Diphtheria toxin is extremely potent and only a few micrograms causes death because it:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Diphtheria toxin is an enzyme that catalytically modifies a number of GTP-dependent enzymes, including elongation factor 2 (EF-2). This modification inhibits EF-2 from catalyzing the translocation of peptidyl-tRNA from the A site to the P site of the ribosome, which results in the inhibition of protein synthesis and cell death.

Diphtheria Toxin Is Extremely Potent and Only a Few Micrograms