| RRC ID |
84017
|
| Author |
Caro L, Wei AD, Thomas CA, Posch G, Uremis A, Franzi MC, Abell SJ, Laszlo AH, Gundlach JH, Ramirez JM, Ailion M.
|
| Title |
Mechanism of an animal toxin-antidote system.
|
| Journal |
bioRxiv
|
| Abstract |
Toxin-antidote systems are selfish genetic elements composed of a linked toxin and antidote. The peel-1 zeel-1 toxin-antidote system in C. elegans consists of a transmembrane toxin protein PEEL-1 which acts cell autonomously to kill cells. Here we investigate the molecular mechanism of PEEL-1 toxicity. We find that PEEL-1 requires a small membrane protein, PMPL-1, for toxicity. Together, PEEL-1 and PMPL-1 are sufficient for toxicity in a heterologous system, HEK293T cells, and cause cell swelling and increased cell permeability to monovalent cations. Using purified proteins, we show that PEEL-1 and PMPL-1 allow ion flux through lipid bilayers and generate currents which resemble ion channel gating. Our work suggests that PEEL-1 kills cells by co-opting PMPL-1 and creating a cation channel.
|
| Published |
2024-6-13
|
| DOI |
10.1101/2024.06.11.598564
|
| PII |
2024.06.11.598564
|
| PMID |
38915716
|
| PMC |
PMC11195288
|
| Resource |
| C.elegans |
tm3419 |
