19 August 2004
Anthrax toxin
In an advance that should aid the development of drugs to combat anthrax toxin and cancer, Santelli et al. have determined the crystal structure of anthrax toxin attached to a cell-surface receptor. One of the three toxin components binds the receptor in a manner much like that used by integrins (a type of adhesion molecule) to bind the extracellular matrix. As well as providing potential targets for blocking the toxin, this work may help to make it possible to design targeted anthrax toxins that selectively bind to and destroy cancer cells.
Crystal structure of a complex between anthrax
toxin and its host cell receptor
EUGENIO SANTELLI, LAURIE A. BANKSTON, STEPHEN H. LEPPLA
& ROBERT C. LIDDINGTON
Nature 430, 905–908 (2004); doi:10.1038/nature02763
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Structural biology: Anthrax hijacks host receptor
JAMES G. BANN & SCOTT J. HULTGREN
An atomic picture of how anthrax toxin binds to its host's cells reveals
that the toxin commandeers a host receptor protein and tricks it into
helping the toxin enter the cell.
Nature 430, 843–844 (2004); doi:10.1038/430843a
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