AB toxins
AB toxins are a diverse family of protein toxins, containing two distinct subunits. Members of this family include cholera, Shiga and ricin. Due to the range of disases caused by AB toxins, they are of intense research interest. Furthermore, their efficient cellular uptake makes AB toxins promising veichles for different biotechnological applications.
Killer toxin K28
Virally infected strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae can secrete an AB toxin called K28, which kills susceptible yeast strains.
Working with Meru Sadhu at the NIH, we revealed a novel K28 defence factor (named Ktd1) localises to the endolysosomal system.
A previous screen had identified the trafficking factor Cog7 as required for K28 toxin defnce. We revealed the entire COG complex is required for K28 defence and present a model that Ktd1 trafficking via the endolysosomal system allows it to patrol for internalised toxin.