title: Cellular responses to acute injury: the role of the plasma membrane in cell response to two clostridial toxins.
abstract: The plasma membrane plays an important role in the pathogenesis of acute cell injury. This brief review outlines the role of the plasma membrane in the cellular response to two clostridial toxins, the botulinum C2 toxin and the tetanus toxin. These two toxins belong to the same family of toxins as botulinum toxin type A and type F, those used clinically for the treatment of facial spasm. The actions of C2 toxin on cultured cells give rise to an acute injury characterized by a dissociation of the actin filaments of the cell cytoskeleton. While this toxin can be lethal to intact organisms, the acute cellular response need not necessarily result in cell death. In the case of tetanus toxin, the toxin appears to perturb the plasma membrane so that the function of one important cell second messenger system, protein kinase C, is altered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107-6799.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Sherwin
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Considine
mesh_terms: D001905:Botulinum Toxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology; D002199:Capillary Permeability; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D016923:Cell Death; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002477:Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects; D013744:Tetanus Toxin / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D013744:Tetanus Toxin; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; D001905:Botulinum Toxins; D002118:Calcium