Toxic shock syndrome-associated staphylococcal and streptococcal exotoxins were tested for an ability to induce the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Staphylococcal enterotoxins B and C1, along with streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin A, all induced TNF production in a dose-dependent manner, with production peaking on the average at 3 days but continuing over the 6 days tested. This time ...

Micro-organisms are capable of producing a range of defence mechanisms, including antibiotics, bacteriocins, lytic agents, protein exotoxins, etc. Such mechanisms have been identified in nearly 99% of studied bacteria. The multiplicity and diversity of bacteriocins and the resultant effects of their interactions with targeted bacteria on microbial ecology has been thoroughly studied and remains...

BACKGROUND Clostridium botulinum C2 toxin and Clostridium perfringens iota toxin are binary exotoxins, which ADP-ribosylate actin in the cytosol of mammalian cells and thereby destroy the cytoskeleton. C2 and iota toxin consists of two individual proteins, an enzymatic active (A-) component and a separate receptor binding and translocation (B-) component. The latter forms a complex with the A-c...