An NAD+ Phosphorylase Toxin Triggers Mycobacterium tuberculosis Cell Death (Molecular Cell)

Toxin-antitoxin systems regulate bacterial growth in response to stress through modification of macromolecules, including proteins, RNA, and DNA. Freire et al. show that MbcT, a toxin produced by the tubercle bacillus, induces bacterial cell death through NAD+ phosphorolysis, an unprecedented enzymatic activity.