title: Consequences and utility of the zinc-dependent metalloprotease activity of anthrax lethal toxin.
abstract: Anthrax is caused by the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus anthracis. The pathogenesis of this disease is dependent on the presence of two binary toxins, edema toxin (EdTx) and lethal toxin (LeTx). LeTx, the major virulence factor contributing to anthrax, contains the effector moiety lethal factor (LF), a zinc-dependent metalloprotease specific for targeting mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases. This review will focus on the protease-specific activity and function of LF, and will include a discussion on the implications and consequences of this activity, both in terms of anthrax disease, and how this activity can be exploited to gain insight into other pathologic conditions.
authors: Laboratory of Cancer and Developmental Cell Biology, The Van Andel Research Institute, 333 Bostwick NE Grand Rapids, MI, USA. jenn.white@vai.org
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Bromberg-White
authors: Chih-Shia
authors: CS
authors: Lee
authors: Nicholas
authors: N
authors: Duesbery
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000881:Anthrax / Q000201:enzymology; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism*; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D045726:Metalloproteases / Q000378:metabolism*; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; C030325:anthrax toxin; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D045726:Metalloproteases; D015032:Zinc