FIGURE 1.

A model where YjbH serves as a sensor of environmental stress and downstream regulation MazEF activity. MazEF complex is composed of MazF toxin and MazE antitoxin which binds MazF and neutralizes MazF activity. MazE is cleaved by the ClpCP degradation module, where ClpC is a chaperone with unfolding activity and ClpP is a protease. MazE degradation is assisted by the adaptor protein TrfA, providing ClpCP specificity and facilitating MazE recognition. The trfA transcription is regulated by the redox sensitive transcriptional factor, Spx. In turn, Spx proteolysis is controlled by ClpXP proteolytic system and requires YjbH adaptor protein. We hypothesized (indicated by question mark) that in S. aureus YjbH aggregates and modulation of YjbH aggregation affects MazEF TAS through the YjbH-Spx-TrfA cascade in response to environmental stresses.