title: Pore-forming toxins.
abstract: Pore-forming toxins are widely distributed proteins which form lesions in biological membranes. In this review, bacterial pore-forming toxins are treated as a paradigm and discussed in terms of the structural principles on which they work. Then, a large family of bacterial toxins, the cholesterol-binding toxins, are analyzed in depth to provide an overview of the processes involved in pore formation. The ways in which the cholesterol-binding toxins (cholesterol-dependent cytolysins) interact with membranes and form pores, the structure of the monomeric soluble and oligomeric pore-forming states, and the effects of the toxin on membrane structure are discussed. By surveying the range of work which has been done on cholesterol-binding toxins, a working model is elaborated which reconciles two current, apparently diametrically opposed, models for their mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Division of Structural Biology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom. gilbert@strubi.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: R J C
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Gilbert
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D008958:Models, Molecular; D018272:Porins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D014118:Toxins, Biological / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D018272:Porins; D014118:Toxins, Biological; D002784:Cholesterol