Clostridioides difficile infection is a major cause of nosocomial diarrhea and mortality. In the United States, nearly half a million people are diagnosed with, and approximately 12,800 deaths are directly attributed to, C. difficile infections (Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, 2019-CDC). In addition to producing two large glucosyl transferase cytotoxins, TcdA and TcdB, certain strains produce the binary toxin CDT. Whether CDT promotes virulence is debatable; however, it depolymerizes actin, leading to the formation of microtubule base protrusions that increase pathogen adherence. Furthermore, CDT induces host inflammation through toll-like receptor 2-dependent signaling, suppressing the protective host eosinophilic response. CryoEM studies of the CDT binary system, showed how the heptameric CDTa subunit binds to a tubular beta-barrel CDTb protein. Despite its involvement in pathogenicity, Clostridium toxins are one of the most beautiful structures that you can see in the PDB. Here you have a bottom view of the CDT system, centered in the tubular beta-barrel CDTb protein as determined by cryoEM (PDB code: 7YVQ)
#molecularart ... #immolecular ... #toxin ... #clostridium ... #betabarrel ... #binarysystem ... #membrane ... #cryoem
Structure of the CDT system rendered with @proteinimaging and depicted with @corelphotopaint
#molecularart ... #immolecular ... #toxin ... #clostridium ... #betabarrel ... #binarysystem ... #membrane ... #cryoem
Structure of the CDT system rendered with @proteinimaging and depicted with @corelphotopaint
