Learning Objectives

1. Define bacterial toxigenesis.
2. Explore bacterial toxins, their background and nomenclature.
3. Differentiate exotoxins and endotoxins.
4. Explore the toxicity, properties, and mode of action of exotoxins.
5. Understand the toxicity, properties, and mode of action of endotoxins (pyrogens).
6. Understand the origins of sepsis.
7. Review the detection of endotoxins.
   

Advance Reading

1. Mechanisms of Bacterial Pathogenicity: Protein Toxins, Todar.
2. Mechanisms of Bacterial Pathogenicity: Endotoxins, Todar.
3. Sepsis, NLM/NIH MedLine
4. Determining Endotoxin Content of Ground Beef by the Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate Test as a Rapid Indicator of Microbial Quality, Jay, et al. Applied and Environmental Microbiology (1979) 38:5, 885-890.
5. Immune System, (review) P. Bugl, University of Hartford

Suggested Reading

• Bacterial Toxins: Friends or Foes? C. K. Schmitt, et al. (1999) Emerging Infectious Diseases 5:2.

Keywords

1. Exotoxin
2. Endotoxin
3. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
4. Bacterial toxins
5. Enterotoxin
6. Gram-positive bacteria
7. Gram-negative bacteria
8. Virulence
9. Antigenic
10. Toxoid
11. Pyrogen

12. O side chain (LPS)
13. Core polysaccaride (LPS)
14. Lipid A (LPS)
15. LPS-binding proteins (LBP)
16. Toll receptor
17. Adaptive immunity
18. Cell-mediated immunity
19. Humoral immunity
20. Sepsis
21. Rabbit pyrogen test
22. Limulus Amebocyte Lysate test (LAL)