The cellular entry of the bacterial Shiga toxin and the related verotoxins has been scrutinized in quite some detail. This is due to their importance as a threat to human health. At the same time, the study of Shiga toxin has allowed the discovery of novel molecular mechanisms that also apply to the intracellular trafficking of endogenous proteins at the plasma membrane and in the endosomal sys...

The bacterial exotoxin Shiga toxin is endocytosed by mammalian host cells and transported retrogradely through the secretory pathway before entering the cytosol. Shiga toxin also increases the levels of microfilaments and microtubules (MTs) upon binding to the cell surface. The purpose for this alteration in cytoskeletal dynamics is unknown. We have investigated whether Shiga toxin-induced chan...

From the Department of Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan; Department of Clinical Pathological Biochemistry, Doshisha Women’s Collage Liberal Arts, Kyotanabe, Kyoto; Division of Metabolism and Biosystemic Science, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical College, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan; and Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Kanaz...

In the context of a large outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O104:H4 in Germany, we quantified the timeliness of the German surveillance system for hemolytic uremic syndrome and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli notifiable diseases during 2003-2011. Although reporting occurred faster than required by law, potential for improvement exists at all levels of the information chain.

Addition of Shiga toxin 2 to human bone marrow or cord blood cell culture induced macrophage-granulocyte colonies. Although Shiga toxin 2 alone induced colonies mainly composed of macrophages, it induced colonies mainly consisting of granulocytes when combined with physiological doses of interleukin-1beta, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, or stem cell factor with interleukin-3.

By the suppression, through anaerobiosis, of the exotoxin-producing activity of Bacillus dysenteriae Shiga a pure endotoxin is produced directly from the culture. The duality of the poison of Shiga bacillus is further substantiated by studies on the diffusion of exotoxin, or neurotoxin, and endotoxin, or enterotoxin, by means of collodion sacs, implanted intraabdominally in rabbits or placed in...

Yukiko Himeno, Futoshi Toyoda, Hiroyasu Satoh, Akira Amano, Chae Young Cha, Hiroshi Matsuura, and Akinori Noma Department of Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Nara Medical University, Nara; and Department of Bios...

The presence of commensal flora reduced colonization of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and production of Shiga toxin (Stx) in the murine intestine. Stx production was not detected in mice colonized with E. coli that were resistant to the Shiga toxin phage, but it was detected in mice colonized with phage-susceptible E. coli.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a food-borne bacterium that causes hemorrhagic diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome in humans. While cattle are a known source of E. coli O157:H7 exposure resulting in human infection, environmental reservoirs may also be important sources of infection for both cattle and humans. Bacteriophage-encoded Shiga toxins (Stx) carried by E. coli O157:H7 may provide a sele...

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are human pathogens. Although >400 non-O157 serotypes have been involved in human disease, whole-genome sequencing information is missing for many serotypes. We sequenced 64 STEC strains comprising 38 serotypes, isolated from clinical sources, animals, and environmental samples, to improve the phylogenetic understanding of these important fo...