Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026

A Visual Assay to Monitor T6SS-mediated Bacterial Competition
Published on: March 20, 2013
A type VI secretion system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa targets a toxin to bacteria
Rachel D Hood1, Pragya Singh, Fosheng Hsu
1Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
Abstract:
The functional spectrum of a secretion system is defined by its substrates. Here we analyzed the secretomes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa mutants altered in regulation of the Hcp Secretion Island-I-encoded type VI secretion system (H1-T6SS). We identified three substrates of this system, proteins Tse1-3 (type six exported 1-3), which are coregulated with the secretory apparatus and secreted under tight posttranslational control. The Tse2 protein was found to be the toxin component of a toxin-immunity system and to arrest the growth of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells when expressed intracellularly. In contrast, secreted Tse2 had no effect on eukaryotic cells; however, it provided a major growth advantage for P. aeruginosa strains, relative to those lacking immunity, in a manner dependent on cell contact and the H1-T6SS. This demonstration that the T6SS targets a toxin to bacteria helps reconcile the structural and evolutionary relationship between the T6SS and the bacteriophage tail and spike.
More Related Videos
08:34Generation of In-Frame Gene Deletion Mutants in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Testing for Virulence Attenuation in a Simple Mouse Model of Infection
Published on: January 8, 2020
11:35Replication of the Ordered, Nonredundant Library of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PA14 Transposon Insertion Mutants
Published on: May 4, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Bacterial Toxins
Gram-negative Bacterial Protein Secretion Systems
Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing
Receptor-mediated Endocytosis
Clathrin-Mediated Endocytosis of LDL
One well-characterized example of receptor-mediated endocytosis is the...
Receptor-mediated Endocytosis
Inhalation Anthrax