1 Most of these diseases are infections, caused by a variety of bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can be foodborne. 2  Other diseases are poisonings, caused by harmful toxins or chemicals that have contaminated the food, for example, poisonous mushrooms.
(cluster designation 4) symbol for a glycoprotein expressed on the surface of helper T lymphocytes and other immune cells. CD4 serves as a receptor for human immunodeficiency virus envelope glycoprotein gp120.
Viruses are faced with a tricky problem: they need to get inside cells, but cells are surrounded by a protective membrane. Enveloped viruses like HIV and influenza, which are themselves surrounded by a similar membrane, solve this problem by fusing with the cell membrane. The envelope glycoprotein (Env) of HIV performs the many complex steps needed for membrane fusion. First, it attaches itself to proteins on the surface of the cell. Then, it acts like a spring-loaded mousetrap and snaps into a new conformation that drags the virus and cell close enough that the membranes fuse.