They clarify how a bacterial toxin works that causes pneumonia

2022/12/21 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Mikrobiologia

A research team of scientists from the Institute of Biophysics (CSIC-UPV/EHU), the University of Jaume I and the University of Seville has discovered how a toxin produced by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, one of the main causes of pneumonia, kills bacteria from the environment. The work has been published in the journal Communications Biology.

One of the factors that make P. aeruginosa lethal is the T6SS secretion system. When found with other cells, the bacteria inject them with this secretion system. In the last decade there have been significant advances in the knowledge of this system, its importance in bacterial competence and in pathogenesis, but the identities and functions of most of the toxins it secretes are not yet known.

In this work it has been observed that Tse5 toxin kills other bacteria in its environment causing pores transporting membranes that depolise the bacterial membrane. According to researchers, knowing this mechanism can help find new strategies to fight these pathogenic bacteria.