ABSTRACT
Asseeninthechaptersofthisbook,thediversityamongbacterialtoxinsreflectsan impressivevarietyofstrategiesbywhichpathogensinterferewithhostcellularprocesses. Bordetellapertussis,thegram-negativebacteriumthatcauseswhoopingcough(pertussis), producesatleastfivetoxins,allofwhichhavedistinctlydifferentstructuresandfunctions. Thethreebest-studiedarereleasedduringlogarithmicphasegrowthandaretherefore functionallydefinedasexotoxins,butthesimilarityendsthere.Thefirstispertussistoxin, aclassicalbipartiteproteintoxinwithADP-ribosylatingactivityandawiderangeoftarget cells(seechaptersbyBurnsandKatada).Thesecondexotoxinisadenylatecyclasetoxin, achimericmoleculewithanN-terminalportionthatfunctionallyresemblesanthraxtoxin edemafactorandaC-terminalportionwithhomologytotheRTXfamilyofpore-forming toxins(seeHewlett'schapter).ThesetwovastlydifferentB.pertussistoxinshavepronouncedeffectsoncellsinvolvedintheimmuneandinflammatoryresponsestoinfection.
