Cholesterol and the activity of bacterial toxins.
Cholesterol may affect the activity of microbial toxins in a direct, specific way, or it may exert indirect effects because of its role in membrane fluidity, membrane line tension, and in the stabilization of rafts in the cytoplasmic membrane. The thiol-activated toxins of gram-positive bacteria, and the cytolysin of Vibrio cholerae are presented as examples of specific toxin-cholesterol interaction. Several mechanisms of indirect effects of cholesterol are discussed using examples such as Staphylococcus aureus alpha-hemolysin, aerolysin, and diphtheria toxin.
Palmer
Michael
M
Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ont. N2L 3G1, Canada. mpalmer@uwaterloo.ca
D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D002784:Cholesterol