Gram-negative endotoxin: an extraordinary lipid with profound effects on eukaryotic signal transduction. Review uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • The lipid A domain of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a unique, glucosamine-based phospholipid that makes up the outer monolayer of the outer membrane of most gram-negative bacteria. Because of its profound pharmacological effects on animal cells, especially those of the immune system, lipid A is also known as endotoxin. Despite decades of earlier work, the precise chemistry of endotoxins and the biochemical pathways for their enzymatic synthesis have been elucidated only within the past 5 years. In this review, we summarize the essentials of endotoxin biochemistry and also present recent experiments aimed at identifying surface receptors, signal-transducing elements, transcriptional factors, and key intracellular targets involved in the response of animal cells to endotoxins.

publication date

  • September 1, 1991

Research

keywords

  • Endotoxins
  • Eukaryotic Cells
  • Gram-Negative Bacteria
  • Signal Transduction

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0026062620

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1096/fasebj.5.12.1916089

PubMed ID

  • 1916089

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 5

issue

  • 12