Bacterial toxins articles from across Nature Portfolio

ABC toxins are bacterial insecticides with biotechnological potential. Here, Low et al. have deciphered soluble and membrane-inserted structures of YenTc that highlight structural and mechanistic diversity in the ABC toxin family and provide insights into their evolution.

Botulinum toxins vary in oral toxicity, but the reasons are unclear. Here, the authors show that the differences can be due to variations in one of the toxin’s components, the hemagglutinin complex, which influence mucin binding and mucus layer penetration

Mycobacterium tuberculosis uses five ESX systems to secrete multiple effector proteins that are essential for the pathogen’s growth and virulence. Here, Nair et al. identify a protein complex that is required for outer-membrane localization and for secretion of all ESX-dependent proteins into the cytosol of infected macrophages.

In this Review, Basler and colleagues examine the type VI secretion system (T6SS), focusing on the diversity of antibacterial T6SS effectors and the evolutionary forces that shape them. They explain how effectors diversify and highlight interbacterial antagonism as a key driver of this process.

Here, the authors show that hepatic lipid accumulation induced by Helicobacter hepaticus involves mitochondrial dysfunction and disrupted lipid metabolism via CdtB-ROS-mTORC1-SREBP1 and NONO, highlighting CdtB as a key mediator and potential therapeutic target.

A low-carbohydrate diet or host mismatch-repair deficiency promotes colorectal cancer in synergy with colibactin-producing Escherichia coli, while soluble fibre supplements counteract these effects.

This study shows that the Campylobacter jejuni-derived genotoxin named cytolethal distending toxin promotes colorectal cancer metastasis.

Bacteroides fragilis employs two different mechanisms, secreted microbe- and host-targeting toxins, that facilitate successful colonization of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract.

This study finds that toxin–antitoxin systems can protect bacteria from phages by inducing abortive infection.

This month’s Genome Watch highlights how genome and transcriptome sequencing of newly identified endosymbionts helps to connect genetic information to their protective functions.

A CRISPR–Cas screen identifies a novel C. difficile toxin receptor.