Canadian Medical Guide > Chemicals and Drugs > Immunologic and Biological Factors > Biological Factors > Toxins > Bacterial Toxins Terms and Definitions

Bacterial Toxins

Medical Definition:	Toxic substances formed in or elaborated by bacteria; they are usually proteins with high molecular weight and antigenicity; some are used as antibiotics and some to skin test for the presence of or susceptibility to certain diseases.
Guide Notes:	GEN or unspecified: prefer specifics; coord IM with specific bacterium (IM); /antag permitted but consider also ANTITOXINS; DF: BACT TOXINS
Previously Indexed:	Bacteria (1966-1976),Toxins (1966-1976)

Bacterial Toxins Categories.

	Botulinum Toxins - Toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum. There are at least seven different substances, most being proteins. They have neuro-, entero-, and hemotoxic properties, are immunogenic, and include the most potent poisons known. The most commonly used apparently blocks release of acetylcholine at cholinergic synapses.
	Exfoliatins - Protein exotoxins from Staphylococcus aureus, phage type II, which cause epidermal necrolysis. They are proteins with a molecular weight of 26,000 to 32,000. They cause a condition variously called scaled skin, Lyell or Ritter syndrome, epidermal exfoliative disease, toxic epidermal necrolysis, etc.
	Leukocidins - Substances that are toxic to leukocytes. Specifically exotoxins produced by some pathogenic staphylococci and streptococci that destroy leukocytes by lysis of the cytoplasmic granules and are partially responsible for the pathogenicity of the organisms. (Dorland, 28th ed)
	Shiga Toxins - A class of toxins that inhibit protein synthesis by blocking the interaction of ribosomal RNA; (RNA, RIBOSOMAL) with PEPTIDE ELONGATION FACTORS. They include SHIGA TOXIN which is produced by SHIGELLA DYSENTERIAE and a variety of shiga-like toxins that are produced by pathologic strains of ESCHERICHIA COLI such as ESCHERICHIA COLI O157.
	Streptolysins - Exotoxins produced by certain strains of streptococci, particularly those of group A, that lyse red blood cells. (Dorland, 28th ed)
	Tetanus Toxin - The toxin elaborated by Clostridium tetani. It is a protein with a molecular weight of about 150,000, probably consisting of two fragments, tetanolysin being the hemolytic and tetanospasmin the neurotoxic principle. The toxin causes disruption of the inhibitory mechanisms of the CNS, thus permitting uncontrolled nervous activity, leading to fatal convulsions.

Bacterial Toxins Medical Definitions and Terms

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