A leukocidin is a type of
cytotoxin created by some types of
bacteria
Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were am ...
(''Staphylococcus''). It is a type of
pore-forming toxin. The model for pore formation is step-wise. First, the cytotoxin’s “S” subunit recognizes specific protein-containing receptors, or an integrin on the host cell’s surface. The S subunit then recruits a second, “F” subunit, and the two subunits dimerize on the surface of the host’s cell. After dimerization, oligomerization occurs. Finally, the oligomers, consisting of alternating S and F subunits, undergo a significant structural change and form a beta-barrel, that pierces through the host cell’s lipid bilayer.
Leukocidins get their names by killing ("-cide")
leukocytes
White blood cells, also called leukocytes or leucocytes, are the cells of the immune system that are involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and foreign invaders. All white blood cells are produced and derived from mu ...
. Leukocidins target
phagocytes,
natural killer cell
Natural killer cells, also known as NK cells or large granular lymphocytes (LGL), are a type of cytotoxic lymphocyte critical to the innate immune system that belong to the rapidly expanding family of known innate lymphoid cells (ILC) and repre ...
s,
dendritic cell
Dendritic cells (DCs) are antigen-presenting cells (also known as ''accessory cells'') of the mammalian immune system. Their main function is to process antigen material and present it on the cell surface to the T cells of the immune system. Th ...
s, and
T lymphocyte
A T cell is a type of lymphocyte. T cells are one of the important white blood cells of the immune system and play a central role in the adaptive immune response. T cells can be distinguished from other lymphocytes by the presence of a T-cell re ...
s
and therefore targets both, innate and adaptive immune responses. Leukocidins fall into the category of bacterial
invasin. Invasins are enzymatic secretions that help bacteria invade the host tissue to which they are attached. Although similar to
exotoxin
An exotoxin is a toxin secreted by bacteria. An exotoxin can cause damage to the host by destroying cells or disrupting normal cellular metabolism. They are highly potent and can cause major damage to the host. Exotoxins may be secreted, or, sim ...
s, invasins are different in two respects: they work through much less specific mechanisms than exotoxins, and their actions are generally more localized.
One type is
Panton-Valentine leukocidin.
References
External links
*
Bacterial toxins
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