In recent years remarkable progress has been accomplished with respect to our knowledge about bacterial protein toxins. This refers especially to structural aspects of protein toxins but also holds true for genetics, molecular biology and biochemical mechanisms underlying the action of toxins. This volume covers the very current and exciting aspects of up-to-date bacterial toxicology and comprehensively reviews the most important bacterial protein toxins such as the intracellular acting toxins which exhibit enzyme activity, as well as those toxins that interact with cell plasma membranes by damaging the membranes (pore formation) or stimulating cell receptors (superantigens). This is the most current reference work on these important bacterial protein toxins, which are presented from the point of view of different disciplines such as pharmacology, microbiology, cell biology and protein chemistry.

1 Uptake of Protein Toxins Acting Inside Cells

2 Common Features of ADP-Ribosyltransferases
3 Diphtheria Toxin and the Diphtheria-Toxin Receptor
4 Pseudomonas aeruginosa Exotoxin A: Structure/Function, Production, and Intoxication of Eukaryotic Cells
5 Diphtheria-Toxin-Based Fusion-Protein Toxins Targeted to the Interleukin-2 Receptor: Unique Probes for Cell Biology and a New Therapeutic Agent for the Treatment of Lymphoma
6 Structure and Function of Cholera Toxin and Related Enterotoxins
7 Mechanism of Cholera Toxin Action: ADP-Ribosylation Factors as Stimulators of Cholera Toxin-Catalyzed ADP-Rihosylation and Effectors in Intracellular Vesicular Trafficking Events
8 Pertussis Toxin: Structure-Function Relationship
9 Pertussis Toxin as a Pharmacological Tool
10 Clostridium Botulinum C3 Exoenzyme and C3-Like Transferases
11 Pseudomonas aeruginosa Exoenzyme S, a Bifunctional Cytotoxin Secreted by a Type-III Pathway
12 Structure and Function of Actin-Adenosine-Diphosphate-Ribosylating Toxins
13 Molecular Biology of Actin-ADP-Ribosylating Toxins
14 Molecular Mechanisms of Action of the Large Clostridial Cytotoxins
15 Molecular Biology of Large Clostridial Toxins
16 The Cytotoxic Necrotizing Factor 1 from Escherichia Coli
17 Shiga Toxins of Shigella dysenteriae and Escherichia coli
18 Clostridial Neurotoxins
19 Anthrax Toxin
20 Adenylyl-Cyclase Toxin from Bordetella pertussis
21 Helicobacter Pylori Vacuolating Cytotoxin
22 Staphylococcal a Toxin
23 Bacterial Phospholipases
24 Pore-Forming Toxins as Cell-Biological and Pharmacological Tools
25 Heat-Stable Enterotoxin of Escherichia Coli
26 Superantigenic Toxins
27 Structure and Activity of Endotoxins
28 Translocated Toxins and Modulins of Yersinia.