Structural highlights
Function
MAZE_ECOLI Antitoxin component of a toxin-antitoxin (TA) module. Labile antitoxin that binds to the MazF mRNA interferase toxin and neutralizes its endoribonuclease activity. Is considered to be an 'addiction' molecule as the cell will die in its absence. The endoribonuclease activity (MazF, a toxin) is inhibited by the labile cognate antitoxin MazE. Toxicity results when the levels of MazE decrease in the cell, leading to mRNA degradation. This effect can be rescued by expression of MazE, but after 6 hours in rich medium the overexpression of MazF leads to programmed cell death. Cell growth and viability are not affected when MazF and MazE are coexpressed. Both MazE and MazE-MazF bind to the promoter region of the mazE-mazF operon to inhibit their transcription. Cell death governed by the MazE-MazF and DinJ-YafQ TA modules seems to play a role in biofilm formation, while MazE-MazF is also implicated in cell death in liquid media.
Evolutionary Conservation
Check, as determined by ConSurfDB. You may read the explanation of the method and the full data available from ConSurf.