Toxins from anaerobic bacteria: specificity and molecular mechanisms of action

Curr Opin Microbiol. 1998 Feb;1(1):66-74. doi: 10.1016/s1369-5274(98)80144-6.

Abstract

Major advances have been made in the past five years in the identification of cellular targets of toxins produced by anaerobic bacteria. These targets include the vesicular membrane docking and fusion apparatus, the actin cytoskeleton, the signal transduction machinery and the cell membrane. The recent discovery that large clostridial toxins (Clostridium difficile A and B toxins, C. sordellii lethal and hemorrhagic toxins, and alpha C. novyi toxin) are monoglucosyltransferases, together with the establishment of the perfringolysin crystal structure, has led to new insights in the field of toxins from anaerobic bacteria.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Toxins / metabolism
  • Bacterial Toxins / toxicity*
  • Bacteroides Infections / metabolism
  • Bacteroides Infections / microbiology*
  • Bacteroides fragilis / metabolism*
  • Cell Membrane Permeability
  • Clostridium / metabolism*
  • Clostridium Infections / metabolism
  • Clostridium Infections / microbiology*
  • Cytoskeleton / metabolism
  • Humans

Substances

  • Bacterial Toxins