Histamine release from mast cells by highly purified phospholipase C (alpha-toxin) and theta-toxin from Clostridium perfringens

Clostridium perfringens α-toxin up-regulates plasma membrane CD11b expression on murine neutrophils by changing intracellular localization

Gas gangrene caused by Clostridium perfringens type A infection is a highly lethal infection of soft tissue characterized by rapid spread of tissue necrosis. This tissue destruction is related to profound attenuation of blood flow accompanied by formation of platelet-leukocyte aggregates in the blood vessels. Several studies have identified α-toxin, which has both sphingomyelinase and phospholipase C activities, as a major virulence factor in the aggregate formation via activation of the platelet gpIIbIIIa. Here, we show that α-toxin greatly and rapidly increases plasma membrane localization of CD11b, which binds to the platelet gpIIbIIIa via fibrinogen, in mouse neutrophils. Interestingly, short-term treatment of α-toxin has little effect on gene expression profiles in neutrophils, and the toxin does not change the total protein expression levels of CD11b in whole cell lysates. The following analysis demonstrated that CD11b localizes to intracellular vesicles in intact cells, but the localization changed to the cytoplasmic membrane in α-toxin-treated cells. These results suggest that CD11b is recruited to the cytoplasmic membrane by α-toxin. Previously, we reported that α-toxin promotes the formation of ceramide by its sphingomyelinase activity in mouse neutrophils. Interestingly, a synthetic cell-permeable ceramide analog, C₂-ceramide, increases plasma membrane localization of CD11b, suggesting that ceramide production by α-toxin recruits CD11b to the cytoplasmic membrane to promote platelet-leukocyte aggregation. Together, our results illustrate that the increase of cell membrane CD11b expression by α-toxin might be crucial for the pathogenesis of C. perfringens to promote formation of platelet-leukocyte aggregates, leading to rapid tissue necrosis due to ischemia.

Mesenteric mast cell degranulation in acute T-2 toxin poisoning

T-2 toxin-induced alterations in rat mesenteric mast cell granulation were measured by cytophotometric analyses of the metachromatic reaction of mast cell granules with azure B. Hypogranulation (diminution of metachromatic material) was observed 8 h following injections of T-2 toxin (0.5-1.5 LD50, i.p.). These data suggest that mast cell activation occurs during acute T-2 intoxication and raise the possibility that mast cell mediators may contribute to toxin-induced cardiovascular collapse.

Survival of cultured cells after functional and structural disorganization of plasma membrane by bacterial haemolysins and phospholipases

Lesions were induced in the plasma membranes of cultured human fibroblasts by membrane damaging toxins of bacterial origin (haemolysins). Structural disorganization of the membrane was measured as leakage of a radiolabelled small cytoplasmic marker and functional membrane damage was measured as decreased uptake of aminoisobutyrate. Cell survival was scored 24 and 48 hr later by measuring uptake of Trypan Blue and by light microscopical evaluation of cell morphology and proliferation. The membrane damage induced by most bacterial toxins was reversible upon removal of the toxin, since toxin-treated cells recovered and excluded Trypan Blue although they had been permeable to the dye immediately after the toxin treatment. Among ten bacterial toxins tested, the only exception of this general behavior was the Aeromonas hydrophila beta-haemolysin, which irreversibly damaged human fibroblasts. Thus, the action of bacterial haemolysins on cultured cells generally seems restricted to a plasma membrane permeabilization, which is reversible regardless of the mechanism of membrane damaging action of the toxin or of the relative size of the structural lesions induced. Furthermore, the use of Trypan Blue uptake as a measure of cell death caused by membrane damaging agents appears to be of limited value.

Combination chemotherapy with Clostridium perfringens phospholipase C and cytosine antimetabolites: complementary inhibition directed at membrane lipids

Tumor cell membranes were susceptible to the action of Clostridium perfringens phospholipase C, and this was reflected by inhibition of cellular replication in culture. The differential susceptibility of two neoplastic cell lines to this enzyme was studied in detail. The growth of sarcoma 180 cells cultured in Fischer's medium was markedly inhibited by phospholipase C; whereas, in contrast, cultured L1210 leukemia cells were relatively resistant to the cytotoxic effects of this enzyme. The differential sensitivity of these two neoplastic cell lines to phospholipase C was corroborated by dye-exclusion tests. Thus, leukemia L1210 cells exposed to a concentration of 0.2 mg of phospholipase C per ml of Fischer's medium for 30 min at 37 degrees C were able to exclude Trypan Blue; whereas, only about 21% of sarcoma 180 cells treated under identical conditions were able to exclude the dye. That the cytotoxicity of phospholipase C to sarcoma 180 was the result of hydrolysis of phospholipids of the plasma membrane was supported by measurements of the rate of hydrolysis of radioactivity from the phospholipid of neoplastic cells prelabeled with [3H]choline. Eighty-two percent of incorporated radioactive choline was released from sarcoma 180 cells treated with phospholipase C in Fischer's medium, whereas, only 20% of the label from [3H]choline was solubilized from L1210 leukemia cells treated with the enzyme under similar conditions. Scanning electron microscopy revealed significant damage to sarcoma 180 cells exposed to phospholipase C in Fischer's medium, which was characterized by alterations in size and shape of cells, disappearance of microvilli, and appearance of fistulas in cell membranes; relatively resistant L1210 leukemic cells did not appear to be markedly damaged by comparable enzyme treatment. Exposure of leukemia L1210 cells to phospholipase C in Puck's saline A increased the sensitivity of these cells to enzymatic action. Under these conditions, a comparable amount of phospholipid was hydrolyzed from surface membranes of sarcoma 180 and leukemia L1210 cells, and the degree of membrane damage appeared to be similar, as measured by the capacity of the tumor cell lines to exclude Trypan Blue and by scanning electron microscopy. The extensive damage to membranes by hydrolysis of phospholipids was not accompanied by a change in the degree of specific binding of [3H]concanavalin A(ConA).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Classification of microbial, plant and animal cytolysins based on their membrane-damaging effects of human fibroblasts

38 cytolytic agents of mainly microbial origin were investigated with respect to membrane-damaging activity on human diploid fibroblasts. Increased plasma membrane permeability was measured as leakage of three defined cytoplasmic markers of various sizes: alpha-aminoisobutyric acid, uridine nucleotides and ribosomal RNA. The relative leakages of these markers, caused by different concentrations of the various cytolysins, yielded a leakage pattern for each substance. Five distinct types of leakage patterns were obtained. These were transformed into numerical expressions by calculating the ratios between the amounts of cytolysin needed to release 50% of the nucleotide and ribosomal RNA markers and the amounts required to release 50% of the alpha-aminoisobutyric acid marker (ED50 ratios). A classification of the cytolysins into five groups was arrived at on the basis of the different types of leakage patterns with the aid of reference cytolysins with well-known mechanisms of membrane interaction. These groups comprised: (1) detergent-like agents, (2) agents interacting with only certain constituents of the cell membrane, (3) agents interacting with specific receptor molecules in the membrane, (4) agents inducing small functional holes of a definable size, and (5) agents inducing only a very limited increase in plasma membrane permeability. The system may be useful for characterization and differentiation of new cytolytic agents of various sources as it divides membrane-damaging agents into separate groups on the basis of their principal function on intact human cells.

Inhibition of noradrenaline-stimulated lipolysis and cyclic AMP accumulation in isolated rat adipocytes by purified phospholipase C and theta-toxin from Clostridium perfringens

Purified phospholipae C (phosphatidylcholine cholinephosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.3) and theta-toxin from Clostridium perfringens both inhibited noradrenaline-stimulated lipolysis and cyclic AMP accumulation in isolated rat adipocytes in a dose-dependent manner. The action of phospholipase C was gradual in onset, while the effect of theta-toxin was almost immediate. Phospholipase C, but not theta-toxin, hydrolyzed membrane phospholipids and inhibited adenylate cyclase (EC 4.6.1.1) in a crude membrane fraction from fat cells. The inhibitory effects of phospholipase C were associated with morphological alterations detectable by electron microscopy, whereas effects of theta-toxin were observed at a time when no clearcut morphological alterations could be observed. It is concluded that the two purified principles from C. perfringens, which are both present in commercial preparations of phospholipase C, antagonize noradrenaline-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation and lipolysis. Although their exact mechanisms of action have not been elucidated, phospholipase C and theta-toxin have different modes of attack.