Cholera Toxin

OMG!!!! Did you know bacteria builds up toxins so strong that a single molecule can kill an entire cell.Chemical posions like cyanide or arsenic cant even compare to bacterial toxins.They use two strategies to successed in killing the cell.One way is to use a targeting mechanism to send the toxins directly to the cell.Cholera toxin has a ring of five identical protein chains which binds to carbohydrates on the surface of the cell.This sends the toxic parts of the molecule to the cell where it can destory it.The second strategy is to use toxic enzymes instead of a chemical poison.The enzyme goes from cell to cell making chemical changes performing their reactions over and over again.So all the Cholera uses the enzyme, its like a free ride so it can go around to alot of cells spreading its toxins and killing the cells quickly.The catalytic portion of cholera toxins perform a single function: it seeks out a protein called G protein. G protein is used for cellular signaling so the catalytuc portion attaches an ADP molecule to them.Which confuses the cell, the cell becomes dehydrated to the point of death because the cell transports lots of water and sodium outward, and floods the intestine.