M Tuberculosis Toxin-antitoxin Complex
Tuberculosis is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide, killing 10 million people around the world in 2017. Researchers at EMBL in Hamburg recently discovered that the Tuberculosis bacteria has a special toxin system with a surprising function. Once the system activated, all bacterial cells die and stop the disease.
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide. mTuberculosis is a species of pathogenic bacteria in the family Mycobacteriaceae and the causative agent of tuberculosis. Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems regulate fundamental cellular processes in bacteria and represent potential therapeutic targets.
The genome of the bacterium that causes TB holds a special toxin-antitoxin system with a surprising function: Once the toxin is activated, all bacterial cells die, stopping the disease. Researchers at EMBL in Hamburg investigated this promising feature for therapeutic targets.
Model Description
Biologic Model of M.tuberculosis Anti-toxin Complex MbsTA 3D printed in full-color sandstone and colored to visualize the different chains of the heterododecameric structure (trimer of heterotetramer) of MbcT-MbcA. Designed to accompany publication: Tuberculosis: Commandeering a bacterial ‘suicide’ mechanism
You can read more about the M Tuberculosis Anti-toxin Complex at Phys.org: LINK
3D Print M.tuberculosis Anti-toxin Complex
