Deciphering Potent DNA Toxin’s Secrets
Vanderbilt UniversityOne of the most potent toxins known acts by welding the two strands of the famous double helix together in a unique fashion which foils the standard repair mechanisms cells use to protect their DNA. A team of Vanderbilt University researchers have worked out the molecular details that explain how this bacterial toxin—yatakemycin (YTM)—kills cells by preventing DNA replication.