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Clostridial Neurotoxins — The Search for a Common Mode of Action

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Molecular Basis of Viral and Microbial Pathogenesis

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Abstract

Modern pharmacology is primarily devoted to the mode of action of drugs. Conversely, a detailed knowledge of their chemistry, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics will improve our understanding of many biological events. Once the latter are known, drugs and events can be held together by a central theory. With some bacterial toxins this goal has been achieved. For instance ADP-ribosylating toxins (Foster and Kinney 1985, Wreggett 1986) like diphtheria, cholera, pertussis toxin, pseudomonas exotoxin A, and also the cytolytic botulinum C2 toxin (Aktories et al. 1986) can be defined by their biologically relevant substrates. Cytolytic toxins like staphylococcal α-toxin or the thiol-activated, cholesterol-binding toxins like streptolysin-O are inserted into biomembranes, form ring-like aggregates and surround artificial pores (Bhakdi this vol.). Still others act in a detergentlike manner, like streptolysin S or staphylococcal θ-toxin (for review see Le Vine and Cuatrecasas 1986).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Buchheim-Institut für Pharmakologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität, Frankfurter Strasse 107, D-6300, Giesen, Germany

    E. Habermann

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  1. E. Habermann
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Virologie der Universität, Frankfurter Straße 107, 6300, Gießen, Germany

    Rudolf Rott

  2. Institut für Genetik und Mikrobiologie der Universität, Röntgenring 11, 8700, Würzburg, Germany

    Werner Goebel

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© 1987 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Habermann, E. (1987). Clostridial Neurotoxins — The Search for a Common Mode of Action. In: Rott, R., Goebel, W. (eds) Molecular Basis of Viral and Microbial Pathogenesis. Colloquium der Gesellschaft für Biologische Chemie 9.–11. April 1987 in Mosbach/Baden, vol 38. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73214-0_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73214-0_18

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-73216-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-73214-0

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