Toxin effect on protein biosynthesis in eukaryotic cells: a simple kinetic model
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 18, 2026

Overexpressing and Purifying a Toxic Nuclease from Escherichia coli
Published on: August 29, 2025
Vladas Skakauskas1, Pranas Katauskis1, Alex Skvortsov2
1Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, Vilnius University, Naugarduko 24, Vilnius 03225, Lithuania.
Abstract:
A model for toxin inhibition of protein synthesis inside eukaryotic cells is presented. Mitigation of this effect by introduction of an antibody is also studied. Antibody and toxin (ricin) initially are delivered outside the cell. The model describes toxin internalization from the extracellular into the intracellular domain, its transport to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the cleavage inside the ER into the RTA and RTB chains, the release of RTA into the cytosol, inactivation (depurination) of ribosomes, and the effect on translation. The model consists of a set of ODEs which are solved numerically. Numerical results are illustrated by figures and discussed.
Related Concept Videos
Bacterial Toxins
Inhibitors of Bacterial Protein Synthesis
The Proteasome
In this pathway, the target proteins are first tagged with small proteins called ubiquitin. This involves participation of a series of enzymes including— E1 (ubiquitin-activating enzyme), E2 (ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme), and E3...
The Proteasome
In this pathway, the target proteins are first tagged with small proteins called ubiquitin. A series of enzymes carry out the ubiquitination of the target proteins - E1 (ubiquitin-activating enzyme), E2 (ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme), and E3...
Proteins: From Genes to Degradation
Transcription is the synthesis of RNA...
Stringent Response in E. coli

