Methods for the Purification of Shiga Toxin 1

In addition to its involvement in clinical disease, Shiga toxin (Stx) is being appreciated as a useful tool in various aspects of cell physiology. These include defining signal transduction pathways (1 –5 ), intracellular monitors of homeostatic processes (6 –8 ), inducers of apoptosis (9 –15 ), antigen carriers for cellular immunization (16 –18 ), and as an antineoplastic agent (19 –24 ). These various fields of study require the availability of purified toxin and/or its subunits. In order to facilitate the expansion of such studies, in the absence of a commercial supplier, a detailed purification scheme for Stx1 is presented in this chapter.