Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:4.6.1.2 (guanylate cyclase)
 8,497 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Vero cell cytotoxins and cytotonic enterotoxins produced by E. coli are toxic proteins, which have been implicated in a number of specific diseases in humans and animals. Nomenclature for these toxins is complicated by the existence of different names for the same toxin. The Vero cell cytotoxins are called verotoxins because they are lethal for Vero cells in culture; they are also known as Shiga-like toxins (SLTs) because they are clearly related to Shiga toxin in structure, amino acid sequence, mechanism of action, and biological activity. SLTs belong to two classes. SLT-I is identical with Shiga toxin and is in a class by itself (class I). The other SLTs are closely related to each other and form a second class (class II). Class II SLTs include SLT-II, SLT-IIv, SLT-IIvha, SLT-IIvhb, and SLT-IIva. All SLTs that have been investigated are A-B subunit protein toxins, whose A subunits possess N-glycosidase activity against 28S rRNA and cause inhibition of protein synthesis in eukaryotic cells. These toxins are enterotoxic as well as cytotoxic. SLTs produced in the intestine are absorbed into the blood stream and affect vascular endothelial cells in target organs. They may also have a direct toxic effect on enterocytes. Diseases in which E. coli SLTs have been implicated include diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome in humans and edema disease in pigs. Variation in receptor specificities among SLTs may be the reason for different disease syndromes in different host species. The E. coli enterotoxins belong to three distinct classes: heat-labile enterotoxin (LT), heat-stable enterotoxin type I or type a (STI, STa), and heat-stable enterotoxin type II or type b (STII, STb). There is clear evidence that these cytotonic enterotoxins play an essential role in diarrheal disease. LT is an A-B subunit protein toxin, closely related to cholera toxin. Following binding of LT to receptors in enterocytes the A subunit is internalized. The enzymatically active A subunit transfers ADP-ribose from NAD to a GTP-dependent adenylate cyclase regulatory protein, thereby elevating intracellular levels of adenylate cyclase. The increased levels of cyclic AMP cause stimulation of A kinase and lead to hypersecretion of electrolytes and fluid. STI is a small peptide of 18 or 19 amino acids. It binds to receptors in enterocytes and stimulates particulate guanyl cyclase. Elevated intracellular cyclic GMP stimulates G kinase, resulting in increased Cl- secretion and impaired absorption of Na+Cl-. STII is a peptide toxin whose mechanism of action is unknown.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:Escherichia coli cytotoxins and enterotoxins. 139 38

The heat-stable enterotoxins (STs) produced by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli are classified into two groups, methanol-soluble (STI) and methanol-insoluble (STII) enterotoxins. These are distinct toxins with unique properties. Their features in common include heat-stability, low molecular weight, secretion from the bacteria, and ability to induce fluid secretion from the intestine. STI is an 18- or 19-amino acid extracellular peptide with three intramolecular disulfide bonds, which is produced by proteolytic cleavage of 72 amino acid precursor. The STI in the lumen of the intestine binds to specific protein receptors (guanylate cyclase C) located in the brush border membrane and leads to elevation of intracellular cyclic GMP level. Several factors involved in the activation of guanylate cyclase by STI have been identified. Elevation of cyclic GMP level induces intestinal fluid secretion by stimulation of chloride secretion. Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, which is a chloride channel, might be involved in chloride secretion. In contrast, STII is a 48-amino acid peptide with two intramolecular disulfide bonds, which results from 71 amino acid precursor. Compared with STI, the steps that lead to intestinal fluid secretion by STII are not well established. It has been proposed that sulfatide in the brush border is a receptor for STII and that the STII bound to the receptor opens GTP-binding regulatory protein-linked calcium channels. These actions of STII induce not only stimulation of the production of secretagogues such as prostaglandin E2 and serotonin, but also activation of the calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in the cells.
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PMID:Properties and actions of heat-stable enterotoxin of Escherichia coli. 1099 26