title: Clostridium and bacillus binary enterotoxins: bad for the bowels, and eukaryotic being.
abstract: Some pathogenic spore-forming bacilli employ a binary protein mechanism for intoxicating the intestinal tracts of insects, animals, and humans. These Gram-positive bacteria and their toxins include Clostridium botulinum (C2 toxin), Clostridium difficile (C. difficile toxin or CDT), Clostridium perfringens (ι-toxin and binary enterotoxin, or BEC), Clostridium spiroforme (C. spiroforme toxin or CST), as well as Bacillus cereus (vegetative insecticidal protein or VIP). These gut-acting proteins form an AB complex composed of ADP-ribosyl transferase (A) and cell-binding (B) components that intoxicate cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis and endosomal trafficking. Once inside the cytosol, the A components inhibit normal cell functions by mono-ADP-ribosylation of globular actin, which induces cytoskeletal disarray and death. Important aspects of each bacterium and binary enterotoxin will be highlighted in this review, with particular focus upon the disease process involving the biochemistry and modes of action for each toxin.
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, Wilson College, 1015 Philadelphia Avenue, Chambersburg, PA 17201, USA. bstiles@wilson.edu.
authors.forename: Bradley G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Stiles
authors.affiliation: Environmental Science Department, Wilson College, 1015 Philadelphia Avenue, Chambersburg, PA 17201, USA. kisha.pradhan@wilson.edu.
authors.forename: Kisha
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pradhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, North Carolina Central University, 1801 Fayetteville Street, Durham, NC 27707, USA. jodie.fleming@nccu.edu.
authors.forename: Jodie M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.affiliation: Venom and Toxin Research Programme, Department of Anatomy, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Health System, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge 117597, Singapore. dosrampe@nus.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Ramar Perumal
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Samy
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Ulm Medical Center, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm D-89081, Germany. holger.barth@uni-ulm.de.
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Barth
authors.affiliation: Bacteries Anaerobies et Toxines, Institut Pasteur, 28 Rue du Docteur Roux, Paris 75724, France. mpopoff@pasteur.fr.
authors.forename: Michel R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Popoff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001407:Bacillus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D001424:Bacterial Infections; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D003013:Clostridium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases; D006801:Humans; D011487:Protein Conformation
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins