The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7183 p123-130
2 February 2002

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Structure and action of third toxic anthrax protein revealed in Nature

The structure of the third anthrax toxin, oedema factor (EF), has been published in Nature (2002;415:396). The researchers who describe the toxin's structure also show how the toxin damages infected cells.

They found that the toxin, which causes fluid accumulation, is harmless until it forms a complex with calmodulin, a signalling molecule. The complex has high enzymatic activity and generates the signalling molecule cyclic AMP in greater quantities and through a different mechanism than normal. Generation of cyclic AMP is thought to be important for the toxic effects of EF so this difference could be exploited to develop reagents that target EF, they say.

The structure of the first two toxic anthrax proteins have been published previously (see PJ, 3 November 2001, p637).

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