Bacterial Toxins : Genetics, Cellular Biology and Practical Applications.

Intro -- Table of Contents -- Chapter 1. Receptor-related Risk Factors for Verotoxin Pathogenesis -- Verotoxins and their receptors -- Receptor glycolipid -- B subunit receptor-binding sites -- VT signalling and internalization -- Cholesterol masking of VT receptors -- New model for VTB subunit pentamer binding plasma membrane Gb3 -- Cholesterol is key for VT-Gb3 retrograde transport -- Regulation of Gb3 biosynthesis -- Soluble GSL mimics -- Conclusions -- References -- Chapter 2. The Helicobacter pylori CagA Protein: A Multifunctional BacterialToxin Delivered by Type IV Secretion -- Introduction -- The cag pathogenicity island and its effector protein CagA -- The Cag type IV secretion system as a toxin delivery system -- CagA interaction partners and associated effects in host cells -- Conclusions -- Chapter 3. Pore-forming Toxins -- Introduction -- Introduction to Staphylococcus aureus α-haemolysin -- Nomenclature and early observations -- Primary structure and regulation of toxin production -- Three-dimensional structure and function -- Role in disease pathogenesis -- Summary and future perspectives - α-toxin -- Introduction to the cholesterol-dependent cytolysins and membrane attack complex/perforin (MACPF) family proteins -- General features of the CDC primary structure -- The CDC monomer crystal structure -- Secretion of the CDCs -- Cellular recognition -- The CDC membrane anchoring system -- The CDC allosteric pathway -- Formation of the prepore oligomer -- Formation of the pore complex -- Ring versus arc oligomers -- The CDCs and bacterial pathogenesis -- The membrane attack complex/perforin (MACPF) proteins -- Summary and futureperspectives - CDCs andMACPF proteins -- References -- Chapter 4. Bacterial Enterotoxins as Immunomodulators and Vaccine Adjuvants -- Introduction.

Cholera toxin: the prototype for ADP-ribosylating holotoxin adjuvants -- LT: a more complex family of holotoxin adjuvants -- Are ADP-ribosylating toxins in general good adjuvants? -- Taking toxin adjuvant immunomodulation one step further -- Concluding remarks -- References -- Chapter 5. Mobile Genetic Elements as Carriers for Bacterial Virulence Genes -- Core and adaptive genome -- The mobile bacterial genome -- Mobile genetic elements and their role in virulence -- Why MGEs encode exotoxins and other virulence factors? -- Role of SOS induction -- Bacteriophage-encoding toxins and other virulence factors -- Plasmids encoding toxins -- Pathogenicity islands encoding toxins -- Open questions -- Web resources -- References -- Chapter 6. The Staphylococcal Superantigen-like Toxins -- Introduction -- The SSLs - an introduction -- Genetics of the ssls -- Molecular biology of the SSLs -- SSL-related S. aureus immune evasion molecules -- Mechanisms of immune evasion mediated by SSLs -- Novel SSL-associated applications -- Concluding remarks -- References -- Chapter 7. Botulinum Neurotoxins as Therapeutics -- Introduction -- Mechanistic basis of BoNTs as therapeutics -- Clinical applications of botulinum neurotoxins -- Limitations of currently available BoNT therapies and novel product development -- BoNT-related therapies under investigation -- Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 8. Microbial Toxins as Tools in Cell Biology -- Discovery of the first bacterial toxin -- Structure of bacterial toxins -- Microbial toxins as cell biology tools -- Microbial toxins as tools to permeabilize membranes -- Microbial toxins as tools to target cell surface receptors -- Microbial toxins as tools to investigate endocytosis mechanisms -- Microbial toxins as tools to characterize SNARE-mediated membrane fusion -- Microbial toxins as tools to study cell signalling.

Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 9. The Toxins of Clostridium difficile -- Introduction -- Epidemic or hypervirulent strains of C. difficile -- The pathogenicity locus (PaLoc) -- The structure and function of toxin A and toxin B -- Toxin gene variants of C. difficile -- The role of toxin A and toxin B in disease -- C. difficile binary toxin (CDT) -- Animal models for studying virulence in C. difficile -- Conclusions and future perspectives -- References -- Index.

This timely volume serves as an update on the most important recent advances in the genetics, cellular biology and practical applications of the most important bacterial toxins. Written by internationally respected scientists from eight different countries, topics reviewed include: the molecular basis and risk factors for verotoxin pathogenesis; molecular mechanisms of Helicobacter pylori CagA translocation and function; structure and mechanisms of action of pore-forming toxins; bacterial enterotoxins as immunomodulators and vaccine adjuvants; mobile genetic elements as carriers for bacterial virulence genes; the novel family of staphylococcal superantigen-like toxins (SSLs); new insights into the use of botulinum neurotoxins as therapeutics; microbial toxins as tools in cell biology; the role of the large clostridial cytotoxins in C. difficile disease. Essential reading for everyone with an interest in bacterial toxins and recommended book for researchers interested in microbial genomics and microbial pathogenesis.

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Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2024. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.