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[The receptors for bacterial enterotoxins]

F Lucas1, G Corthier

  • 1INRA, Laboratoire d'écologie et de physiologie du système digestif, Centre de recherches de Jouy-en-Josas, France.

Annales De Recherches Veterinaires. Annals of Veterinary Research
|January 1, 1991
PubMed

Insights

Bacterial enterotoxins cause diarrhea by binding to specific receptors on digestive cells. This binding, often irreversible, involves the toxin

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Cell Biology
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Pathogenic bacteria produce bacterial enterotoxins that cause diarrhea in humans and animals.
  • These toxins target specific receptors on the enterocyte brush border, influencing disease severity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the mechanism of bacterial enterotoxin interaction with host cell receptors.
  • To understand the role of receptor characteristics in enterotoxin toxicity and specificity.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of enterotoxin binding to cell surface receptors.
  • Characterization of receptor types (glycolipids, glycoproteins) and their distribution.
  • Determination of receptor-toxin interaction sequences.

Main Results:

  • Enterotoxins bind to specific glucoside chains on receptors like GM1.
  • Receptor number, nature, structure, and specificity influence toxin toxicity.
  • Enterotoxin binding is often irreversible due to internalization into the cell.

Conclusions:

  • Bacterial enterotoxins utilize specific cell surface receptors for pathogenesis.
  • Understanding these interactions is key to developing targeted therapies against enterotoxin-induced diarrhea.

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