Anthrax lethal and edema toxins in anthrax pathogenesis

Trends Microbiol. 2014 Jun;22(6):317-25. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2014.02.012. Epub 2014 Mar 27.

Abstract

The pathophysiological effects resulting from many bacterial diseases are caused by exotoxins released by the bacteria. Bacillus anthracis, a spore-forming bacterium, is such a pathogen, causing anthrax through a combination of bacterial infection and toxemia. B. anthracis causes natural infection in humans and animals and has been a top bioterrorism concern since the 2001 anthrax attacks in the USA. The exotoxins secreted by B. anthracis use capillary morphogenesis protein 2 (CMG2) as the major toxin receptor and play essential roles in pathogenesis during the entire course of the disease. This review focuses on the activities of anthrax toxins and their roles in initial and late stages of anthrax infection.

Keywords: anthrax; capillary morphogenesis protein 2; edema toxin; lethal toxin; tumor endothelial marker 8.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anthrax / drug therapy
  • Anthrax / microbiology*
  • Antigens, Bacterial / metabolism
  • Antigens, Bacterial / physiology*
  • Bacillus anthracis / metabolism
  • Bacillus anthracis / pathogenicity*
  • Bacterial Toxins / metabolism
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions*
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Models, Biological
  • Receptors, Peptide / metabolism*

Substances

  • Antigens, Bacterial
  • Bacterial Toxins
  • Receptors, Peptide
  • anthrax toxin
  • anthrax toxin receptors