Hemolysin E (HlyE, ClyA, SheA) and related toxins

Abstract

Certain strains of Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica and Shigella flexneri produce a pore-forming toxin hemolysin E (HlyE), also known as cytolysin A (ClyA) and silent hemolysin, locus A (SheA). HlyE lyses erythrocytes and mammalian cells, forming transmembrane pores with a minimum internal diameter of-25 A. We review the current knowledge of HlyE structure and function in its solution and pore forms, models for membrane insertion, its potential use in biotechnology applications and its relationship to a wider superfamily of toxins.