We studied the endocytosis of fluorescent glycosphingolipid (GSL) analogs in various cell types using pathway-specific inhibitors and colocalization studies with endocytic markers and DsRed caveolin-1 (cav-1). Based on inhibitor studies, all GSLs tested were internalized predominantly (>80%) by a clathrin-independent, caveolar-related mechanism, regardless of cell type. In addition, fluorescent...

Changes of membrane organization upon cross-linking of its components trigger cell signaling response to various exogenous factors. Cross-linking of raft gangliosides GM1 with cholera toxin (CTxB) was shown to cause microscopic phase separation in model membranes, and the CTxB-GM1 complexes forming a minimal lipid raft unit are the subject of ongoing cell membrane research. Yet, those subdiffra...

       Cholera toxin B subunit (CtxB) is a homopantameric, nontoxic subunit of cholera toxin that is responsible for its binding to the cell and has been known as a mucosal adjuvant for vaccines that could increase homoral and mocusal immunity response. In this work, the CtxB gene was fused to the StxB gene from Shigella dysenteriae type I a vaccine antigen candidate against t...

Several animal autoimmune disorders are suppressed by treatment with the GM1 cross-linking units of certain toxins such as B subunit of cholera toxin (CtxB). Due to the recent observation of GM1 being a binding partner for the endogenous lectin galectin-1 (Gal-1), which is known to ameliorate symptoms in certain animal models of autoimmune disorders, we tested the hypothesis that an operative G...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES El Tor Vibrio cholerae O1 carrying ctxB C trait, so-called El Tor variant that causes more severe symptoms than the prototype El Tor strain, first detected in Bangladesh was later shown to have emerged in India in 1992. Subsequently, similar V. cholerae strains were isolated in other countries in Asia and Africa. Thus, it was of interest to investigate the characteristic...

ipad gene is amongst key genes in shigella invasion, known as an antigen. pa20 protein of bacillus anthracic can be separated from native pa protein during the infection and can be found in the serum of the infected patients and make it possible to diagnose the disease. ctxb, a known immune adjuvant, enhances the immunogenicity and is mainly used for the production of recombinant vaccines as a ...