As receptors for bacterial toxins

Glycosphingolipids are constituents of the outer leaflet of plasma membranes and are important in cell adhesion and cell recognition. Some are antigens, eg, ABO blood group substances. Certain gangliosides function as receptors for bacterial toxins (eg, for cholera toxin, which subsequently activates adenylyl cyclase). 

GANGLIOSIDES AS RECEPTORS FOR BACTERIA, VIRUSES, AND BACTERIAL TOXINS... 

Figure 1 The mode of action for bacterial AB-type exotoxins. AB-toxins are enzymes that modify specific substrate molecules in the cytosol of eukaryotic cells. Besides the enzyme domain (A-domain), AB-toxins have a binding/translocation domain (B-domain) that specifically interacts with a cell-surface receptor and facilitates internalization of the toxin into cellular transport vesicles, such as endosomes. In many cases, the B-domain mediates translocation of the A-domain into the cytosol by pore formation in cellular membranes. By following receptor-mediated endocytosis, AB-type toxins exploit normal vesicle traffic pathways into cells. One type of toxin escapes from early acidified endosomes (EE) into the cytosol, thus they are referred to as short-trip-toxins . In contrast, the long-trip-toxins take a retrograde route from early endosomes (EE) through late endosomes (LE), trans-Golgi network (TGN), and Golgi apparatus into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) from where the A-domains translocate into the cytosol to modify specific substrates.

Anthrax toxin is a bacterial toxin from Bacillus anthracis consisting of three parts protective antigen (PA), lethal factor (LF) and edema factor (EF). Both LF and EF compete for binding sites on the PA protein. The PA protein binds with high affinity to an as yet unknown receptor on macrophages and related cell types. When PA is internalized by the target cells, it functions as a shuttle protein for either EF or LF. Intracellularly, in the acidic environment of the endosome, EF and LF are capable of entering the cytosol by pH-dependent pore formation [139]. 

After infection and immune cell activation, endothelial cells are variously activated to bind peripheral blood leucocytes. Bacterial toxins such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), inflammatory cytokines such as tumour necrosis factors a and (5 (TNFa and TNFP) and interleukin-1 (5 (IL-ip) increase the synthesis of cell surface E- and P-selectins in endothelial cells. Histamine and thrombin increase PM P-selectins in endothelial cells and platelets. L-selectins are constitutively expressed in monocytes and lymphocytes. The selectins are involved in the initial adhesion of leucocytes with endothelial cells via selectin-selectin receptor interactions, for example, monocyte L-selectin-endothelial L-selectin ligand binding and T-lymphocyte-endothelial selectin-integrin interactions. This initial phase of leucocyte-endothelial adhesion enables an early stage of leucocyte rolling through successive formation and breakage of adhesive interactions. 

---