Diphtheria Protein synthesis

A different kind of enzyme, translocase [80700-39-6], which transfers a fragment of NAD to the protein—synthesis factor (elongation factor 2), is catalyzed by diphtheria toxin, thereby inhibiting protein synthesis (43). In tumor cells, the rate of protein synthesis is 100 to 1000 times more sensitive to diphtheria toxin than the analogous process in normal cells (41) therefore, diphtheria toxin is selectively toxic to tumor cells. 

Diphtheria toxin, Pseudomonas exotoxin A Elongation factor 2 ADP-ribosylation Inhibition of protein synthesis (diphtheria, Pseudomonas infection)... 

Diphtheria toxin, an exotoxin of Corynebacterium diphtheriae infected with a specific lysogenic phage, catalyzes the ADP-ribosylation of EF-2 on the unique amino acid diphthamide in mammalian cells. This modification inactivates EF-2 and thereby specifically inhibits mammalian protein synthesis. Many animals (eg, mice) are resistant to diphtheria toxin. This resistance is due to inability of diphtheria toxin to cross the cell membrane rather than to insensitivity of mouse EF-2 to diphtheria toxin-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation by NAD. 

Denileukin diftitox is a combination of the active sections of interleukin 2 and diphtheria toxin. It binds to high-affinity interleukin 2 receptors on the cancer cell (and other cells), and the toxin portion of the molecule inhibits protein synthesis to result in cell death. The pharmacokinetics of denileukin diftitox are best described by a two-compartment model, with an a half-life of 2 to 5 minutes and a terminal half-life of 70 to 80 minutes. Denileukin diftitox is used for the treatment of persistent or recurrent cutaneous T-cell lymphoma whose cells express the CD25 receptor. Side effects include vascular leak syndrome, fevers/chills, hypersensitivity reactions, hypotension, anorexia, diarrhea, and nausea and vomiting. 

Honjo, J., Nishizuka, Y., Hayaishi, O., and Kato, I. (1968) Diphtheria toxin-dependent adenosine diphosphate ribosylation of aminoacyl transferase II and inhibition of protein synthesis. J. Biol. Cbem. 243, 3553-3555. 

The IL-2 portion of the fusion protein facilitates product interaction with cells displaying cell surface IL-2 receptors, found in high levels on some leukaemia and lymphoma cells, including CTCL cells. Binding appears to trigger internalization of the receptor-fusion protein complex (Figure 9.B1). Sufficient quantities of the latter escape immediate cellular destruction to allow diphtheria toxin-mediated inhibition of cellular protein synthesis. Cell death usually results within hours. 

A third type of bacterial toxin, diphtheria toxin, catalyzes the ADP-ribosylation of eukaryotic elongation factor (EFTU), a type of small G protein involved in protein synthesis (Table 19-2). The functional activity of the elongation factor is inhibitedby this reaction. Finally, a botulinum toxin ADP-ribosylates and disrupts the function of the small G protein Rho, which appears to be involved in assembly and rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton (Table 19-2). These toxins maybe involved in neuropathy (see Ch. 36) and membrane trafficking (see Ch. 9). 

Diphtheria causes a demyelinative neuropathy. Coryne-bacterium diphtheriae colonizes the pharynx or open wounds, and secretes a protein exotoxin. The B subunit of this exotoxin binds to plasma membranes and facilitates entry into cytosol of the A subunit, which catalyzes ADP-ribosylation, and inactivation of an elongation factor required for protein synthesis. Cardiac muscle and Schwann cells are particularly susceptible to this toxin, and hence patients with diphtheria develop cardiomyopathy and demyelinative polyneuropathy [20]. While diphtheria is now uncommon because of childhood immunization against C. diphtheriae, the disruption in preventative medicine programs caused by disintegration of the Soviet Union was followed by a substantial incidence of diphtheritic polyneuropathy in Russia. 

DT Corynebacterium AB GTPases Elongation Factor-2 Inhibition of protein synthesis Diphtheria... 

It is mainly bacteriostatic and inhibits the growth of gram positive organisms which includes staphylococci, streptococci, pneumococci, C. diphtheriae and B. anthracis. Like erythromycin it act by interfering with protein synthesis. 

Highly potent bacterial toxins such as ricin and diphtheria can completely inhibit cellular protein synthesis at very low levels [26]. The bacterial toxin exerts cytotoxicity through enzymatic inactivation of factors essential for protein synthesis (e.g., riboso-mal RNA, elongation factor 2 or EF2). Inactivation of these proteins, which are... 

Several other inhibitors of protein synthesis are notable because of their toxicity to humans and other mammals. Diphtheria toxin (Mr 58,330) catalyzes the ADP-ribosylation of a diphthamide (a modified histidine) residue of eukaryotic elongation factor eEF2, thereby inactivating it. Ricin (Afr 29,895), an extremely toxic protein of the castor bean, inactivates the 60S subunit of eukaryotic ribosomes by depurinating a specific adenosine in 23S rRNA. 

This reaction is reversible when conducted in vitro, but under the conditions of pH and nicotinamide concentration that exist in the cell, it is irreversible. Thus, diphtheria toxin kills cells by irreversibly destroying the ability of EF-2 to participate in the translocation step of protein synthesis elongation. A number of other protein toxins have subsequently been found to ADP-ribosylate and inactivate cellular proteins involved in other essential cellular pathways. For example, cholera and pertussis toxins ADP-ribosylate and inactivate proteins important to cAMP metabolism. 

The enzymatic specificity of diphtheria toxin deserves special comment. The toxin ADP-ribosylates EF-2 in all eukaryotic cells in vitro whether or not they are sensitive to the toxin in vivo, but it does not modify any other protein, including the bacterial counterpart of EF-2. This narrow enzymatic specificity has called attention to an unusual posttranslational derivative of histidine, diphthamide, that occurs in EF-2 at the site of ADP-ribosylation (see fig. 1). Although the unique occurrence of diphthamide in EF-2 explains the specificity of the toxin, it raises questions about the functional significance of this modification in translocation. Interestingly, some mutants of eukaryotic cells selected for toxin resistance lack one of several enzymes necessary for the posttranslational synthesis of diphthamide in EF-2 that is necessary for toxin recognition, but these cells seem perfectly competent in protein synthesis. Thus, the raison d etre of diphthamide, as well as the biological origin of the toxin that modifies it, remains a mystery. 

Denileukin Diftitox. Denileukin Diftitox (Ontak) is formulated by combining interleukin-2 with diphtheria toxin.11 Certain leukemia and lymphoma cells have a surface receptor that has a high affinity for interleukin-2, thus attracting this drug directly to these cells. Upon binding with tbe receptor, the diphtheria toxin component of the drug inhibits cellular protein synthesis, which ultimately results in cell death. This... 

The primary clinical targets of immunotoxins are tumors, based on the principle that the MAb will target the toxin to the tumor cells and the highly toxic moiety will then kill the cancer cells. Examples of toxins are ricin, diphtheria toxin and abrin, which are all glycoproteins. Their toxicity is based on their ability to block protein synthesis at the ribosomal protein assembly site. They are normally extremely toxic and not suitable for therapeutic purposes because they induce liver and vascular toxicity, even at low dose levels. 

Figure 12.4 Inhibition of protein synthesis by diphtheria toxin transfer of an ADP-ribose moiety from NAD+ to a diphthamide residue in the elongation factor EF-2.

The ribosomal elongation Factor 11 is the acceptor protein for the ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of diphtheria toxin and P. aeruginosa exotoxin A, as well as a mammalian cytosolic ADP-ribosyltransferase. ADP-ribosylation results in loss of activity. The uncontrolled action of the bacterial toxins causes the cessation ofprotein synthesis andhence cell death. The more regulated action of the endogenous ADP-ribosyltransferase is part of the normal regulation of protein synthesis. 

Diphtheria Toxin Blocks Protein Synthesis in Eukaryotes by Inhibiting Translocation... 

Figure 29.35. Blocking of Translocation by Diphtheria Toxin. Diphtheria toxin blocks protein synthesis in eukaryotes by catalyzing the transfer of an ADP-ribose unit from NAD+ to diphthamide, a modified amino acid residue in elongation factor 2 (translocase). Diphthamide is formed by a posttranslational modification (blue) of a histidine residue.

Certain inhibitors - kirromycin, pulvomycin, fusidic acid and diphtheria toxin - which block protein synthesis by interacting with either elongation factor constitute potent probes to reveal eucaryal and/or bacterial traits on archaeal factors. 

DenUeukin diftitox is a fusion protein formed by binding human aldesleukin to the cytotoxic A chain of diphtheria toxin. This product binds to the aldesleukin receptor and inhibits protein synthesis, resulting in cell death. It has been approved for treatment of persistent or recurrent cutaneous T cell lymphoma and is being evaluated in patients with severe psoriasis. 

Diphtheria toxin inactivates elongation factor 2, an enzyme required for protein synthesis (Pappenheimer, 1977) through catalyzing its ADP-ribosylation, thereby inhibiting protein synthesis and inducing cell death. Elongation factor 2 contains a unique amino acid, diph-thamide, which is formed by posttranslational modification of a histidine residue (Van Ness et ai, 1980). The ADP-ribose binds covalently to this unusual amino acid. 

Denileukin diftitox is a fusion protein that combines portions of the IL-2 molecule with the diphtheria toxin to destroy cells with the IL-2 receptor by inhibition of protein synthesis. It is used primarily in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) in patients whose disease expresses the CD 25 component of the IL-2 receptor. Its major toxicity is hypersensitivity reactions and the vascular leak syndrome. 

Myelinating cells are susceptible to agents that disrupt the synthesis of myelin components, the best example of which is diphtheria toxin, which has access to peripheral nerves where it inhibits Schwann cell protein synthesis and causes primary demyelina-tion. Oligodendrocyte demyelination can be induced experimentally by diphtheria toxin and by other... 

A novel derivative of histidine present only in the eukaryotic protein elongation factor 2 (EF-2), which participates in the elongation step of protein biosynthesis. Diphtheria toxin inhibits eukaryotic protein synthesis by catalyzing a covalent modification of diphthamide (see Chapter 25). 

The actions of diphtheria and pertussis toxins are also mediated by ADP-ribosylation. Diphtheria toxin inhibits eukaryotic protein synthesis by ADP ribosylation of elongation factor II (Chapter 23). Pertussis toxin inactivates Gi by ADP ribosylation of its A-subunit and causes an increase in cAMP production. Unlike cholera toxin, pertussis and diphtheria toxins gain access to many tissues to produce diverse biological effects. Severe watery diarrhea... 

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