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Colicin U
From Proteopedia
Colicin U is a type of Colicin, a bacteriocin made by E. coli which acts against other nearby E. coli to kill them through Pore Formation, leading to depolarisation of the membrane which kills the cell.
Synthesis and release
The operon encoding Colicin U is encoded on a plasmid, in the cytoplasm of the E. coli. The operon also encodes its Colicin Immunity Protein, Cui, and a protein that enables the release of the colicin from the producing cell.
Mechanism of uptake
The receptor binding domain of the colicin binds to an outer membrane receptor, as yet unidentified. The translocation domain then recruits proteins from the Tol system to translocate the colicin across the membrane. This mechanism is also so far unidentified.
