[Peptide thermostable enterobacterial toxins (genetic control, structure, mechanism of action, testing)].

The structure and functional specificity of thermostable toxins, their genetic determination, mechanisms of action and testing are reviewed. Amino acid sequences of the peptide toxins with the common amino acid residues on the C-end of their molecules are presented as well as the sequences of the functional groups underlying the biological activity. The data on the structure of precursors of enterotoxins, the genetic control of toxin production and location of the est-genes in the genome of bacteria are demonstrated. The nature of receptors binding enterotoxins, their effect on the guanylate-cyclase system are also described. The possibility of enterotoxins testing by different techniques (genetic, biological, immunological) are discussed.