Characterization of Two Rhs-Family Nuclease Toxins, YPO3609 and YPO3615, in Yersinia pestis
Ran Duan, Yu Han, Yali Su, Wei Li, Kunkun Wang, Saisen Ji, Yue Xiao, Yuanming Huang, Huaiqi Jing, Xin Wang, Biao Kan, Weili Liang · 2026
Read Characterization of Two Rhs-Family Nuclease Toxins, YPO3609 and YPO3615, in Yersinia pestis by Ran Duan, Yu Han, Yali Su, Wei Li, Kunkun Wang, Saisen Ji, Yue Xiao, Yuanming Huang, Huaiqi Jing, Xin Wang, Biao Kan, Weili Liang (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/PMC13515810.txt.
Description
Ran Duan leads a twelve-author team characterising two toxin proteins of the plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis, in a 2026 study. The proteins, YPO3609 and YPO3615, belong to the Rhs family, whose members often serve as weapons against rival bacteria. Their tail ends were suspected of cutting DNA. The team combined computer analysis with growth tests, DNA damage checks, stress reporters, and gene switching in a harmless host bacterium.
Both tail ends proved toxic when switched on: growth stalled, DNA degraded, stress alarms fired, and cells stretched into filaments. Each toxin had its own antidote protein next door in the genome, and swapping out single key building blocks dulled the toxins. One toxin's tail used a known nuclease motif, the other a scissor-like pair of acids. Relatives of both tails spread widely among related bacteria. Duan's team frames the pair as complete toxin-antidote modules that enrich plague biology.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Ran Duan, Yu Han, Yali Su, Wei Li, Kunkun Wang, Saisen Ji, Yue Xiao, Yuanming Huang, Huaiqi Jing, Xin Wang, Biao Kan, Weili Liang |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 39 KB |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |