Bacterial Toxins and the Nervous System: Neurotoxins and Multipotential Toxins Interacting with Neuronal Cells

Michel Popoff (1) , Bernard Poulain (2)

1 Bactéries anaérobies et Toxines
2 NSN - Neurotransmission et sécrétion neuroendocrine

Toxins are potent molecules used by various bacteria to interact with a host organism. Some of them specifically act on neuronal cells (clostridial neurotoxins) leading to characteristics neurological affections. But many other toxins are multifunctional and recognize a wider range of cell types including neuronal cells. Various enterotoxins interact with the enteric nervous system, for example by stimulating afferent neurons or inducing neurotransmitter release from enterochromaffin cells which result either in vomiting, in amplification of the diarrhea, or in intestinal inflammation process. Other toxins can pass the blood brain barrier and directly act on specific neurons.

Mots clés: actin cytoskeleton; enterotoxin; nervous system; neurotoxin; neurotransmitter; small gtpases; toxin

Domaines: Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]; Toxicologie

Michel Popoff, Bernard Poulain. Bacterial Toxins and the Nervous System: Neurotoxins and Multipotential Toxins Interacting with Neuronal Cells. Toxins, 2010, 2 (4), pp.683 - 737. ⟨10.3390/toxins2040683⟩. ⟨pasteur-01788650⟩