New research reveals the mechanism of "suicide" in combination with Bacillus

, according to a recent study, TB bacteria are killed by the toxins they produce unless the toxins are mesothlised by the detoxifying protein. The findings were published recently in the journal Molecular Cell. The team is now seeking to use this "suicide" mechanism for therapeutic purposes.
bacteria to synthesize molecules that are toxic to themselves. When exposed to harsh environments, these toxins slow the growth of bacterial populations until more favourable conditions are formed. Some toxins even kill the bacteria that produce them. The biological purpose of this "suicide" remains a subject of debate. It may act as an antiviral defense mechanism, killing infected bacteria to avoid unoptid neighbors. Or, when faced with nutritional scarcity, you may "sacrifice" some for the benefit of many people. Under normal conditions, bacteria produce detoxifying proteins that mesify toxins.
researchers found a "suicide toxin" called MvcT in mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. If it is not blocked by its antitoxin protein MbcA, MbcT toxin kills Mycobacteria tuberculosis by destroying its NAD storage.
led by Olivier Neyrolles, a CNRS researcher at IBBS, has demonstrated the therapeutic potential of the toxin. They infect people and mouse cells with mycobacteria tuberculosis strains that lack this toxin/antitoxin system - but they can artificially trigger the production of MvcT toxins. Toxin activation significantly reduces the number of bacteria infected with cells and improves survival in mice.
these findings pave the way for new treatments for tuberculosis, which remains one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide. Antibiotic resistance from certain mycobacteria tuberculosis strains only underlines this urgency. EMBL researchers have identified the three-dimensional structure of the MbcT-MbcA complex, and now different teams are working to find compounds that can release toxins from the antidotes associated with it. These molecules can also help fight other infectious diseases, as similar toxins/antitoxin systems have been detected in other pathogenic bacteria. (Bio Valley)