Toxin-antitoxin genes are ubiquitous in drug-resistant bacterial pathogens, and are used to maintain plasmids in host cells and/or to restrict cellular growth during times of stress. We have postulated that artificial activation of toxin-antitoxin systems (with a small molecule or peptide) could be a selective antibacterial strategy, and we have shown the prevalence and activity of these systems in the most difficult to treat drug-resistant bacterial pathogens.
Related Publications:
- Light Activation of Staphylococcus aureus Toxin YoeBSa1 Reveals Guanosine-Specific Endoribonuclease Activity
Larson, A. S.; Hergenrother, P. J.
Biochemistry 2014, 53, 188-201.
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- Detection of Endogenous MazF Enzymatic Activity in Staphylococcus aureus
van Rensburg, J. J.; Hergenrother, P. J.
Anal. Biochem. 2013, 443, 81-87.
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- Artificial Activation of Toxin-Antitoxin Systems as an Antibacterial Strategy
Williams, J. J.; Hergenrother, P. J.
Trends Microbiol. 2012, 20, 291-298.
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Faculty of 1000 Highlight
- Toxin-Antitoxin (TA) Systems are Prevalent and Transcribed in Clinical Isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Williams, J. J.; Halvorsen, E. M.; Dwyer, E. M.; DiFazio, R. M.; Hergenrother, P. J.
FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 2011, 322, 41-50.
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- Txe, an Endoribonuclease of the Enterococcal Axe-Txe Toxin-Antitoxin System, cleaves mRNA and inhibits protein synthesis
Halvorsen, E. M.; Williams, J. J.; Bhimani, A. J.; Billings, E. A.; Hergenrother, P. J.
Microbiology 2011, 157, 387-397.
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- Exposing Plasmids as the Achilles’ Heel of Drug-Resistant Bacteria
Williams, J. J.; Hergenrother, P. J.
Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol. 2008, 12, 389-399.
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- A Continuous Fluorometric Assay for the Assessment of MazF Ribonuclease Activity
Wang, N. R.; Hergenrother, P. J.
Anal. Biochem. 2007, 371, 173-183.
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- Toxin-Antitoxin System are Ubiquitous and Plasmid Encoded in Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE)
Moritz, E. M.; Hergenrother, P. J.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2007, 104, 311-316.
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- The Prevalence of Plasmids and Other Mobile Genetic Elements in Clinically Important Drug-Resistant Bacteria
Moritz, E. M.; Hergenrother, P. J.
Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria 2007, 25-53.
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- Bacterial Death comes Full Circle: Targeting Plasmid Replication in Drug-Resistant Bacteria
DeNap, J. C. B.; Hergenrother, P. J.
Org. Biomol. Chem. 2005, 3, 959 966.
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