Clostridium and bacillus binary enterotoxins: bad for the bowels, and eukaryotic being

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Bradley G Stiles1, Kisha Pradhan2, Jodie M Fleming3

  • 1Biology Department, Wilson College, 1015 Philadelphia Avenue, Chambersburg, PA 17201, USA. bstiles@wilson.edu.

Toxins
|September 9, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Pathogenic bacteria use binary protein toxins to infect intestines. These toxins, like C. botulinum

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology and Molecular Biology
  • Bacterial Pathogenesis
  • Toxinology

Background:

  • Certain spore-forming bacilli possess binary protein toxins targeting intestinal tracts.
  • These toxins are produced by Gram-positive bacteria including Clostridium species and Bacillus cereus.
  • The toxins are crucial virulence factors in various enteric diseases affecting insects, animals, and humans.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the mechanisms of binary protein toxins from pathogenic spore-forming bacilli.
  • To elucidate the biochemistry and modes of action of these toxins.
  • To highlight the disease processes associated with these bacterial toxins.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on pathogenic bacteria and their binary protein toxins.
  • Analysis of the AB toxin complex structure and function.
  • Examination of cellular intoxication pathways including endocytosis and endosomal trafficking.

Main Results:

  • Binary toxins function as AB complexes with ADP-ribosyltransferase (A) and cell-binding (B) components.
  • Toxins enter host cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis and endosomal trafficking.
  • The A component inhibits cellular function by mono-ADP-ribosylation of globular actin, causing cytoskeletal disruption and cell death.

Conclusions:

  • Binary protein toxins represent a significant mechanism of bacterial pathogenesis in the gut.
  • Understanding the molecular mechanisms of these toxins is vital for combating associated diseases.
  • Further research into toxin structure-activity relationships can inform therapeutic strategies.

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