Abstract
Staphylococcal alpha-toxin, streptolysin-O, and Escherichia coli hemolysin are well-studied prototypes of pore-forming bacterial cytotoxins. Each is produced as a water-soluble single-chain polypeptide that inserts into target membranes to form aqueous transmembrane pores. This review will compare properties of the three toxin prototypes, highlighting the similarities and also the differences in their structure, mode of binding, mechanism of pore formation, and the responses they elicit in target cells. Pore-forming toxins represent the most potent and versatile weapons with which invading microbes damage the host macroorganism.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Review
MeSH terms
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Bacterial Proteins / chemistry
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Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
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Bacterial Proteins / toxicity
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Bacterial Toxins / chemistry
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Bacterial Toxins / metabolism*
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Bacterial Toxins / toxicity
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Cell Membrane / metabolism*
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Cell Membrane / ultrastructure
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Escherichia coli Proteins*
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Hemolysin Proteins / chemistry
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Hemolysin Proteins / metabolism*
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Hemolysin Proteins / toxicity
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Humans
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Lipid Bilayers
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Streptolysins / chemistry
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Streptolysins / metabolism*
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Streptolysins / toxicity
Substances
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Bacterial Proteins
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Bacterial Toxins
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Escherichia coli Proteins
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Hemolysin Proteins
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Hlya protein, E coli
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Lipid Bilayers
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Streptolysins
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staphylococcal alpha-toxin
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streptolysin O