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C. botulinum is a Gram-positive, rod-shaped, spore-forming bacterium. [1] It is an obligate anaerobe, requiring an environment that lacks oxygen.However, C. botulinum tolerates traces of oxygen due to the enzyme superoxide dismutase, which is an important antioxidant defense in nearly all cells exposed to oxygen. [7]
Clostridium is a genus of anaerobic, Gram-positive bacteria. Species of Clostridium inhabit soils and the intestinal tracts of animals, including humans. [ 1 ] This genus includes several significant human pathogens , including the causative agents of botulism and tetanus .
The cell wall of some Gram-positive bacteria can be completely dissolved by lysozymes which attack the bonds between N-acetylmuramic acid and N-acetylglucosamine. In other Gram-positive bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, the walls are resistant to the action of lysozymes. [4] They have O-acetyl groups on carbon-6 of some muramic acid ...
Botulinum toxin, or botulinum neurotoxin (commonly called botox), is a neurotoxic protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum and related species. [24] It prevents the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from axon endings at the neuromuscular junction , thus causing flaccid paralysis . [ 25 ]
The toxin is the protein botulinum toxin produced under anaerobic conditions (where there is no oxygen) [37] by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. [38] Clostridium botulinum is a large anaerobic Gram-positive bacillus that forms subterminal endospores. [39] There are eight serological varieties of the bacterium denoted by the letters A to H.
However, the genus does contain some human pathogens (outlined below). The toxins produced by certain members of the genus Clostridium are among the most dangerous known. Examples are tetanus toxin (known as tetanospasmin) produced by C. tetani and botulinum toxin produced by C. botulinum.
Endotoxins most commonly refer to the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or lipooligosaccharide (LOS) that are in the outer plasma membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. The botulinum toxin, which is primarily produced by Clostridium botulinum and less frequently by other Clostridium species, is the most toxic substance known in the world. [1]
This figure shows that exotoxins are secreted by bacterial cells, Clostridium botulinum for example, and are toxic to somatic cells. Somatic cells have antibodies on the cell wall to target exotoxins and bind to them, preventing the invasion of somatic cells. The binding of the exotoxin and antibody forms an antigen-antibody interaction and the ...