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| Title | Specialized Listeria monocytogenes produce tailocins to provide a population-level competitive growth advantage. |
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| Journal, issue, pages | Nat Microbiol, Vol. 9, Issue 10, Page 2727-2737, Year 2024 |
| Publish date | Sep 19, 2024 |
Authors | Nadejda Sigal / Rotem Lichtenstein-Wolfheim / Shai Schlussel / Gil Azulay / Ilya Borovok / Vered Holdengraber / Nadav Elad / Sharon G Wolf / Ran Zalk / Raz Zarivach / Gabriel A Frank / Anat A Herskovits / ![]() |
| PubMed Abstract | Tailocins are phage tail-like bacteriocins produced by various bacterial species to kill kin competitors. Given that tailocin release is dependent upon cell lysis, regulation of tailocin production ...Tailocins are phage tail-like bacteriocins produced by various bacterial species to kill kin competitors. Given that tailocin release is dependent upon cell lysis, regulation of tailocin production at the single-cell and population level remains unclear. Here we used flow cytometry, competition assays and structural characterization of tailocin production in a human bacterial pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes. We revealed that a specialized subpopulation, constituting less than 1% of the total bacterial population, differentiates to produce, assemble and store thousands of tailocin particles. Tailocins are packed in a highly ordered manner, clustered in a liquid crystalline phase that occupies a substantial volume of the cell. Tailocin production confers a competitive growth advantage for the rest of the population. This study provides molecular insights into tailocin production as a form of altruism, showing how cell specialization within bacterial populations can confer competitive advantages at the population level. |
External links | Nat Microbiol / PubMed:39300324 |
| Methods | EM (helical sym.) |
| Resolution | 2.3 Å |
| Structure data | EMDB-18416, PDB-8qhs: |
| Chemicals | ![]() ChemComp-HOH: |
| Source |
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Keywords | TOXIN / Listeria / monocytogenes / tailocins |
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Listera (plant)
listeria monocytogenes 10403s (bacteria)
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