Mechanisms of bacterial protein toxin entry into the target cell cytosol

The emerging threat of a biological weapons attack has sparked a renewed interest in bacterial protein toxins and the mechanisms they employ for cell entry. In the past few years studies of toxin entry into the cytosol have provided unique insight into the basic mechanisms whereby cells normally transport proteins through vesicular compartments and across membranes. These advances in understanding have identified several novel potential targets for cytoplasmic antitoxin development, as well as insight into the functions of host cell proteins that mediate bacterial protein toxin entry.

Section editors:William Bishai and Eric Nuermberger – John Hopkins School of Medecine, Baltimore, USA