Cholera Toxin as a Probe for Membrane Biology
Anne K. Kenworthy, Stefanie S. Schmieder, Krishnan Raghunathan, Ajit Tiwari, Ting Wang, Christopher V. Kelly, Wayne I. Lencer
Abstract
Cholera toxin B-subunit (CTxB) has emerged as one of the most widely utilized tools in membrane biology and biophysics. CTxB is a homopentameric stable protein that binds tightly to up to five GM1 glycosphingolipids. This provides a robust and tractable model for exploring membrane structure and its dynamics including vesicular trafficking and nanodomain assembly. Here, we review important advances in these fields enabled by use of CTxB and its lipid receptor GM1.
Topics & Concepts
Cholera toxinBiologyProtein subunitBiophysicsCell biologyVibrio choleraeMicrobial toxinsMembraneMembrane proteinLipid raftToxinMicrobiologyBiochemistryBacteriaGeneGeneticsLipid Membrane Structure and BehaviorCellular transport and secretionGlycosylation and Glycoproteins Research