The Intracellular Journey of Shiga Toxins

The Shiga toxin family consists of Shiga toxin (Stx) that is produced as a virulence factor by Shigella dysenteriae, and the Shiga-like toxins produced by certain strains of enterohemorrhagic E. coli as well as by some other types of bacteria. Infection with bacteria producing these toxins is a threat to human health even in industrialized countries, as the initial diarrhea caused by the infection might be followed by a complication named hemolytic uremic syndrome. The Shiga toxins consist of a binding moiety that in most cases binds to the glycosphingolipid Gb3 on the surface of susceptible cells, and an A-moiety responsible for the toxic effect in the cytosol. In order to reach its cytosolic target, the toxin must be internalized and then transported via the retrograde pathway to the Golgi complex and further to the endoplasmic reticulum. From the endoplasmic reticulum the enzymatically active part of the A-moiety is translocated to the cytosol, and cellular protein synthesis is inhibited. Although the Shiga toxins are involved in disease, they may also be exploited for medical diagnosis and treatment. Interestingly, the toxin receptor, Gb3, has a limited expression in normal tissues, but is overexpressed in several types of cancer. Thus, the use of Shiga toxin, or the binding part of the toxin, has great potential in cancer diagnostics and treatment. Furthermore, studies of the various uptake mechanisms and intracellular transport pathways exploited by the toxins, provide important insight in basic cell biology processes.