Abstract
Endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS), a constituent of the outer membrane of the cell wall of gram-negative bacteria, exerts a wide variety of biological effects in humans. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying these activities and discusses structure-function relationships of the endotoxin molecule, its interaction with humoral and cellular receptors involved in cell activation, and transmembrane and intracellular signal transduction pathways.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Review
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Carbohydrate Sequence
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Endotoxins / chemistry
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Endotoxins / toxicity*
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Humans
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Lipid A / chemistry
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Lipid A / toxicity
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Lipopolysaccharide Receptors / metabolism
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Lipopolysaccharides / chemistry
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Lipopolysaccharides / metabolism
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Lipopolysaccharides / toxicity
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Membrane Proteins / metabolism
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Shock, Septic / etiology
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Signal Transduction
Substances
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Endotoxins
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Lipid A
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Lipopolysaccharide Receptors
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Lipopolysaccharides
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Membrane Proteins