Yeast viral killer toxins: lethality and self-protection.
Since the discovery of toxin-secreting killer yeasts more than 40 years ago, research into this phenomenon has provided insights into eukaryotic cell biology and virus-host-cell interactions. This review focuses on the most recent advances in our understanding of the basic biology of virus-carrying killer yeasts, in particular the toxin-encoding killer viruses, and the intracellular processing, maturation and toxicity of the viral protein toxins. The strategy of using eukaryotic viral toxins to effectively penetrate and eventually kill a eukaryotic target cell will be discussed, and the cellular mechanisms of self-defence and protective immunity will also be addressed.
Applied Molecular Biology, University of the Saarland, D-66041 Saarbrücken, Germany. mjs@microbiol.uni-sb.de
Manfred J
MJ
Schmitt
Frank
F
Breinig
D017209:Apoptosis; D001692:Biological Transport; D003600:Cytosol / Q000276:immunology; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007473:Ion Channels; D055646:Killer Factors, Yeast; D009183:Mycotoxins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012328:RNA Viruses / Q000502:physiology; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D014779:Virus Replication; D015003:Yeasts / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology*
D005656:Fungal Proteins; D007473:Ion Channels; C089359:K1 killer toxin; D055646:Killer Factors, Yeast; D009183:Mycotoxins; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D012367:RNA, Viral