Research: Pump action2 April 2007 |
An NMR study has determined the structure of part of the type IV secretion system, which bacteria use to transfer DNA and proteins between cells.
Gabriel Waksman and colleagues worked with the Agrobacterium tumefaciens pump, but related pumps transfer DNA carrying drug resistance genes and proteins that damage host cells during infection. An understanding of the pump's structure may provide new targets for drug design.
External links
- Bayliss R et al. NMR structure of a complex between the VirB9/VirB7 interaction domains of the pKM101 type IV secretion system. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2007;104(5):1673–8.