Cholesterol binding toxins (Streptococcus, Bacillus, Clostridium, Listeria)

Abstract

Abstract The 19 toxins identified to date are produced by gram-positive aerobic or anaerobic, sporulating or non-sporulating bacteria from the genera Streptococcus, Bacillus, Clostridium, and listeria (Smyth and Duncan 1978, Alouf and Geoffroy 1991) listed below in Table 1.Except for PLY, which is intracytoplasmic, the other toxins are secreted in culture medium during bacterial growth. Among the toxin-producing bacteria, only Listeria are intracellular pathogens which grow and release their toxins in host phagocytes or possibly in other cells.