MRNA INTERFERASE FROM MYXOCOCCUS XANTHUS

摘要

A regulated deployment of a toxin gene for developmental programmed cell death in bacteria is described. M. xanthus is demonstrated to have a solitary mazF gene that lacks a cotranscribed antitoxin gene. Deletion of mazF results in elimination of the obligatory cell death during development causing dramatic reduction in spore formation. Surprisingly, MrpC functions as a MazF antitoxin and a mazF transcription activator. Transcription of mrpC and mazF is negatively regulated via MrpC phosphorylation by a Ser/Thr kinase cascade. Various methods of exploiting this novel pathway are described herein.