Understanding the mode of action of diphtheria toxin: a perspective on progress during the 20th century

Diphtheria toxin is one of the most extensively studied and well understood bacterial toxins. Ever since its discovery in the late 1800's this toxin has occupied a central focus in the field of toxinology. In this review, I present a chronology of major discoveries that led to our current understanding of the structure and activity of diphtheria toxin. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.