Stress-induced chaperones: a first line of defense against the powerful oxidant hypochlorous acid

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl; bleach) is a powerful weapon used by our immune system to eliminate invading bacteria. Yet the way HOCl actually kills bacteria and how they defend themselves from its oxidative action have only started to be uncovered. As this molecule induces both protein oxidation and aggregation, bacteria need concerted efforts of chaperones and antioxidants to maintain proteostasis during stress. Recent advances in the field identified several stress-activated chaperones, like Hsp33, RidA, and CnoX, which display unique structural features and play a central role in protecting the bacterial proteome during HOCl stress.