Studies on a Widely Distributed Phage Tail-Derived Toxin Injection System

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The viruses that infect bacteria (bacteriophages or phages) are the most abundant biological entities on earth. Most phages possess an icosahedral head containing their double-stranded DNA genome and a “tail” attached to one vertex of the head. The tail is responsible for attaching to the host bacterium and delivering the genome to the interior of the cell. As such, phage tails are very complex nanomachines with the ability to specifically bind the outer surface of bacteria, penetrate the cell wall and membranes, and inject macromolecules (DNA and proteins) into the cytoplasm. The tremendous effectiveness of phage tails as macromolecular injection devices has led to their being co-opted by bacteria for a variety of purposes, as exemplified by the Type VI secretion system, which is a widespread phage tail-derived virulence determinant in diverse Gram-negative organisms.