Pathogens: bacterial needles ruled to length and specificity.
The mechanisms behind length regulation of prokaryotic surface structures has long eluded microbiologists. The recent identification of a protein that functions as a 'molecular ruler' to determine the physical length of a bacterial extracellular needle advances our understanding of surface structure biogenesis.
Thomas
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The University of British Columbia, Biotechnology Laboratory, Vancouver, BC, Canada. nthomas@interchange.ubc.ca
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D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D022081:Cell Surface Extensions / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000166:cytology*; D008954:Models, Biological
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C479925:YscP protein, Yersinia enterocolitica