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Liu W, Nestorovich EM. Anthrax toxin channel: What we know based on over 30 years of research. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2021; 1863:183715. [PMID: 34332985 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2021.183715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Protective antigen channel is the central component of the deadly anthrax exotoxin responsible for binding and delivery of the toxin's enzymatic lethal and edema factor components into the cytosol. The channel, which is more than three times longer than the lipid bilayer membrane thickness and has a 6-Å limiting diameter, is believed to provide a sophisticated unfoldase and translocase machinery for the foreign protein transport into the host cell cytosol. The tripartite toxin can be reengineered, one component at a time or collectively, to adapt it for the targeted cancer therapeutic treatments. In this review, we focus on the biophysical studies of the protective antigen channel-forming activity, small ion transport properties, enzymatic factor translocation, and blockage comparing it with the related clostridial binary toxin channels. We address issues linked to the anthrax toxin channel structural dynamics and lipid dependence, which are yet to become generally recognized as parts of the toxin translocation machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxing Liu
- Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, 620 Michigan Ave, Washington, DC 20064, USA
| | - Ekaterina M Nestorovich
- Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, 620 Michigan Ave, Washington, DC 20064, USA.
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2
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Kalu N, Atsmon-Raz Y, Momben Abolfath S, Lucas L, Kenney C, Leppla SH, Tieleman DP, Nestorovich EM. Effect of late endosomal DOBMP lipid and traditional model lipids of electrophysiology on the anthrax toxin channel activity. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2018; 1860:2192-2203. [PMID: 30409515 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2018.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Revised: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Anthrax toxin action requires triggering of natural endocytic transport mechanisms whereby the binding component of the toxin forms channels (PA63) within endosomal limiting and intraluminal vesicle membranes to deliver the toxin's enzymatic components into the cytosol. Membrane lipid composition varies at different stages of anthrax toxin internalization, with intraluminal vesicle membranes containing ~70% of anionic bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate lipid. Using model bilayer measurements, we show that membrane lipids can have a strong effect on the anthrax toxin channel properties, including the channel-forming activity, voltage-gating, conductance, selectivity, and enzymatic factor binding. Interestingly, the highest PA63 insertion rate was observed in bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate membranes. The molecular dynamics simulation data show that the conformational properties of the channel are different in bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate compared to PC, PE, and PS lipids. The anthrax toxin protein/lipid bilayer system can be advanced as a novel robust model to directly investigate lipid influence on membrane protein properties and protein/protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nnanya Kalu
- Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, 620 Michigan Ave NE, Washington 20064, DC, USA
| | - Yoav Atsmon-Raz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Molecular Simulation, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary T2N 1N4, Alberta, Canada.
| | - Sanaz Momben Abolfath
- Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, 620 Michigan Ave NE, Washington 20064, DC, USA
| | - Laura Lucas
- Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, 620 Michigan Ave NE, Washington 20064, DC, USA
| | - Clare Kenney
- Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, 620 Michigan Ave NE, Washington 20064, DC, USA
| | - Stephen H Leppla
- Microbial Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda 20892, MD, USA
| | - D Peter Tieleman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Molecular Simulation, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary T2N 1N4, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ekaterina M Nestorovich
- Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, 620 Michigan Ave NE, Washington 20064, DC, USA.
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3
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Hu Q, Laskin J. Secondary Structures of Ubiquitin Ions Soft-Landed onto Self-Assembled Monolayer Surfaces. J Phys Chem B 2016; 120:4927-36. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b02448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Qichi Hu
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
| | - Julia Laskin
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
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4
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Brey RN. Molecular basis for improved anthrax vaccines. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2005; 57:1266-92. [PMID: 15935874 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2005.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2004] [Accepted: 01/25/2005] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The current vaccine for anthrax has been licensed since 1970 and was developed based on the outcome of human trials conducted in the 1950s. This vaccine, known as anthrax vaccine adsorbed (AVA), consists of a culture filtrate from an attenuated strain of Bacillus anthracis adsorbed to aluminum salts as an adjuvant. This vaccine is considered safe and effective, but is difficult to produce and is associated with complaints about reactogenicity among users of the vaccine. Much of the work in the past decade on generating a second generation vaccine is based on the observation that antibodies to protective antigen (PA) are crucial in the protection against exposure to virulent anthrax spores. Antibodies to PA are thought to prevent binding to its cellular receptor and subsequent binding of lethal factor (LF) and edema factor (EF), which are required events for the action of the two toxins: lethal toxin (LeTx) and edema toxin (EdTx). The bacterial capsule as well as the two toxins are virulence factors of B. anthracis. The levels of antibodies to PA must exceed a certain minimal threshold in order to induce and maintain protective immunity. Immunity can be generated by vaccination with purified PA, as well as spores and DNA plasmids that express PA. Although antibodies to PA address the toxemia component of anthrax disease, antibodies to additional virulence factors, including the capsule or somatic antigens in the spore, may be critical in development of complete, sterilizing immunity to anthrax exposure. The next generation anthrax vaccines will be derived from the thorough understanding of the interaction of virulence factors with human and animal hosts and the role the immune response plays in providing protective immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert N Brey
- DOR BioPharma, Inc., 1691 Michigan Avenue, Suite 435, Miami, FL 33139, USA.
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5
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Nguyen TL. Three-dimensional model of the pore form of anthrax protective antigen. Structure and biological implications. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2005; 22:253-65. [PMID: 15473701 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2004.10531226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Although pore formation by protective antigen (PA) is critical to cell intoxication by anthrax toxin (AT), the structure of the pore form of PA (the PA63 pore) has not been determined. Hence, in this study, the PA63 pore was modeled using the X-ray structures of monomeric PA and heptameric alpha-hemolysin (alpha-HL) as templates. The PA63 pore model consists of two weakly associated domains, namely the cap and stem domains. The ring-like cap domain has a length of 80 A and an outside diameter of 120 A, while the cylinder-like stem domain has a length of 100 A and outside diameter of approximately 28 A. This provides the PA63 pore model with a length of 180 A. Based on experimental results, the channel in the PA63 pore model was built to have a minimum diameter of ~12 A, depending on side chain conformations. Because of its large size and structural complexity, the all-atom model of the PA63 pore is the end-stage construction of four separate modeling projects described herein. The final model is consistent with published experimental results, including mutational analysis and channel conductance experiments. In addition, the model was energetically and hydropathically refined to optimize molecular packing within the protomers and at the protomer-protomer interfaces. By providing atomic detail to biochemical and biophysical data, the PA63 pore model may afford new insights into the binding mode of PA on the membrane surface, the prepore-pore transition, and the mechanism of cell entry by anthrax toxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- T L Nguyen
- Developmental Therapeutics Program, National Cancer Institute, 378 Ware Drive, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
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Abstract
Bacillus anthracis, the etiological agent of anthrax, secretes three polypeptides that assemble into toxic complexes on the cell surfaces of the host it infects. One of these polypeptides, protective antigen (PA), binds to the integrin-like domains of ubiquitously expressed membrane proteins of mammalian cells. PA is then cleaved by membrane endoproteases of the furin family. Cleaved PA molecules assemble into heptamers, which can then associate with the two other secreted polypeptides: edema factor (EF) and/or lethal factor (LF). The heptamers of PA are relocalized to lipid rafts where they are quickly endocytosed and routed to an acidic compartment. The low pH triggers a conformational change in the heptamers, resulting in the formation of cation-specific channels and the translocation of EF/LF. EF is a calcium- and calmodulin-dependent adenylate cyclase that dramatically raises the intracellular concentration of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). LF is a zinc-dependent endoprotease that cleaves the amino terminus of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases (Meks). Cleaved Meks cannot bind to their substrates and have reduced kinase activity, resulting in alterations of the signaling pathways they govern. The structures of PA, PA heptamer, EF, and LF have been solved and much is now known about the molecular details of the intoxication mechanism. The in vivo action of the toxins, on the other hand, is still poorly understood and hotly debated. A better understanding of the toxins will help in the design of much-needed anti-toxin drugs and the development of new toxin-based medical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Mourez
- Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Université de Montréal, J2S 7C6, Saint Hyacinthe, QC, Canada.
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7
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Abstract
Anthrax toxin consists of three nontoxic proteins that associate in binary or ternary combinations to form toxic complexes at the surface of mammalian cells. One of these proteins, protective antigen (PA), transports the other two, edema factor (EF) and lethal factor (LF), to the cytosol. LF is a Zn2+-protease that cleaves certain MAP kinase kinases, leading to death of the host via a poorly defined sequence of events. EF, a calmodulin- and Ca2+-dependent adenylate cyclase, is responsible for the edema seen in the disease. Both enzymes are believed to benefit the bacteria by inhibiting cells of the host's innate immune system. Assembly of toxic complexes begins after PA binds to cellular receptors and is cleaved into two fragments by furin proteases. The smaller fragment dissociates, allowing the receptor-bound fragment, PA63 (63 kDa), to self-associate and form a ring-shaped, heptameric pore precursor (prepore). The prepore binds up to three molecules of EF and/or LF, and the resulting complexes are endocytosed and trafficked to an acidic compartment. There, the prepore converts to a transmembrane pore, mediating translocation of EF and LF to the cytosol. Recent studies have revealed (a) the identity of receptors; (b) crystallographic structures of the three toxin proteins and the heptameric PA63 prepore; and (c) information about toxin assembly, entry, and action within the cytosol. Knowledge of the structure and mode of action of the toxin has unveiled potential applications in medicine, including approaches to treating anthrax infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- R John Collier
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
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Melin AM, Allery A, Perromat A, Bébéar C, Déléris G, de Barbeyrac B. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy as a new tool for characterization of mollicutes. J Microbiol Methods 2004; 56:73-82. [PMID: 14706752 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2003.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy is a convenient physico-chemical technique to investigate various cell materials. Bacteria of class Mollicutes, identified by conventional methods, as Mycoplasma, Acholeplasma and Ureaplasma genera were characterized using this method. A data set of 74 independent experiments corresponding to fourteen reference strains of Mollicutes was examined by FT-IR spectroscopy to attempt a spectral characterization based on the biomolecular structures. In addition to the separation of Mollicutes within the lipidic region into five main clusters corresponding to the three phylogenetic groups tested, FT-IR spectroscopy allowed a fine discrimination between strains belonging to the same species by using selective spectral windows, particularly in the 1200-900 cm(-1) saccharide range. The results obtained by FT-IR were in good agreement with both taxonomic and phylogenetic classifications of tested strains. Thus, this technique appears to be a useful tool and an accurate mean for a rapid characterization of Mollicutes observed in humans.
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Abstract
Anthrax toxin is a binary A-B toxin comprised of protective antigen (PA) and two enzymatic moieties, edema factor (EF) and lethal factor (LF). In the presence of a host cell-surface receptor, PA can mediate the delivery of EF and LF from the extracellular milieu into the host cell cytosol to effect toxicity. In this delivery, PA undergoes multiple structural changes--from a monomer to a heptameric prepore to a membrane-spanning heptameric pore. The catalytic factors also undergo dramatic structural changes as they unfold to allow for their translocation across the endosomal membrane and refold to preserve their catalytic activity within the cytosol. In addition to these gross structural changes, the intoxication mechanism depends on the ability of PA to form specific interactions with the host cell receptor, EF, and LF. This chapter presents a review of experiments probing these structural interactions and rearrangements in the hopes of gaining a molecular understanding of toxin action.
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Affiliation(s)
- D B Lacy
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Pannifer AD, Wong TY, Schwarzenbacher R, Renatus M, Petosa C, Bienkowska J, Lacy DB, Collier RJ, Park S, Leppla SH, Hanna P, Liddington RC. Crystal structure of the anthrax lethal factor. Nature 2001; 414:229-33. [PMID: 11700563 DOI: 10.1038/n35101998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 329] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Lethal factor (LF) is a protein (relative molecular mass 90,000) that is critical in the pathogenesis of anthrax. It is a highly specific protease that cleaves members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK) family near to their amino termini, leading to the inhibition of one or more signalling pathways. Here we describe the crystal structure of LF and its complex with the N terminus of MAPKK-2. LF comprises four domains: domain I binds the membrane-translocating component of anthrax toxin, the protective antigen (PA); domains II, III and IV together create a long deep groove that holds the 16-residue N-terminal tail of MAPKK-2 before cleavage. Domain II resembles the ADP-ribosylating toxin from Bacillus cereus, but the active site has been mutated and recruited to augment substrate recognition. Domain III is inserted into domain II, and seems to have arisen from a repeated duplication of a structural element of domain II. Domain IV is distantly related to the zinc metalloprotease family, and contains the catalytic centre; it also resembles domain I. The structure thus reveals a protein that has evolved through a process of gene duplication, mutation and fusion, into an enzyme with high and unusual specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- A D Pannifer
- Biochemistry Department, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
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11
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Abstract
Bacillus anthracis, a gram positive bacterium, is the causative agent of anthrax. This organism is capsulogen and toxinogenic. It secretes two toxins which are composed of three proteins: the protective antigen (PA), the lethal factor (LF) and the edema factor (EF). The lethal toxin (PA+LF) provokes a subit death in animals, the edema toxin (PA+EF) induces edema. The edema and the lethal factors are internalised into the eukaryotic target cells via the protective antigen. EF and LF exert a calmoduline dependent adenylate cyclase and a metalloprotease activity respectively. Progress in the structure-function relationship of these three proteins, their regulation mechanisms and their roles in pathogenesis and immunoprotection will be exposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Brossier
- Unité des Toxines et Pathogénie Bactériennes (URA CNRS 2172), Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75725 15, Paris Cedex, France
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Guidi-Rontani C, Weber-Levy M, Mock M, Cabiaux V. Translocation of Bacillus anthracis lethal and oedema factors across endosome membranes. Cell Microbiol 2000; 2:259-64. [PMID: 11207582 DOI: 10.1046/j.1462-5822.2000.00057.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The two exotoxins of Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, are the oedema toxin (PA-EF) and the lethal toxin (PA-LF). They exert their catalytic activities within the cytosol. The internalization process requires receptor-mediated endocytosis and passage through acidic vesicles. We investigated the translocation of EF and LF enzymatic moieties across the target cell membrane. By selective permeabilization of the plasma membrane with Clostridium perfringens delta-toxin, we observed free full-size lethal factor (LF) within the cytosol, resulting from specific translocation from early endosomes. In contrast, oedema factor (EF) remained associated with the membranes of vesicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Guidi-Rontani
- Unité Toxines et Pathogénie Bactériennes, CNRS URA1858, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
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Beauregard KE, Collier RJ, Swanson JA. Proteolytic activation of receptor-bound anthrax protective antigen on macrophages promotes its internalization. Cell Microbiol 2000; 2:251-8. [PMID: 11207581 DOI: 10.1046/j.1462-5822.2000.00052.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Immunofluorescence and other methods have been used to probe the self-assembly and internalization of the binary toxin, anthrax lethal toxin (LeTx), in primary murine macrophages. Proteolytic activation of protective antigen (PA; 83 kDa, the B moiety of the toxin) by furin was the rate-limiting step in internalization of LeTx and promoted clearance of PA from the cell surface. A furin-resistant form of PA remained at the cell surface for at least 90 min. Oligomerization of receptor-bound PA63, the 63 kDa active fragment of PA, was manifested by its conversion to a pronase-resistant state, characteristic of the heptameric prepore form in solution. That oligomerization of PA63 triggers toxin internalization is supported by the observation that PA20, the complementary 20 kDa fragment of PA, inhibited clearance of nicked PA. The PA63 prepore, with or without lethal factor (LF), cleared slowly from the cell surface. These studies show that proteolytic cleavage of PA, in addition to permitting oligomerization and LF binding, also promotes internalization of the protein. The relatively long period of activation and internalization of PA at the cell surface may reflect adaptation of this binary toxin that maximizes self-assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- K E Beauregard
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Pagliaccia C, Wang XM, Tardy F, Telford JL, Ruysschaert JM, Cabiaux V. Structure and interaction of VacA of Helicobacter pylori with a lipid membrane. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY 2000; 267:104-9. [PMID: 10601856 DOI: 10.1046/j.1432-1327.2000.00970.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In its mature form, the VacA toxin of Helicobacter pylori is a 95-kDa protein which is released from the bacteria as a low-activity complex. This complex can be activated by low-pH treatment that parallels the activity of the toxin on target cells. VacA has been previously shown to insert itself into lipid membranes and to induce anion-selective channels in planar lipid bilayers. Binding of VacA to lipid vesicles and its ability to induce calcein release from these vesicles were systematically compared as a function of pH. These two phenomena show a different pH-dependence, suggesting that the association with the lipid membrane may be a two-step mechanism. The secondary and tertiary structure of VacA as a function of pH and the presence of lipid vesicles were investigated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The secondary structure of VacA is identical whatever the pH and the presence of a lipid membrane, but the tertiary structure in the presence of a lipid membrane is dependent on pH, as evidenced by H/D exchange.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Pagliaccia
- Centro di Ricerche IRIS, Chiron SpA, Siena, Italy
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Goormaghtigh E, Raussens V, Ruysschaert JM. Attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy of proteins and lipids in biological membranes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 1999; 1422:105-85. [PMID: 10393271 DOI: 10.1016/s0304-4157(99)00004-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 452] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E Goormaghtigh
- Laboratoire de Chimie-Physique des Macromolécules aux Interfaces, P. O. Box 206/2, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Campus Plaine, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium.
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Abstract
This review summarizes the current knowledge pertaining to the pathogenesis of infection with Bacillus anthracis relative to the two exotoxins and the capsule. Emphasis is given to the structure and activities of the individual components of the exotoxins, their interaction with cells, and the response of macrophages to lethal toxin. Finally, results from vaccination studies are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- S F Little
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland 21702-5011, USA
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17
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Abstract
The mechanism by which a soluble protein converts into a protein that spans a membrane remains a central question in understanding the molecular mechanism of toxicity of bacterial protein toxins. Using crystallographic structures of soluble toxins as templates, the past year has seen a number of experiments that are designed to probe the membrane state using other structural methods. In addition, crystallographic information concerning the clostridial neurotoxins has emerged, suggesting a novel mechanism of pore formation and new relationships between toxin binding domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- D B Lacy
- Department of Chemistry University of California at Berkeley Berkeley CA 94720 USA.
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Cabiaux V, Wolff C, Ruysschaert JM. Interaction with a lipid membrane: a key step in bacterial toxins virulence. Int J Biol Macromol 1997; 21:285-98. [PMID: 9493052 DOI: 10.1016/s0141-8130(97)00078-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial toxins are secreted as soluble proteins. However, they have to interact with a cell lipid membrane either to permeabilize the cells (pore forming toxins) or to enter into the cytosol to express their enzymatic activity (translocation toxins). The aim of this review is to suggest that the strategies developed by toxins to insert in a lipid membrane is mediated by their structure. Two categories, which contains both pore forming and translocation toxins, are emerging: alpha helical proteins containing hydrophobic domains and beta sheets proteins in which no hydrophobicity can be clearly detected. The first category would rather interact with the membrane through multi-spanning helical domains whereas the second category would form a beta barrel in the membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Cabiaux
- Université Libre de Bruxelles, Laboratoire de Chimie Physique des Macromolécules aux Interfaces, Belgium.
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