英文版-Indiana-University-Purdue-University-Fort-Wayne微生物学授课讲义-lecture-09.pptVIP

Bacterial Toxins BIOL 533 Lecture 9 Bacterial Toxins: General Aspects Definition Soluble substances that alter normal metabolism of host cells with deleterious effects on the host Host range Known for bacteria, but possible that they play a role in diseases caused by fungi, protozoa, and worms Bacterial Toxins: General Aspects Toxin type Exotoxin—protein produced by bacteria either excreted or bound to bacterial surface and released when lysed Endotoxin—lps of the outer membrane of Gram— bacteria Acts as toxin only under special circumstances Bacterial Toxins: General Aspects Specificity Some act on certain cell types Other affect wide range of cells and tissues Numbers produced by single bacterium Some produce none Pneumococci Is Toxin Important in Infection? Questions to ask: Is virulence quantitatively correlated with toxin production? Does the purified toxin produce damage? Can a specific antibody (antitoxin) prevent or alleviate the manifestations of the disease? If toxin production is impaired by a mutation, is the disease process affected? If So, What are Toxin Properties? Questions to ask: What is the mechanism of action? Why is it specific for certain cells or tissues? Does the pathogen make other toxins, and if so, do they interact with one another? Some make none: pneumococci Some make only one: agents that cause cholera, diphtheria, tetanus, and botulism Other make many: staphylococci, streptococci Toxin Production Properties Dispensable, but essential under certain situations where survival and spread are at stake Genes frequently carried on plasmids and temperate bacteriophage Toxin Production Found on phage; toxin genes for: Diphtheria Botulism Scarlet fever Toxic streptococci (“flesh-eating”) Found on plasmids: E. coli toxin causes diarrhea S. aureus toxin causes “scalded skin syndrome” E. coli 0157:H7 Toxin Production Properties Mobile elements ensure that genes can be spread to nontoxigenic derivatives or be lost from cell Experimentally c