The toxin-producing bacterium Bacillus cereus is an important and neglected human pathogen and a common cause of food poisoning. Several toxins have been implicated in disease, including the pore-forming toxins hemolysin BL (HBL) and nonhemolytic enterotoxin (NHE). Recent work revealed that HBL binds to the mammalian surface receptors LITAF and CDIP1 and that both HBL and NHE induce potassium efflux and activate the NLRP3 inflammasome, leading to pyroptosis. These mammalian receptors, in part, contribute to inflammation and pathology. Other putative virulence factors of B. cereus include cytotoxin K, cereulide, metalloproteases, sphingomyelinase, and phospholipases. In this review, we highlight the latest progress in our understanding of B. cereus biology, epidemiology, and pathogenesis, and discuss potential new directions for research in this field.

产生毒素的细菌蜡样芽孢杆菌是一种重要且被忽视的人类病原体，也是食物中毒的常见原因。几种毒素与疾病有关，包括成孔毒素溶血素 BL (HBL) 和非溶血性肠毒素 (NHE)。最近的研究表明，HBL 与哺乳动物表面受体 LITAF 和 CDIP1 结合，并且 HBL 和 NHE 均诱导钾外流并激活 NLRP3 炎性体，导致细胞焦亡。这些哺乳动物受体部分地导致炎症和病理。蜡样芽孢杆菌的其他假定毒力因子包括细胞毒素 K、脑蜡素、金属蛋白酶、鞘磷脂酶和磷脂酶。在这篇综述中，我们重点介绍了我们对蜡状芽孢杆菌的理解的最新进展 生物学、流行病学和发病机制，并讨论该领域研究的潜在新方向。