Pathogenesis and Immunology Diphtheria toxin, produced by toxigenic strains of C. diphtheriae, is the primary virulence factor in clinical disease. The toxin is synthesized in precursor form; is released as a 535-amino-acid, single-chain protein; and has an LD50 of ~100 ng/kg of body weight. The toxin is produced in the pseudomembranous lesion and is taken up into the bloodstream, through which it is distributed to all organ systems. Once bound to its cell surface receptor (a heparin-binding, epidermal growth factor–like precursor), the toxin is internalized by receptormediated endocytosis and enters the cytosol from an acidified early endosomal compartment. .
