2.9-Å Resolution Structure of Anthrax Protective Antigen Pore Determined by Cryo Electron Microscopy

Anthrax toxin, the major virulence factor of Bacillus anthracis causing high mortality in human and animals, comprises protective antigen (PA), lethal factor (LF) and edema factor (EF). PA plays a central role in the toxicity by translocating the enzymes LF and EF into the cytosol, which makes it not only a vaccine component and therapeutic target for anthrax infections but also an excellent model system for understanding the mechanism of...