ISSN:
1365-2958
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
Notes:
Pneumolysin is a thiol-activated membrane-damaging, multifunctional toxin and a known virulence factor of Streptococcus penumoniae. The toxin can interfere with the functioning of both cellular and soluble components of the human immune system which protects against penumococcal infection. Different amino acids within the toxin which are important in promoting oligomerization of the toxin in membranes and for the generation of functional lesions have been identified by site-directed mutagenesis. Pneumolysin can also activate the classical pathway of complement, and this appears to involve antibody binding (via Fc) by a region of the toxin homologous to C-reactive protein, a human acute-phase protein also capable of classical pathway activation and implicated in host defence against pneumococcal infection.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2958.1991.tb01969.x
