Home LiteratureArticle Details
PMID: 272642 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Diphtheria toxin has the properties of a lectin.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America ·Vol. 75 ·No. 1 ·1978-01-00 ·Pages 261-5

Draper RK, Chin D, Simon MI

Abstract

The inhibition of protein synthesis in Chinese hamster V79 cells by diphtheria toxin is antagonized by the lectins concanavalin A, succinylated concanavalin A, and wheat germ agglutinin but not by Proteus vulgaris phytohemagglutinin or abrus agglutinin. The effects of concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin are reversed by methyl alpha-mannoside and N-acetylglucosamine, respectively. The inhibition of diphtheria toxin as a function of concanavalin A concentration fits a model of competitive inhibition with an apparent dissociation constant for concanavalin A of 3 X 10(-8) M. These results suggest that the diphtheria toxin receptor may be an oligosaccharide. To test this hypothesis, we screened several oligosaccharides for the ability to inhibit diphtheria toxin. The cell wall polysaccharide of Salmonella cholera suis and the ovalbumin glycopeptide were effective inhibitors. These studies suggest that diphtheria toxin may have the oligosaccharide binding properties of a lectin with specificity for N-acetylglucosamine and mannose.

MeSH Terms
Cell Line Concanavalin A/pharmacology Diphtheria Antitoxin Lectins/pharmacology Oligosaccharides/pharmacology Plant Lectins Polysaccharides, Bacterial/pharmacology Protein Biosynthesis Receptors, Drug/drug effects Structure-Activity Relationship Triticum
Chemicals
Diphtheria Antitoxin Lectins Oligosaccharides Plant Lectins Polysaccharides, Bacterial Receptors, Drug Concanavalin A
Authors & Affiliations
3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Draper R K
Chin D
Simon M I
References (26)
26 references, click to expand
  1. Drug antagonism and pAx.
    Pharmacol Rev. 1957 Jun;9(2):242-6 PMID: 13465304
  2. Theories of drug antagonism.
    Pharmacol Rev. 1957 Jun;9(2):211-8 PMID: 13465301
  3. Interaction of diphtheria toxin with mammalian cell membranes.
    J Biol Chem. 1976 Sep 25;251(18):5770-8 PMID: 965389
  4. Tetanus toxin interactions with thyroid plasma membranes. Implications for structure and function of tetanus toxin receptors and potential pathophysiological significance.
    J Biol Chem. 1977 Jun 25;252(12):4049-55 PMID: 193853
  5. Concanavalin-A-induced transmembrane linkage of concanavalin A surface receptors to intracellular myosin-containing filaments.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1976 Dec;73(12):4575-9 PMID: 1070007
  6. Comparative aspects of glycoprotein structure.
    Annu Rev Biochem. 1976;45:217-37 PMID: 786150
  7. Cholera toxin and cell growth: role of membrane gangliosides.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1974 Oct;71(10):4224-8 PMID: 4530298
  8. Polymorphism of the somatic antigen of yeast.
    Science. 1974 Apr 12;184(4133):127-34 PMID: 4131378
  9. Quantitative binding of 125 I-concanavalin A to normal and transformed cells.
    J Virol. 1971 Nov;8(5):716-21 PMID: 4332142
  10. Immunochemical studies on Salmonella. 13. Chemical changes appearing on the specific polysaccharide of S. cholerae suis (6-2,7) after its conversion by phage 14(6,7).
    Eur J Biochem. 1968 Apr;4(3):286-300 PMID: 4297533
  11. The mechanism of action of cholera toxin in pigeon erythrocyte lysates.
    J Biol Chem. 1975 Aug 25;250(16):6424-32 PMID: 169243
  12. Diphtheria.
    Science. 1973 Oct 26;182(4110):353-8 PMID: 4202002
  13. Diphtheria toxin: specific competition for cell receptors.
    Nature. 1973 Mar 30;242(5396):330-2 PMID: 4633459
  14. Concanavalin A derivatives with altered biological activities.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1973 Apr;70(4):1012-6 PMID: 4515602
  15. Diphtheria toxin: mode of action and structure.
    Bacteriol Rev. 1975 Mar;39(1):54-85 PMID: 164179
  16. NAD-dependent inhibition of protein synthesis by Pseudomonas aeruginosa toxin,.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1975 Jun;72(6):2284-8 PMID: 166383
  17. Thyrotropin-ganglioside interactions and their relationship to the structure and function of thyrotropin receptors.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1976 Mar;73(3):842-6 PMID: 176657
  18. Wheat germ agglutinin. Molecular characteristics and specificity for sugar binding.
    J Biol Chem. 1974 May 25;249(10):3116-22 PMID: 4830237
  19. Mechanism of action of the toxic lectins abrin and ricin.
    Nature. 1974 Jun 14;249(458):627-31 PMID: 4857870
  20. The purification, composition and specificity of wheat-germ agglutinin.
    Biochem J. 1973 Jan;131(1):155-62 PMID: 4737292
  21. Protein-carbohydrate interaction. VI. Isolation of concanavalin A by specific adsorption on cross-linked dextran gels.
    Biochim Biophys Acta. 1967 Oct 23;147(2):262-71 PMID: 4965259
  22. Pharmacological receptors.
    Pharmacol Rev. 1968 Jun;20(2):49-88 PMID: 4871939
  23. Surface modulation in cell recognition and cell growth.
    Science. 1976 Apr 16;192(4236):218-26 PMID: 769162
  24. Purification, properties, and crystallographic data for a principal nontoxic lectin from seeds of Abrus precatorius.
    J Biol Chem. 1975 Jun 25;250(12):4790-5 PMID: 1170170
  25. The nature of the cell surface receptor site for Lens culinaris phytohemagglutinin.
    J Biol Chem. 1971 Nov;246(21):6581-6 PMID: 5132671
  26. Protein-carbohydrate interaction. VII. Physical and chemical studies on concanavalin A, the hemagglutinin of the jack bean.
    Arch Biochem Biophys. 1968 Mar 20;124(1):218-29 PMID: 5661602
Article Info
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Abbr.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
ISSN
0027-8424
DOI
10.1073/pnas.75.1.261
Published
1978-01-00
Pages
261-5
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
7505876
PMCID
PMC411226
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1073/pnas.75.1.261 PMC Full Text View journal details
Analysis Services
Analysis Services

Contact

No. 2 Wenbo Road, Zhangqiu District, Jinan, Shandong

Qilu Normal University · Genelibs Bioinformatics Lab

750 Shunhua Rd, Jinan

2F, Bldg F, University Science Park

Tel: 0531-88819269

WeChat Official Account

Follow our WeChat subscription account for real-time updates and the latest in medical and biological research.


Business Email

E-mail: product@genelibs.com

Copyright © 2026.Genelibs Jinan Honghui Biotechnology Co., Ltd. 鲁ICP备20007159号-2