Diphtheria toxin is a 58 kDa protein secreted by lysogenic strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae. The toxin causes the disease diphtheria in humans by gaining entry into the cell cytoplasm and inhibiting protein synthesis. The mechanism of inhibition involves transfer of the ADP-ribose group of NAD to elongation factor-2 (EF-2), rendering EF-2 inactive. The catalysed reaction is as follows: NAD + + peptide diphthamide = nicotinamide + peptide N-(ADP-D-ribosyl)diphthamide The crystal structure of the diphtheria toxin homodimer has been determined to 2.5A resolution. The structure reveals a Y-shaped molecule of 3 domains, a catalytic domain (fragment A), whose fold is of the alpha + beta type; a transmembrane (TM) domain, which consists of 9 alpha-helices, 2 pairs of which may participate in pH-triggered membrane insertion and translocation; and a receptor-binding domain, which forms a flattened beta-barrel with a jelly-roll-like topology. The TM- and receptor binding-domains together constitute fragment B.
Function:
Diphtheria toxin, produced by a phage infecting Corynebacterium diphtheriae, is a proenzyme that, after activation, catalyzes the covalent attachment of the ADP ribose moiety of NAD to eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF-2). Fragment A is the catalytic portion responsible for enzymatic ADP-ribosylation of elongation factor 2, while fragment B is responsible for binding of toxin to cell receptors and entry of fragment A.
Subcellular Location:
Homodimer.
SWISS:
P00588
Gene ID:
2650491
Database links:
Entrez Gene: 2650491 CORBE
Swiss Prot: P00588 CORBE
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