Savannah K. Bertolli

Dec 10, 2023 | biorxiv.org | Qinqin Zhao |Savannah K. Bertolli |Young-Jun Park |Yongjun Tan

AbstractThe Streptomyces are a genus of ubiquitous soil bacteria from which the majority of clinically utilized antibiotics derive. The production of these antibacterial molecules reflects the relentless competition Streptomyces engage in with other bacteria, including other Streptomyces species. Here we show that in addition to small molecule antibiotics, Streptomyces produce and secrete antibacterial protein complexes that feature a large, degenerate repeat-containing polymorphic toxin protein.