Shiga toxin

noun

Any of a family of related toxins with two major groups, Stx1 and Stx2, expressed by genes considered to be part of the genome of lambdoid prophages.

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Meanings

nounShiga toxin (plural Shiga toxins)

plural Shiga toxins · alternative shigatoxin

  1. Any of a family of related toxins with two major groups, Stx1 and Stx2, expressed by genes considered to be part of the genome of lambdoid prophages.

Origin

Named after Japanese bacteriologist Kiyoshi Shiga, who first described the bacterial origin of dysentery caused by Shigella dysenteriae.

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Cite this entry
APA

Shiga toxin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shiga%20toxin

MLA

“Shiga toxin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shiga%20toxin. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Shiga toxin,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shiga%20toxin.

Source: Shiga toxin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.