title: Self-cutting to kill: new insights into the processing of Clostridium difficile toxins.
abstract: Clostridium difficile toxins A and B are the major cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. The toxins are one of the biggest protein toxins known, but only the N-terminal catalytic domains of the large proteins enter the cytosol. Now, a new study shows that the toxins are processed by autocatalytic cleavage, which depends on the presence of inositol hexaphosphate.
authors: Institute for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany. Klaus.Aktories@pharmakol.uni-freiburg.de
authors: Klaus
authors: K
authors: Aktories
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D010833:Phytic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; C041348:tcdA protein, Clostridium difficile; C031815:toxB protein, Clostridium difficile; D010833:Phytic Acid