Cholesterol as a target for toxins.
A mechanism is proposed for the way in which cholesterol facilitates channel formation by polyene antibiotics and bacterial protein toxins. Central elements of the model are: (i) interactions between the ring system of the sterol and rigid elements of the polyene or toxin molecule, and (ii) the specific orientation of cholesterol within the membrane.
de Kruijff
B
B
Centre for Biomembranes and Lipid Enzymology, University of Utrecht, NL.
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000378:metabolism*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000378:metabolism; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D007473:Ion Channels; D000666:Amphotericin B; D002784:Cholesterol