Overview
- Researchers produced colibactin in situ with live bacteria and resolved the DNA-bound structure using mass spectrometry and NMR.
- The toxin forms interstrand cross-links that lock the two DNA strands together, creating highly toxic lesions that can yield characteristic mutations.
- Colibactin preferentially targets AT-rich sequences within the DNA minor groove rather than damaging the genome at random.
- The structure features a positively charged core and twin reactive warheads that drive sequence recognition and covalent binding.
- The findings strengthen the mechanistic link to a measurable subset of colorectal cancers reported in roughly 5–20% of cases and point to potential diagnostics, treatments, and microbiome-based prevention.