CHANNEL-FORMING TOXINS - TALES OF TRANSFORMATION

Channel-forming bacterial toxins undergo a series of remarkable change s in solubility, oligomerization state, structure and dynamics during the processes of membrane binding, assembly, membrane insertion and ch annel formation. Recent high-resolution crystal structures of channel- forming toxins, in both water-soluble and membrane-bound, channel-form ed slates, have brought a wealth of new information to bear on issues of structure, mechanism and function.