M.tuberculosis Toxin-antitoxin Complex MbcT-MbcA

Model Description
Biologic Model of M.tuberculosis Anti-toxin Complex MbcT-MbcA 3D printed in full-color sandstone and colored to visualize the different chains of the heterododecameric structure (trimer of heterotetramer) of MbsT-MbsA. Designed to accompany publication: Tuberculosis: Commandeering a bacterial 'suicide' mechanism
Protein Description
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide. mTuberculosis is a species of pathogenic bacteria in the family Mycobacteriaceae and the causative agent of tuberculosis. Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems regulate fundamental cellular processes in bacteria and represent potential therapeutic targets. The genome of the bacterium that causes TB holds a special toxin-antitoxin system with a surprising function: Once the toxin is activated, all bacterial cells die, stopping the disease. Researchers at EMBL in Hamburg investigated this promising feature for therapeutic targets.