Regulation of toxin-antitoxin systems by proteolysis.

Abstract

Toxin-antitoxin systems are widely distributed among many bacterial species, including human pathogens. Regulation of type II TA system functions, where both components are proteins, relies on proteolysis. In this paper, we discuss the significant features of the antitoxin proteins important for proteolysis. Examples of the best described processes of antitoxin degradation are presented as well as the particular case of the ω-ε-ζ TA system.