Translocation of Anthrax Toxin: Lord of the Rings

[HN11] Many microorganisms have evolved ingenious ways of shipping toxic proteins into target cells. In his Perspective, von Heijne discusses a study by Krantz et al. that reveals how anthrax toxin gets into a cell. A ring of aromatic amino acids in a pore formed by anthrax toxin helps unfold other anthrax toxin proteins and facilitate their translocation across the cell membrane.