Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Visualization of Bacterial Toxin Induced Responses Using Live Cell Fluorescence Microscopy
Published on: October 1, 2012
Bacterial toxin RelE induces apoptosis in human cells
T-A M Yamamoto1, K Gerdes, A Tunnacliffe
1Institute of Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, UK.
Abstract:
The bacterial protein RelE severely restricts prokaryotic cell growth, probably by acting as a global inhibitor of translation. It is ubiquitous in prokaryotes as part of the RelE-RelB toxin-antitoxin system, and may be activated by nutritional stress. When the relE gene from Escherichia coli was expressed inducibly in a human osteosarcoma cell line, it was shown to retard growth and to lead to cell death by apoptosis. RelE is therefore unusual among bacterial toxins in possessing broad activity against both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, perhaps by acting on evolutionarily conserved components of the translation machinery.
More Related Videos
08:51Applying an Inducible Expression System to Study Interference of Bacterial Virulence Factors with Intracellular Signaling
Published on: June 25, 2015
09:18Identification of Intracellular Signaling Events Induced in Viable Cells by Interaction with Neighboring Cells Undergoing Apoptotic Cell Death
Published on: December 27, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Receptor-mediated Endocytosis
Receptor-mediated Endocytosis
Clathrin-Mediated Endocytosis of LDL
One well-characterized example of receptor-mediated endocytosis is the...
The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway
Necrosis
Morphological Manifestations of Necrosis
Necrotic cells show different types of morphological appearance depending on the type of tissue and infection. In coagulative necrosis, cells become anucleated and die, but their...
Bacterial Toxins