1887

Abstract

The operon encodes a toxin–antitoxin (TA) pair, Axe–Txe, that was initially identified on the multidrug-resistance plasmid pRUM in . In , expression of the Txe toxin is known to inhibit cell growth, and co-expression of the antitoxin, Axe, counteracts the toxic effect of Txe. Here, we report the nucleotide sequence of pS177, a 39 kb multidrug-resistant plasmid isolated from vancomycin-resistant , which harbours the operon and the gene cluster. RT-PCR analysis revealed that the transcript is produced by strain S177 as well as by other vancomycin-resistant enteroccoci. Moreover, we determine the mechanism by which the Txe protein exerts its toxic activity. Txe inhibits protein synthesis in without affecting DNA or RNA synthesis, and inhibits protein synthesis in a cell-free system. Using primer extension analysis, we demonstrate that Txe preferentially cleaves single-stranded mRNA at the first base after an AUG start codon. We conclude that Txe is an endoribonuclease which cleaves mRNA and inhibits protein synthesis.

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2011-02-01
2024-03-29
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