The lethal protein Diptheria Toxin (DT) is secreted by Diptheria causing Corynebacterium diphtheriae, in particular its pathovarieties gravis, intermedius and mitis. Intriguingly, DT is specified for by tox, a gene carried on one of a family of related corynebacteriophages integrated into the host chromosome of C. diphtheriae. That DT is encoded by the prophage gene was demonstrated when non-pathogenic strains of C. diphtheriae became lysogenically converted upon infection with a bacterial virus known as beta phage. Moreover, mutant phages gave rise to nontoxic material that cross-reacted with diphtheria antitoxins, even though being significantly shorter than full-length DT.
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Diptheria Toxin: The Magic Bullet
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