Some aspects of the history of membrane-damaging toxins.

In this review the following topics are considered: (a) the character of biomedical research and how it has changed during the last six decades; (b) the early history of membrane-damaging toxins; (c) comparative toxinology as illustrated by similarity of the toxins of the brown recluse spider and the bacterial agent of peudotuberculosis, and by similarity of a toxin of a sea anemone and the thiol-activated membrane-damaging agents of bacteria; (d) examples of the diversity of membrane-damaging toxins; (e) cooperative or synergistic lytic systems; and (f) the outlook for the future.