitoxin Systems in the Unicellular Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.

ABSTRACT: Bacterial toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are genetic elements, which are encoded by plasmid as well as chromosomal loci. They mediate plasmid and genomic island maintenance through post-segregational killing mechanisms but may also have milder effects, acting as mobile stress response systems that help certain cells of a population in persisting adverse growth conditions. Very few cyanobacterial TA system have been characterized thus far. In this work, we focus on the cyanobacterium Synechocystis 6803, a widely used model organism. We expand the number of putative Type II TA systems from 36 to 69 plus seven stand-alone components. Forty-seven TA pairs are located on the chromosome and 22 are plasmid-located. Different types of toxins are associated with various antitoxins in a mix and match

SUBMITTER: Kopfmann S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4963859 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature