CRYSTAL STRUCTURE OF A CHOLERA TOXIN-RELATED HEAT-LABILE ENTEROTOXIN FROM E. COLI

Examination of the structure of Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin in the AB5 complex at a resolution of 2.3 angstrom reveals that the doughnut-shaped B pentamer binds the enzymatic A subunit using a hairpin of the A2 fragment, through a highly charged central pore. Putative ganglioside G(M1-) binding sites on the B subunits are more than 20 angstrom removed from the membrane-crossing A1 subunit. This ADP-ribosylating (A1) fragment of the toxin has structural homology with the catalytic region of exotoxin A and hence also to diphtheria toxin.