News Finding: As scientists reverse engineer phages, he suggests, they can isolate those parts that are most effective at killing bacteria and perhaps produce a new class of antibacterial agents.
Paper Finding: Structure of Membrane-Piercing Spike polypeptide chains, which are about to be folded, in register; and it provides an increased stability to the tip structure once the protein has folded.
News Context: But the discovery of the sharp iron needle, he says, suggests that P2 and Ph92 don't need any help. Leiman notes that findings like these could lead to new ways to combat bacteria that make people sick. As scientists reverse engineer phages, he suggests, they can isolate those parts that are most effective at killing bacteria and perhaps produce a new class of antibacterial agents.
Paper Context: The iron ion is likely to have a dual function: it participates in the folding of gpV into a trimer by helping to keep the three Structure of Membrane-Piercing Spike polypeptide chains, which are about to be folded, in register; and it provides an increased stability to the tip structure once the protein has folded. Both phages P2 and f92 require calcium for infection.