title: Bacterial toxins and the nervous system: neurotoxins and multipotential toxins interacting with neuronal cells.
abstract: Toxins are potent molecules used by various bacteria to interact with a host organism. Some of them specifically act on neuronal cells (clostridial neurotoxins) leading to characteristics neurological affections. But many other toxins are multifunctional and recognize a wider range of cell types including neuronal cells. Various enterotoxins interact with the enteric nervous system, for example by stimulating afferent neurons or inducing neurotransmitter release from enterochromaffin cells which result either in vomiting, in amplification of the diarrhea, or in intestinal inflammation process. Other toxins can pass the blood brain barrier and directly act on specific neurons.
authors: Institut Pasteur, Bactéries anaérobies et Toxines, 25 rue du Dr Roux, F-757254, PARIS cedex 15,France. mpopoff@pasteur.fr
authors: Michel R
authors: MR
authors: Popoff
authors: Bernard
authors: B
authors: Poulain
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D005089:Exocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D020559:Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D050600:SNARE Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D009498:Neurotoxins; D050600:SNARE Proteins; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D020559:Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins; D002118:Calcium