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An enterotoxin is a protein exotoxin released by a microorganism that targets the intestines. [1] They can be chromosomally or plasmid encoded. [ 2 ] They are heat labile (> 60 °C), of low molecular weight and water-soluble.
In molecular biology, the heat-labile enterotoxin family includes Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin (Elt or LT) and cholera toxin (Ctx) secreted by Vibrio cholerae. lt is so named because it is inactivated at high temperatures.
Domain A1 (approximately 22kDa in cholera toxin or heat labile enterotoxins) is the part of the toxin responsible for its toxic effects. Domain A2 (approximately 5kDa in cholera toxin or heat labile enterotoxin) provides a non-covalent linkage to the B subunit through the B subunit's central pore. [ 5 ]
Heat-stable enterotoxins (STs) are secretory peptides produced by some bacterial strains, such as enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli [2] which are in general toxic to animals. These peptides keep their 3D structure and remain active at temperatures as high as 100 °C.
In the field of molecular biology, enterotoxin type B, also known as Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), is an enterotoxin produced by the gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. It is a common cause of food poisoning , with severe diarrhea , nausea and intestinal cramping often starting within a few hours of ingestion. [ 1 ]
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a type of Escherichia coli and one of the leading bacterial causes of diarrhea in the developing world, [1] as well as the most common cause of travelers' diarrhea. [2] Insufficient data exists, but conservative estimates suggest that each year, about 157,000 deaths occur, mostly in children, from ETEC.
Additional classifications used to describe toxins include enterotoxin, neurotoxin, leukocidin or hemolysin which indicate where in the host's body the toxin targets. Enterotoxins target the intestines, neurotoxins target neurons, leukocidin target leukocytes (white blood cells), and hemolysins target red blood cells.
S. aureus is an enterotoxin producer. Enterotoxins are chromosomally encoded exotoxins that are produced and secreted from several bacterial organisms. It is a heat stable toxin and is resistant to digestive protease. [5] [6] It is the ingestion of the toxin that causes the inflammation and swelling of the intestine. [citation needed]