Functional characterization of toxin-antitoxin system in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Abstract

Toxin-Antitoxin (TA) system is abundant in the microbial genome, especially in bacteria and archaea. Its genetic elements and addiction modules with the role of bacterial persistence and virulence. The TA system consists of a toxin and most unstable antitoxin that could be a protein or non-encoded RNA, TA loci are chromosomally determined and their cellular functions are mostly unknown. Approximately 93 TA systems were demonstrated and more functionally available in M. tuberculosis (Mtb), the organism responsible for tuberculosis (TB). It is an airborne disease, which is causing ill-health to humans. M. tuberculosis possesses higher TA loci than other microbes and non-tubercle bacilli, the following TA types have been identified such as VapBC, MazEF, HigBA, RelBE, ParDE, DarTG, PemIK, MbcTA, and one tripartite type II TAC-Chaperone system. Toxin-antitoxin Database (TADB) brings a detailed update on Toxin-Antitoxin classification in the different pathogens such as staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus pneumonia, Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella flexneri, and helicobacter pylori, etc. So, this Toxin-Antitoxin system is a master regulator for bacterial growth, and an essential factor in analyzing the properties and function of disease persistence, biofilm formation, and pathogenicity. The TA system is an advanced tool to develop a new therapeutic agent against M. tuberculosis.