Abstract:Clostridium perfringens epsilon toxin (ETX) can cause necrotic enteritis and injuries in the lungs, kidneys, and brain to the host animals such as cattle and sheep, affecting the development of animal husbandry. Due to its potent toxicity, ETX has been categorized as a biological warfare and bioterrorism agent. ETX damages the target cells by forming pores in the cell membrane, resulting in abnormal release of cell contents, during which myelin and lymphocyte (MAL) is a specific receptor for ETX to exert toxic effects. There are only crude ETX vaccines for use in animals, while the vaccines for human application are still under development, and potential treatments are actively being explored. In recent years, researchers have achieved significant progress in understanding the pore-forming mechanism of ETX, identifying specific receptors, and developing vaccines and therapeutic drugs. This paper reviews the progress in the aforementioned aspects, aiming to offer valuable references for further ETX research.
