Towards a Structural Basis for the Relationship Between Blood Group and the Severity of El Tor Cholera

Abstract

It has long been known that people with blood group O are more severely affected by El Tor cholera than those with blood groups A or B. Microcalorimetry and NMR spectroscopy are used to evaluate the ability of the B-subunits of cholera toxin and E. coli heat-labile toxin to bind to selected blood group oligosaccharides.