BACKGROUND: Clostridium septicum has played a significant role as a causative agent of many acute fetal diseases in man and animals. Alpha- toxin is the main factor in the pathogenesis of C. septicum with hemolytic, necrotic and lethal activities. OBJECTIVES: The study was designed to evaluate alpha-toxin purification and antibody production rate against a local strain of C. septicum NH2 which ...

Crystalline botulinum toxin type A was licensed in December 1989 by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of certain spasmodic muscle disorders following 10 or more years of experimental treatment on human volunteers. Botulinum toxin exerts its action on a muscle indirectly by blocking the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine at the nerve ending, resulting in reduced muscle ac...

Cultures of Corynebacterium insidiosum produce an extra-cellular phytotoxic glycopeptide that possesses the ability to wilt plant cuttings. Wilt induced by this glycopeptide is directly dependent upon time and upon concentration with measureable wilt occurring in 40 nm solutions in 1 hour. The organism produces 1.3 grams toxin/liter of culture medium. The toxin was purified, and the physical, c...

Freshwater reservoirs constitute an important source of drinking water, but eutrophication and higher temperatures increase the risk more frequent blooms cyanobacteria, including species that produce toxins. To improve prediction cyanotoxin episodes, we studied annual occurrence potential microcystin (MC) saxitoxin (STX)-producing cyanobacteria in Lobo reservoir, São Paulo State, Brazil. Relati...

sides. Biophys. J. 41(2,Pt.2):381 a. (Abstr.) 6. Kagawa, Y., and E. Racker 1971. Partial resolution of the enzymes catalyzing oxidative phosphorylation. XXV. Reconstitution of vesicles catalyzing 32P1-ATP exchange. J. Biol. Chem. 246:5477-5487. 7. Ledley, F. D., G. Lee, L. D. Kohn, W. H. Habig, and M. C. Hardegree. 1977. Tetanus toxin interactions with thyroid plasma membranes: Implications for...

1. Data are presented which show that anhydremia does not play a leading rôle in the causation of symptoms in intestinal obstruction. 2. Chemical changes in the blood corresponding with those noted by previous investigators were observed. 3. Additional data regarding the chemistry of the toxin found in the obstructed intestine of dogs were obtained.

Toxin production by pathogenic microorganisms likely serves to (i) protect against phagocytosis by predatory cells, (ii) aid in penetrating tissue barriers, (iii) promote nutrient release, or (iv) alter cellular architecture and metabolism in ways that facilitate the establishment of a niche for colonization and replication. Useful enzymatic targets for some bacterial toxins may be similar betw...

Considering long term negative effect of chemical insecticides on the environment and human health, globally biological pest management has been promoted. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is mostly explored and commercially successful microbial insecticide. According to a report, it constitutes almost 2% of insecticide market [1]. There are at least 32 companies involved in Bt based bio-insecticide ...

The activity and the complete primary structure of gilatoxin, a glycoprotein component from the venom of the Mexican beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum horridum) has been elucidated. Gilatoxin, a serine protease, showed kallikrein-like activity, releasing bradykinin from kininogen; toxin-treated kininogen also produced lowered blood pressure in rats and contraction of isolated rat uterus smooth ...

Pertussis toxin (PT) moves from the host cell surface to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by retrograde vesicular transport. The catalytic PTS1 subunit dissociates from the rest of the toxin in the ER and then shifts to a disordered conformation which may trigger its export to the cytosol through the quality control mechanism of ER-associated degradation (ERAD). Functional roles for toxin instabi...