{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,11]],"date-time":"2026-08-11T15:04:28Z","timestamp":1786460668174,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":104,"publisher":"American Society for Microbiology","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,11]],"date-time":"2026-08-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786406400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,11]],"date-time":"2026-08-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786406400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.asm.org\/non-commercial-tdm-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.asm.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Infect Immun"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,11]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title\/>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Competition between organisms is a ubiquitous feature of life on Earth and a major driver of evolutionary innovation. As Earth\u2019s most diverse and abundant organisms, bacteria employ numerous strategies to inhibit the growth of competitors, ranging from the production of diffusible antibiotic metabolites to the secretion of sophisticated protein toxins. Although secreted antibacterial protein toxins have been extensively studied in gram-negative bacteria, analogous systems employed by gram-positive organisms remain comparatively poorly understood. Recent work has shed light on a widespread family of secreted protein toxins associated with co-secreted serine proteases that likely mediate interbacterial competition among gram-positive species. These systems, termed\n                      <jats:underline>a<\/jats:underline>\n                      nti\n                      <jats:underline>b<\/jats:underline>\n                      acterial\n                      <jats:underline>p<\/jats:underline>\n                      rotein (ABP) systems, consist of a secreted polymorphic\n                      <jats:underline>t<\/jats:underline>\n                      oxin (AbpT), a co-secreted serine\n                      <jats:underline>p<\/jats:underline>\n                      rotease (AbpP), and a cytoplasmic\n                      <jats:underline>i<\/jats:underline>\n                      mmunity protein (AbpI). Following proteolytic processing, ABP toxins inhibit the growth of a remarkably diverse range of gram-positive bacteria spanning the phyla Bacillota and Actinomycetota. Existing evidence suggests that these proteins combine the properties of cationic antimicrobial peptides with those of classical polymorphic antibacterial toxins, potentially enabling toxin delivery into distantly related bacteria. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the organization, mechanisms, and ecology of ABP systems; discuss major outstanding questions regarding toxin import and native biological function; and highlight opportunities for future mechanistic and biotechnological investigation in this emerging field.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1128\/iai.00297-26","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T14:59:57Z","timestamp":1784732397000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1128\/asmj-crossmark-policy-page","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["ABPs: diffusible antibacterial toxins secreted by and active against diverse gram-positive bacteria"],"prefix":"10.1128","volume":"94","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1461-0999","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Jake","family":"Colautti","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/02fa3aq29","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University","place":["Hamilton, Canada"]},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/02fa3aq29","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Michael DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University","place":["Hamilton, Canada"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daniel","family":"Mwangi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00cvxb145","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Department of Microbiology, University of Washington","place":["Seattle, USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4630-403X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Joshua J.","family":"Woodward","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00cvxb145","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Department of Microbiology, University of Washington","place":["Seattle, USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4517-8836","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"John C.","family":"Whitney","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/02fa3aq29","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University","place":["Hamilton, Canada"]},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/02fa3aq29","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Michael DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University","place":["Hamilton, Canada"]},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/02fa3aq29","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"David Braley Center for Antibiotic Discovery, McMaster University","place":["Hamilton, Canada"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"235","reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_2_2_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nrmicro2222"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_3_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nature08798"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_4_2","first-page":"1","article-title":"A new evolutionary law","volume":"1","author":"Valen L","year":"1973","unstructured":"Valen L. 1973. A new evolutionary law. Evolutionary theory 1:1\u201330.","journal-title":"Evolutionary theory"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_5_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nrmicro2259"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41559-022-01841-9"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_7_2","first-page":"1040","article-title":"Sur un remarquable exemple d\u2019antagonisme entre deux souches de coilbacille","volume":"93","author":"Gratia A","year":"1925","unstructured":"Gratia A. 1925. Sur un remarquable exemple d\u2019antagonisme entre deux souches de coilbacille. CR Seances Soc Biol Fil 93:1040\u20131041.","journal-title":"CR Seances Soc Biol Fil"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_8_2","volume-title":"Comptes rendus des seances de la societe de biologie et de ses filiales","author":"Gratia A","year":"1946","unstructured":"Gratia A, Fredericq P. 1946. Diversit\u00e9 des souches antibiotiques de B. Coli et \u00e9tendue variable de leur champ d\u2019action. In Comptes rendus des seances de la societe de biologie et de ses filiales. Vol. 140."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_9_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/jb.16.4.211-229.1928"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_10_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(49)91193-9"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_11_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/femsre\/fuad023"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_12_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41579-024-01045-x"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_13_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nri1180"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_14_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3181\/00379727-55-14461"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_15_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41586-024-07530-w"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_16_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chom.2009.12.007"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_17_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/ncomms7453"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_18_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7554\/eLife.26938"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_19_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nmicrobiol.2016.183"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_20_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1115109"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_21_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nature09490"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_22_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1300627110"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_23_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jmb.2015.09.010"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_24_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-micro-020518-115638"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_25_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1101\/cshperspect.a010025"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_26_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41586-024-07298-z"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_27_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tim.2020.01.003"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_28_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nrmicro3185"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_29_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cub.2020.06.103"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_30_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/MMBR.00036-06"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_31_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41579-025-01256-w"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_32_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41579-023-00974-3"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_33_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/1745-6150-7-18"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_34_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nature12074"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_35_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nature10244"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_36_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cell.2015.09.027"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_37_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1074\/jbc.M113.488320"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_38_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbc.2025.110491"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_39_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.molcel.2022.08.015"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_40_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41586-019-1735-9"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_41_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbc.2025.110775"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_42_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cell.2018.09.037"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_43_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2006110117"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_44_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cell.2025.10.044"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_45_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1099\/mic.0.001420"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_46_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2505807122"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_47_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.csbj.2022.08.036"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_48_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Mwangi D Thomason MK Shull LM Tang Q Woodward JJ. 2025. BetaH proteolysis unleashes an electrostatic-homing antibacterial polymorphic toxin. bioRxiv:2025.07.24.666436. doi:10.1101\/2025.07.24.666436","DOI":"10.1101\/2025.07.24.666436"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_49_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-genet-110711-155427"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_50_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1074\/jbc.M104925200"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_51_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tim.2019.12.008"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_52_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nature10069"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_53_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/mr.51.4.439-457.1987"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_54_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/j.1460-2075.1986.tb04601.x"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_55_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0022-2836(92)90934-c"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_56_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1533395100"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_57_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/375809a0"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_58_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2958.2006.05452.x"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_59_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/MMBR.67.4.686-723.2003"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_60_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1312975110"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_61_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1074\/jbc.M113.508838"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_62_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jmb.2013.02.008"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_63_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.274.5294.1859"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_64_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nature08026"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_65_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nrmicro.2015.3"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_66_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1085\/jgp.116.4.587"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_67_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0020-711x(88)90058-4"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_68_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF01872215"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_69_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/JB.00419-13"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_70_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/AEM.01470-19"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_71_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/AAC.00352-10"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_72_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2123268119"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_73_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1139\/m84-230"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_74_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nchembio.331"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_75_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/mmi.14471"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_76_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nature00823"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_77_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nmicrobiol.2016.175"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_78_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/evo.13817"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_79_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.78.10.6324"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_80_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2205407119"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_81_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jmb.2015.09.018"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_82_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nrmicro2977"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_83_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7554\/eLife.69756"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_84_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1099\/mic.0.001174"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_85_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1400019111"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_86_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nature13786"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_87_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2958.2009.06795.x"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_88_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nature18634"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_89_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.ppat.1005812"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_90_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/mBio.01725-15"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_91_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/scitranslmed.aah4680"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_92_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cell.2016.04.008"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_93_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jinorgbio.2011.06.006"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_94_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nsmb.1579"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_95_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-019-09989-y"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_96_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/MMBR.00034-07"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_97_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1074\/jbc.REV120.007746"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_98_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0168-6445(03)00055-X"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_99_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41572-025-00654-x"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_100_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nrmicro2937"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_101_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1365-2672.1997.00275.x"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_102_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1365-2672.1999.00663.x"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_103_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJM200101043440102"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_104_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S2666-5247(24)00040-5"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_105_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41591-021-01256-2"}],"container-title":["Infection and Immunity"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.asm.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1128\/iai.00297-26","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.asm.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1128\/iai.00297-26","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,11]],"date-time":"2026-08-11T13:01:13Z","timestamp":1786453273000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.asm.org\/doi\/10.1128\/iai.00297-26"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Anthony R.","family":"Richardson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,11]]},"references-count":104,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,11]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1128\/iai.00297-26"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1128\/iai.00297-26","relation":{},"ISSN":["0019-9567","1098-5522"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0019-9567","type":"print"},{"value":"1098-5522","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,11]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2026-07-22","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}],"article-number":"e00297-26"}}