Circular Permutation of the <i>E. coli</i> Heat-Labile Enterotoxin Pentameric B Subunit for Mucosal Vaccine Adjuvant Design.

ABSTRACT: The heat-labile enterotoxins (LTs) of Escherichia coli structurally belong to the AB₅ toxin, which consists of an A subunit and a pentameric B subunit. LTs have been extensively reported for their potent mucosal adjuvant activities. The B subunit of type II LT (LT-IIb-B₅) recognizes the GD1a ganglioside, which is associated with the internalization of the toxic A subunit and meanwhile involved in the recognition of the Toll-like receptor (TLR-2/1) and downstream NF-κB activation. In developing LT-IIb-B₅ as a safe adjuvant, we intend to prevent concerns derived from the intrinsic toxicity of LT. A strategy of circular permutation (CP) is used to design a new LT-IIb-B₅ pentamer. By replacing the backbone opening at the GD1a-binding site, the

SUBMITTER: Hsu SH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12903156 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature