Susceptibility to staphylococcal alpha-toxin of Friend virus-infected murine erythroblasts during differentiation

Carbohydrate-mediated regulation of interaction of Vibrio cholerae hemolysin with erythrocyte and phospholipid vesicle

Vibrio cholerae hemolysin is an extracellular pore-forming monomeric protein with a native molecular weight of about 60,000. In this study, we showed that the hemolysin interacted with immobilized phospholipids and cholesterol and formed oligomers in vesicles constituted from phospholipids alone with a stoichiometry identical to those produced in rabbit erythrocyte membrane. However, the hemolysin bound to glycoproteins with terminal beta1-galactosyl residues and an association constant of 9.4 x 10(7) M(-1) was estimated for the hemolysin-asialofetuin complex by solid phase binding assay. Oligomerization of the hemolysin in lipid bilayer converted the sugar-binding monomer to a lectin with strong carbohydrate-dependent hemagglutinating activity accompanied by inactivation of hemolytic activity and loss in ability to interact with phospholipids. There was no evidence for erythrocyte surface carbohydrates playing an essential role in interaction of the hemolysin with the cell. However, specific glycoproteins inhibited hemolysis of rabbit erythrocytes as well as interaction of the hemolysin with phospholipid. The results suggest (i) V. cholerae hemolysin is a monomer with distinct domains associated with specific binding to carbohydrates and interaction with lipids, (ii) the pore-forming property depends solely on the protein-lipid interaction with no evidence for involvement of sugars, and (iii) specific sugars can down-regulate the ability of the hemolysin to form pores in lipid bilayers.

Alpha-toxin of Staphylococcus aureus

Alpha-toxin, the major cytotoxic agent elaborated by Staphylococcus aureus, was the first bacterial exotoxin to be identified as a pore former. The protein is secreted as a single-chain, water-soluble molecule of Mr 33,000. At low concentrations (less than 100 nM), the toxin binds to as yet unidentified, high-affinity acceptor sites that have been detected on a variety of cells including rabbit erythrocytes, human platelets, monocytes and endothelial cells. At high concentrations, the toxin additionally binds via nonspecific absorption to lipid bilayers; it can thus damage both cells lacking significant numbers of the acceptor and protein-free artificial lipid bilayers. Membrane damage occurs in both cases after membrane-bound toxin molecules collide via lateral diffusion to form ring-structured hexamers. The latter insert spontaneously into the lipid bilayer to form discrete transmembrane pores of effective diameter 1 to 2 nm. A hypothetical model is advanced in which the pore is lined by amphiphilic beta-sheets, one surface of which interacts with lipids whereas the other repels apolar membrane constitutents to force open an aqueous passage. The detrimental effects of alpha-toxin are due not only to the death of susceptible targets, but also to the presence of secondary cellular reactions that can be triggered via Ca2+ influx through the pores. Well-studied phenomena include the stimulation of arachidonic acid metabolism, triggering of granule exocytosis, and contractile dysfunction. Such processes cause profound long-range disturbances such as development of pulmonary edema and promotion of blood coagulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The cytolytic toxin aerolysin must aggregate to disrupt erythrocytes, and aggregation is stimulated by human glycophorin

The hole-forming toxin aerolysin was shown to aggregate after binding to erythrocytes at 37 degrees C. Although the protein also bound and aggregated at 4 degrees C, hole formation was not observed, indicating that aggregation preceded penetration of the lipid bilayer. Aggregation, but not binding, could be blocked by pretreatment of the toxin with diethyl pyrocarbonate, a histidine-reactive reagent. This resulted in inactivation of the toxin. Incubation of aerolysin with glycophorin purified from human erythrocytes caused aggregation and complete inactivation. Erythrocytes which lacked glycophorin were less sensitive to the toxin. Proaerolysin, the inactive precursor of aerolysin, also bound to erythrocytes; however, it did not aggregate, nor did it aggregate when preincubated with glycophorin. The protoxin could be activated by treatment with trypsin even after it had bound to erythrocytes. Activation could also be achieved by reaction of proaerolysin with a variety of other proteases, each of which brought about a similar reduction in protein molecular weight. The activated protein was resistant to further proteolysis. These results indicate that aggregation is a necessary step in hole formation and that the sites on aerolysin required for binding and for aggregation and hole formation are separate.