T6SS2 effector repertoires.

All strains of the marine bacterium harbor a type VI secretion system (T6SS) named T6SS2, suggesting that this system plays an important role in the life cycle of this emerging pathogen. Although T6SS2 was recently shown to play a role in interbacterial competition, its effector repertoire remains unknown. Here, we employed proteomics to investigate the T6SS2 secretome of two strains, and we identified several antibacterial effectors encoded outside of the main T6SS2 gene cluster.

Multiple T6SSs, Mobile Auxiliary Modules, and Effectors Revealed in a Systematic Analysis of the Vibrio parahaemolyticus Pan-Genome.

Type VI secretion systems (T6SSs) play a major role in interbacterial competition and in bacterial interactions with eukaryotic cells. The distribution of T6SSs and the effectors they secrete vary between strains of the same bacterial species. Therefore, a pan-genome investigation is required to better understand the T6SS potential of a bacterial species of interest.

Engineering a customizable antibacterial T6SS-based platform in Vibrio natriegens.

Bacterial pathogens are a major risk to human, animal, and plant health. To counteract the spread of antibiotic resistance, alternative antibacterial strategies are urgently needed. Here, we construct a proof-of-concept customizable, modular, and inducible antibacterial toxin delivery platform.

A comparative genomics methodology reveals a widespread family of membrane-disrupting T6SS effectors.

Gram-negative bacteria deliver effectors via the type VI secretion system (T6SS) to outcompete their rivals. Each bacterial strain carries a different arsenal of effectors; the identities of many remain unknown. Here, we present an approach to identify T6SS effectors encoded in bacterial genomes of interest, without prior knowledge of the effectors' domain content or genetic neighborhood.