Abstract
The type III secretion system (T3SS) is a virulence apparatus used by many Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria to cause infections. Pathogens utilizing a T3SS are responsible for millions of infections yearly. Since many T3SS knockout strains are incapable of causing systemic infection, the T3SS has emerged as an attractive anti-virulence target for therapeutic design. The T3SS is a multiprotein molecular syringe that enables pathogens to inject effector proteins into host cells. These effectors modify host cell mechanisms in a variety of ways beneficial to the pathogen. Due to the T3SS’s complex nature, there are numerous ways in which it can be targeted. This review will be focused on the direct targeting of components of the T3SS, including the needle, translocon, basal body, sorting platform, and effector proteins. Inhibitors will be considered a direct inhibitor if they have a binding partner that is a T3SS component, regardless of the inhibitory effect being structural or functional.
Highlights
The discovery and use of antibiotics have contributed to the overall increase in life expectancy throughout the world [1]
One notable anti-virulence target is the type III secretion system (T3SS), a virulence factor used by pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria [4,5]
As intimin binds to the extracellular loops of translocated intimin receptor (Tir), the phosphorylated tyrosines act upon focal adhesion proteins, including α-actinin [217], host pathways
Summary
The discovery and use of antibiotics have contributed to the overall increase in life expectancy throughout the world [1]. Some include the T3SS needle and translocon components in this distinction due to their secondary effects as virulence factors or an outdated convention [23,24,25,26], but in this review. Biomolecules 2021, 11, 316 include the T3SS needle and translocon components in this distinction due to their secondary effects as virulence factors or an outdated convention [23,24,25,26], but in this review effector proteins will be considered any protein secreted by the completed.
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