Effect of Ammonium Chloride on Receptor-Mediated Uptake of Diphtheria Toxin by Vero Cells

Abstract

The mechanism of NH4Cl-mediated protection of Vero cells from diphtheria toxin was studied. In the presence of protective concentrations of NH4Cl, Vero cells bound, internalized, and degraded radiolabeled diphtheria toxin at the same rate and to the same extent as did the control cells. However, in experiments where specific antibody was added to NH4Cl-treated cells, a fraction of potentially lethal toxin molecules was maintained in a position accessible to antibody neutralization. This suggests the existence of two processing mechanisms for diphtheria toxin: a non-protective bulk degradation pathway and a productive NH4Cl-sensitive pathway by which active fragment is eventually delivered to the cytoplasm.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1981
Accession Number
ADA115257

Entities

People

  • John L. Middlebrook
  • Rebecca B. Dorland
  • Stephen H. Leppla

Organizations

  • United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Actinomycetales Infections
  • Antibodies
  • Biological Factors
  • Blood
  • Cell Membrane
  • Cells
  • Cellular Structures
  • Culture Techniques
  • Cytoplasm
  • Degradation
  • Growth Factors
  • Incubation
  • Inhibition
  • Molecules
  • Monomolecular Films
  • Proteins
  • Vaccines

Fields of Study

  • Biology

Readers

  • Cellular and Molecular Pathways of Apoptosis.
  • Medical Imaging.
  • Virology (or Medical Virology).