Contractile injection systems (CISs) are phage tail-related structures that are encoded in
many bacterial genomes. These devices encompass the cell-based type VI secretion …

To sensitively monitor trace amounts of alternariol (AOH) in fruits, a dual-mode aptamer
sensor utilizing the dual-function nanomaterial PoPD/Ru–Au was developed. This sensor …

Understanding the in situ structure, organization, and interactions of macromolecules is
essential for elucidating their functions and mechanisms of action. Cellular cryo-electron …

Ixotrophy is a contact-dependent predatory strategy of filamentous bacteria in aquatic
environments for which the molecular mechanism remains unknown. We show that predator …

Diverse bacterial species produce extracellular contractile injection systems (eCISs).
Although closely related to contractile phage tails, eCISs can inject toxic proteins into …

Microbial communities are shaped by cell-cell interactions. Although archaea are often
found in associations with other microorganisms, the mechanisms structuring these …

Contractile injection systems (CISs) are prokaryotic phage tail-like nanostructures loading
effector proteins that mediate various biological processes. Although CIS functions have …

Secretion systems play a crucial role in microbe-microbe or host-microbe interactions.
Among these systems, the extracellular contractile injection system (eCIS) is a unique …

Highlights•CISs are phage tail–like nanodevices to inject effectors by contraction.•CISs are
classified into intracellular T6SSs and extracellular CISs.•CISs target both eukaryotic and …

Many protein and nucleoprotein complexes exist as helical polymers. As a result, much effort
has been invested in developing methods for using electron microscopy to determine the …