• DT-like toxins: all toxins of these class are ADP-ribosyltransferases, which means they damage the cell by attaching an ADP-ribose
moiety onto important target components: in this case eEF2. • The
Diphtheria toxin (DT) is an AB toxin. It inhibits protein synthesis in the host cell through
ADP-ribosylation of the
eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2), which is an essential component for protein synthesis. It is slightly unusual in that it combines the A and B parts in the same protein chain: the pre-toxin is cleaved into two parts, then the two parts are joined by a
disulfide bond.
C. perfringens iota toxin and
Clostridioides difficile ADP-ribosyltransferase. LF is a Zn metalloprotease that cleaves
MAPKK; EF is an adenylate cyclase that targets protein kinases. •
AB5 toxins – all these toxins share a related pentameric "B" subunit, but differ in the function of their "A" part. •
Ricin is expressed a single polypeptide that gets cleaved into two parts, one acting as "A" and the other acting as "B".
Abrin is similar. •
Clostridium neurotoxins, i.e. the
tetanus toxin and the
botulinum toxin, are expressed a single polypeptide that gets cleaved into two parts, one acting as "A" and the other acting as "B". == Research ==