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Membrane traffic exploited by protein toxins.
Kirsten Sandvig1, Bo van Deurs
1Department of Biochemistry, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Montebello, 0310 Oslo, Norway. ksandvig@radium.uio.no
Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology
|July 27, 2002
Summary
Protein toxins exploit cellular trafficking pathways to enter cells and exert cytotoxic effects. Understanding these toxin trafficking mechanisms reveals new cellular pathways and offers potential for medical applications like drug delivery.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Toxicology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Many protein toxins possess enzymatically active A-moieties and cell-binding B-moieties.
- Toxins require endocytosis for the A-moiety to reach the cytosol and cause cell damage.
- Toxin trafficking studies illuminate cellular membrane transport systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detail how protein toxins utilize cellular endocytic and trafficking pathways.
- To explore the newly discovered pathways revealed by toxin trafficking research.
- To investigate the complex routes toxins take from endosomes to the Golgi and endoplasmic reticulum (ER).
Main Methods:
- Analysis of well-studied protein toxins.
- Investigation of toxin internalization and intracellular transport.
- Mapping of endocytic mechanisms and endosome-Golgi-ER pathways.
Main Results:
- Detailed understanding of toxin exploitation of membrane trafficking systems.
- Discovery of novel cellular pathways involved in toxin transport.
- Elucidation of the complex routes toxins navigate within the cell.
Conclusions:
- Toxin trafficking research provides insights into fundamental cellular processes.
- Understanding toxin entry mechanisms opens avenues for therapeutic applications.
- Exploiting toxin internalization pathways could advance drug delivery and therapy.