Evidence for a modular structure of the homologous repetitive C-terminal carbohydrate-binding sites of Clostridium difficile toxins and Streptococcus mutans glucosyltransferases

An Updated View on the Cellular Uptake and Mode-of-Action of Clostridioides difficile Toxins

Research on the human gut pathogen Clostridioides (C.) difficile and its toxins continues to attract much attention as a consequence of the threat to human health posed by hypervirulent strains. Toxin A (TcdA) and Toxin B (TcdB) are the two major virulence determinants of C. difficile. Both are single-chain proteins with a similar multidomain architecture. Certain hypervirulent C. difficile strains also produce a third toxin, namely binary toxin CDT (C. difficile transferase). C. difficile toxins are the causative agents of C. difficile-associated diseases (CDADs), such as antibiotics-associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. For that reason, considerable efforts have been expended to unravel their molecular mode-of-action and the cellular mechanisms responsible for their uptake. Many of these studies have been conducted in European laboratories. Here, we provide an update on our previous review (Papatheodorou et al. Adv Exp Med Biol, 2018) on important advances in C. difficile toxins research.

Overexpression of LYK4, a lysin motif receptor with non-functional kinase domain, enhances tolerance to Alternaria brassicicola and increases trichome density in Brassica juncea

Lysin motif receptor-like kinases (LYKs) are involved in the recognition of chitin and activation of plant immune response. In this study, we found LYK4 to be strongly induced in resistant Sinapis alba compared with susceptible Brassica juncea on challenge with Alternaria brassicicola. In silico analysis and in vitro kinase assay revealed that despite the presence of canonical protein kinase fold, B.juncea LYK4 (BjLYK4) lacks several key residues of a prototype protein kinase which renders it catalytically inactive. Transient expression analysis confirmed that fluorescently tagged BjLYK4 localizes specifically to the plasma membrane. Overexpression (OE) of BjLYK4 in B. juncea enhanced tolerance against A. brassicicola. Interestingly, the OE lines also exhibited a novel trichome dense phenotype and increased jasmonic acid (JA) responsiveness. We further showed that many chitin responsive WRKY transcription factors and JA biosynthetic genes were strongly induced in the OE lines on challenge with the pathogen. Moreover, several JA inducible trichome developmental genes constituting the WD-repeat/bHLH/MYB activator complex were also upregulated in the OE lines compared with vector control and RNA interference line. These results suggest that BjLYK4 plays an essential role in chitin-dependent activation of defense response and chitin independent trichome development likely by influencing the JA signaling pathway.

Developing Recombinant Antibodies by Phage Display Against Infectious Diseases and Toxins for Diagnostics and Therapy

Antibodies are essential molecules for diagnosis and treatment of diseases caused by pathogens and their toxins. Antibodies were integrated in our medical repertoire against infectious diseases more than hundred years ago by using animal sera to treat tetanus and diphtheria. In these days, most developed therapeutic antibodies target cancer or autoimmune diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic was a reminder about the importance of antibodies for therapy against infectious diseases. While monoclonal antibodies could be generated by hybridoma technology since the 70ies of the former century, nowadays antibody phage display, among other display technologies, is robustly established to discover new human monoclonal antibodies. Phage display is an in vitro technology which confers the potential for generating antibodies from universal libraries against any conceivable molecule of sufficient size and omits the limitations of the immune systems. If convalescent patients or immunized/infected animals are available, it is possible to construct immune phage display libraries to select in vivo affinity-matured antibodies. A further advantage is the availability of the DNA sequence encoding the phage displayed antibody fragment, which is packaged in the phage particles. Therefore, the selected antibody fragments can be rapidly further engineered in any needed antibody format according to the requirements of the final application. In this review, we present an overview of phage display derived recombinant antibodies against bacterial, viral and eukaryotic pathogens, as well as microbial toxins, intended for diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Phylogenomics of 8,839 Clostridioides difficile genomes reveals recombination-driven evolution and diversification of toxin A and B

Clostridioides difficile is the major worldwide cause of antibiotic-associated gastrointestinal infection. A pathogenicity locus (PaLoc) encoding one or two homologous toxins, toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB), is essential for C. difficile pathogenicity. However, toxin sequence variation poses major challenges for the development of diagnostic assays, therapeutics, and vaccines. Here, we present a comprehensive phylogenomic analysis of 8,839 C. difficile strains and their toxins including 6,492 genomes that we assembled from the NCBI short read archive. A total of 5,175 tcdA and 8,022 tcdB genes clustered into 7 (A1-A7) and 12 (B1-B12) distinct subtypes, which form the basis of a new method for toxin-based subtyping of C. difficile. We developed a haplotype coloring algorithm to visualize amino acid variation across all toxin sequences, which revealed that TcdB has diversified through extensive homologous recombination throughout its entire sequence, and formed new subtypes through distinct recombination events. In contrast, TcdA varies mainly in the number of repeats in its C-terminal repetitive region, suggesting that recombination-mediated diversification of TcdB provides a selective advantage in C. difficile evolution. The application of toxin subtyping is then validated by classifying 351 C. difficile clinical isolates from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, demonstrating its clinical utility. Subtyping partitions TcdB into binary functional and antigenic groups generated by intragenic recombinations, including two distinct cell-rounding phenotypes, whether recognizing frizzled proteins as receptors, and whether it can be efficiently neutralized by monoclonal antibody bezlotoxumab, the only FDA-approved therapeutic antibody. Our analysis also identifies eight universally conserved surface patches across the TcdB structure, representing ideal targets for developing broad-spectrum therapeutics. Finally, we established an open online database (DiffBase) as a central hub for collection and classification of C. difficile toxins, which will help clinicians decide on therapeutic strategies targeting specific toxin variants, and allow researchers to monitor the ongoing evolution and diversification of C. difficile.

Characterization of three novel genetic loci encoding bacteriocins associated with Xanthomonas perforans

Bacterial spot is a destructive disease of tomato in Florida that prior to the early 1990s was caused by Xanthomonas euvesicatoria. X. perforans was first identified in Florida in 1991 and by 2006 was the only xanthomonad associated with bacterial spot disease in tomato. The ability of an X. perforans strain to outcompete X. euvesicatoria both in vitro and in vivo was at least in part associated with the production of three bacteriocins designated Bcn-A, Bcn-B, and Bcn-C. The objective of this study was to characterize the genetic determinants of these bacteriocins. Bcn-A activity was confined to one locus consisting of five ORFs of which three (ORFA, ORF2 and ORF4) were required for bacteriocin activity. The fifth ORF is predicted to encode an immunity protein to Bcn-A based on in vitro and in vivo assays. The first ORF encodes Bcn-A, a 1,398 amino acid protein, which bioinformatic analysis predicts to be a member of the RHS family of toxins. Based on results of homology modeling, we hypothesize that the amino terminus of Bcn-A interacts with a protein in the outer membrane of X. euvesicatoria. The carboxy terminus of the protein may interact with an as yet unknown protein(s) and puncture the X. euvesicatoria membrane, thereby delivering the accessory proteins into the target and causing cell death. Bcn-A appears to be activated upon secretion based on cell fractionation assays. The other two loci were each shown to be single ORFs encoding Bcn-B and Bcn-C. Both gene products possess homology toward known proteases. Proteinase activity for both Bcn-B and Bcn-C was confirmed using a milk agar assay. Bcn-B is predicted to be an ArgC-like serine protease, which was confirmed by PMSF inhibition of proteolytic activity, whereas Bcn-C has greater than 50% amino acid sequence identity to two zinc metalloproteases.

Intestinal bile acids directly modulate the structure and function of C. difficile TcdB toxin

Intestinal bile acids are known to modulate the germination and growth of Clostridioides difficile Here we describe a role for intestinal bile acids in directly binding and neutralizing TcdB toxin, the primary determinant of C. difficile disease. We show that individual primary and secondary bile acids reversibly bind and inhibit TcdB to varying degrees through a mechanism that requires the combined oligopeptide repeats region to which no function has previously been ascribed. We find that bile acids induce TcdB into a compact "balled up" conformation that is no longer able to bind cell surface receptors. Lastly, through a high-throughput screen designed to identify bile acid mimetics we uncovered nonsteroidal small molecule scaffolds that bind and inhibit TcdB through a bile acid-like mechanism. In addition to suggesting a role for bile acids in C. difficile pathogenesis, these findings provide a framework for development of a mechanistic class of C. difficile antitoxins.

Exploring lectin-like activity of the S-layer protein of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356

The surface layer (S-layer) protein of Lactobacillus acidophilus is a crystalline array of self-assembling, proteinaceous subunits non-covalently bound to the outmost bacterial cell wall envelope and is involved in the adherence of bacteria to host cells. We have previously described that the S-layer protein of L. acidophilus possesses anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. In this work, we extracted and purified S-layer proteins from L. acidophilus ATCC 4356 cells to study their interaction with cell wall components from prokaryotic (i.e., peptidoglycan and lipoteichoic acids) and eukaryotic origin (i.e., mucin and chitin), as well as with viruses, bacteria, yeast, and blood cells. Using chimeric S-layer fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP) from different parts of the protein, we analyzed their binding capacity. Our results show that the C-terminal part of the S-layer protein presents lectin-like activity, interacting with different glycoepitopes. We further demonstrate that lipoteichoic acid (LTA) serves as an anchor for the S-layer protein. Finally, a structure for the C-terminal part of S-layer and possible binding sites were predicted by a homology-based model.

Development of Neutralizing and Non-neutralizing Antibodies Targeting Known and Novel Epitopes of TcdB of Clostridioides difficile

Clostridioides difficile is the causative bacterium in 15-20% of all antibiotic associated diarrheas. The symptoms associated with C. difficile infection (CDI) are primarily induced by the two large exotoxins TcdA and TcdB. Both toxins enter target cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis. Although different toxin receptors have been identified, it is no valid therapeutic option to prevent receptor endocytosis. Therapeutics, such as neutralizing antibodies, directly targeting both toxins are in development. Interestingly, only the anti-TcdB antibody bezlotoxumab but not the anti-TcdA antibody actoxumab prevented recurrence of CDI in clinical trials. In this work, 31 human antibody fragments against TcdB were selected by antibody phage display from the human naive antibody gene libraries HAL9/10. These antibody fragments were further characterized by in vitro neutralization assays. The epitopes of the neutralizing and non-neutralizing antibody fragments were analyzed by domain mapping, TcdB fragment phage display, and peptide arrays, to identify neutralizing and non-neutralizing epitopes. A new neutralizing epitope within the glucosyltransferase domain of TcdB was identified, providing new insights into the relevance of different toxin regions in respect of neutralization and toxicity.

Novel Chimeric Protein Vaccines Against Clostridium difficile Infection

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of world-wide nosocomial acquired diarrhea in adults. Active vaccination is generally accepted as a logical and cost-effective approach to prevent CDI. In this paper, we have generated two novel chimeric proteins; one designated Tcd169, comprised of the glucosyltransferase domain (GT), the cysteine proteinase domain (CPD), and receptor binding domain (RBD) of TcdB, and the RBD of TcdA; the other designated Tcd169FI, which contains Salmonella typhimurium flagellin (sFliC) and Tcd169. Both proteins were expressed in and purified from Bacillus megaterium. Point mutations were made in the GT (W102A, D288N) and CPD (C698) of TcdB to ensure that Tcd169 and Tcd169FI were atoxic. Immunization with Tcd169 or Tcd169Fl induced protective immunity against TcdA/TcdB challenge through intraperitoneal injection, also provided mice full protection against infection with a hyper-virulent C. difficile strain (BI/NAP1/027). In addition, inclusion of sFlic in the fusion protein (Tcd169Fl) enhanced its protective immunity against toxin challenge, reduced C. difficile numbers in feces from Tcd169Fl-immunized mice infected C. difficile. Our data show that Tcd169 and Tcd169FI fusion proteins may represent alternative vaccine candidates against CDI.

The role of toxins in Clostridium difficile infection

Clostridium difficile is a bacterial pathogen that is the leading cause of nosocomial antibiotic-associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis worldwide. The incidence, severity, mortality and healthcare costs associated with C. difficile infection (CDI) are rising, making C. difficile a major threat to public health. Traditional treatments for CDI involve use of antibiotics such as metronidazole and vancomycin, but disease recurrence occurs in about 30% of patients, highlighting the need for new therapies. The pathogenesis of C. difficile is primarily mediated by the actions of two large clostridial glucosylating toxins, toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB). Some strains produce a third toxin, the binary toxin C. difficile transferase, which can also contribute to C. difficile virulence and disease. These toxins act on the colonic epithelium and immune cells and induce a complex cascade of cellular events that result in fluid secretion, inflammation and tissue damage, which are the hallmark features of the disease. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the structure and mechanism of action of the C. difficile toxins and their role in disease.

Glucosyltransferase Activity of Clostridium difficile Toxin B Triggers Autophagy-mediated Cell Growth Arrest

Autophagy is a bulk cell-degradation process that occurs through the lysosomal machinery, and many reports have shown that it participates in microbial pathogenicity. However, the role of autophagy in Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), the leading cause of antibiotics-associated diarrhea, pseudomembranous colitis and even death in severe cases, is not clear. Here we report that the major virulent factor toxin B (TcdB) of Clostridium difficile elicits a strong autophagy response in host cells through its glucosyltransferase activity. Using a variety of autophagy-deficient cell lines, i.e. HeLa/ATG7^−/−, MEF/atg7^−/−, MEF/tsc2^−/−, we demonstrate that toxin-triggered autophagy inhibits host cell proliferation, which contributes to TcdB-caused cytopathic biological effects. We further show that both the PI3K complex and mTOR pathway play important roles in this autophagy induction process and consequent cytopathic event. Although the glucosyltransferase activity of TcdB is responsible for inducing both cell rounding and autophagy, there is no evidence suggesting the causal relationship between these two events. Taken together, our data demonstrate for the first time that the glucosyltransferase enzymatic activity of a pathogenic bacteria is responsible for host autophagy induction and the following cell growth arrest, providing a new paradigm for the role of autophagy in host defense mechanisms upon pathogenic infection.

Intrinsic Toxin-Derived Peptides Destabilize and Inactivate Clostridium difficile TcdB

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a major cause of hospital-associated, antibiotic-induced diarrhea, which is largely mediated by the production of two large multidomain clostridial toxins, TcdA and TcdB. Both toxins coordinate the action of specific domains to bind receptors, enter cells, and deliver a catalytic fragment into the cytosol. This results in GTPase inactivation, actin disassembly, and cytotoxicity. TcdB in particular has been shown to encode a region covering amino acids 1753 to 1851 that affects epitope exposure and cytotoxicity. Surprisingly, studies here show that several peptides derived from this region, which share the consensus sequence 1769NVFKGNTISDK1779, protect cells from the action of TcdB. One peptide, PepB2, forms multiple interactions with the carboxy-terminal region of TcdB, destabilizes TcdB structure, and disrupts cell binding. We further show that these effects require PepB2 to form a higher-order polymeric complex, a process that requires the central GN amino acid pair. These data suggest that TcdB1769-1779 interacts with repeat sequences in the proximal carboxy-terminal domain of TcdB (i.e., the CROP domain) to alter the conformation of TcdB. Furthermore, these studies provide insights into TcdB structure and functions that can be exploited to inactivate this critical virulence factor and ameliorate the course of CDI.IMPORTANCEClostridium difficile is a leading cause of hospital-associated illness that is often associated with antibiotic treatment. To cause disease, C. difficile secretes toxins, including TcdB, which is a multidomain intracellular bacterial toxin that undergoes conformational changes during cellular intoxication. This study describes the development of peptide-based inhibitors that target a region of TcdB thought to be critical for structural integrity of the toxin. The results show that peptides derived from a structurally important region of TcdB can be used to destabilize the toxin and prevent cellular intoxication. Importantly, this work provides a novel means of toxin inhibition that could in the future develop into a C. difficile treatment.

Identification of an Essential Region for Translocation of Clostridium difficile Toxin B

Clostridium difficile toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB) are the major virulence factors involved in C. difficile-associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. TcdA and TcdB both contain at least four distinct domains: the glucosyltransferase domain, cysteine protease domain, receptor binding domain, and translocation domain. Few studies have investigated the translocation domain and its mechanism of action. Recently, it was demonstrated that a segment of 97 amino acids (AA 1756-1852, designated D97) within the translocation domain of TcdB is essential for the in vitro and in vivo toxicity of TcdB. However, the mechanism by which D97 regulates the action of TcdB in host cells and the important amino acids within this region are unknown. In this study, we discovered that a smaller fragment, amino acids 1756-1780, located in the N-terminus of the D97 fragment, is essential for translocation of the effector glucosyltransferase domain into the host cytosol. A sequence of 25AA within D97 is predicted to form an alpha helical structure and is the critical part of D97. The deletion mutant TcdB∆1756-1780 showed similar glucosyltransferase and cysteine protease activity, cellular binding, and pore formation to wild type TcdB, but it failed to induce the glucosylation of Rho GTPase Rac1 of host cells. Moreover, we found that TcdB∆1756-1780 was rapidly degraded in the endosome of target cells, and therefore its intact glucosyltransferase domain was unable to translocate efficiently into host cytosol. Our finding provides an insight into the molecular mechanisms of action of TcdB in the intoxication of host cells.

Clostridium difficile Toxins A and B: Insights into Pathogenic Properties and Extraintestinal Effects

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has significant clinical impact especially on the elderly and/or immunocompromised patients. The pathogenicity of Clostridium difficile is mainly mediated by two exotoxins: toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB). These toxins primarily disrupt the cytoskeletal structure and the tight junctions of target cells causing cell rounding and ultimately cell death. Detectable C. difficile toxemia is strongly associated with fulminant disease. However, besides the well-known intestinal damage, recent animal and in vitro studies have suggested a more far-reaching role for these toxins activity including cardiac, renal, and neurologic impairment. The creation of C. difficile strains with mutations in the genes encoding toxin A and B indicate that toxin B plays a major role in overall CDI pathogenesis. Novel insights, such as the role of a regulator protein (TcdE) on toxin production and binding interactions between albumin and C. difficile toxins, have recently been discovered and will be described. Our review focuses on the toxin-mediated pathogenic processes of CDI with an emphasis on recent studies.

Pathogenic effects of glucosyltransferase from Clostridium difficile toxins

The glucosyltransferase domain ofClostridium difficiletoxins modifies guanine nucleotide-binding proteins of Rho family. It is the major virulent domain of the holotoxins. Various pathogenic effects ofC. difficiletoxins in response to Rho glucosylation have been investigated including cytoskeleton damage, cell death and inflammation. The most recent studies have revealed some significant characteristics of the holotoxins that are independent of glucosylating activity. These findings arouse discussion about the role of glucosyltransferase activity in toxin pathogenesis and open up new insights for toxin mechanism study. In this review, we summarize the pathogenic effects of glucosyltransferase domain of the toxins in the past years.

Analysis of TcdB Proteins within the Hypervirulent Clade 2 Reveals an Impact of RhoA Glucosylation on Clostridium difficile Proinflammatory Activities

Clostridium difficile strains within the hypervirulent clade 2 are responsible for nosocomial outbreaks worldwide. The increased pathogenic potential of these strains has been attributed to several factors but is still poorly understood. During a C. difficile outbreak, a strain from this clade was found to induce a variant cytopathic effect (CPE), different from the canonical arborizing CPE. This strain (NAP1V) belongs to the NAP1 genotype but to a ribotype different from the epidemic NAP1/RT027 strain. NAP1V and NAP1 share some properties, including the overproduction of toxins, the binary toxin, and mutations in tcdC. NAP1V is not resistant to fluoroquinolones, however. A comparative analysis of TcdB proteins from NAP1/RT027 and NAP1V strains indicated that both target Rac, Cdc42, Rap, and R-Ras but only the former glucosylates RhoA. Thus, TcdB from hypervirulent clade 2 strains possesses an extended substrate profile, and RhoA is crucial for the type of CPE induced. Sequence comparison and structural modeling revealed that TcdBNAP1 and TcdBNAP1V share the receptor-binding and autoprocessing activities but vary in the glucosyltransferase domain, consistent with the different substrate profile. Whereas the two toxins displayed identical cytotoxic potencies, TcdBNAP1 induced a stronger proinflammatory response than TcdBNAP1V as determined in ex vivo experiments and animal models. Since immune activation at the level of intestinal mucosa is a hallmark of C. difficile-induced infections, we propose that the panel of substrates targeted by TcdB is a determining factor in the pathogenesis of this pathogen and in the differential virulence potential seen among C. difficile strains.

The Role of Rho GTPases in Toxicity of Clostridium difficile Toxins

Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is the main cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea prevailing in hospital settings. In the past decade, the morbidity and mortality of C. difficile infection (CDI) has increased significantly due to the emergence of hypervirulent strains. Toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB), the two exotoxins of C. difficile, are the major virulence factors of CDI. The common mode of action of TcdA and TcdB is elicited by specific glucosylation of Rho-GTPase proteins in the host cytosol using UDP-glucose as a co-substrate, resulting in the inactivation of Rho proteins. Rho proteins are the key members in many biological processes and signaling pathways, inactivation of which leads to cytopathic and cytotoxic effects and immune responses of the host cells. It is supposed that Rho GTPases play an important role in the toxicity of C. difficile toxins. This review focuses on recent progresses in the understanding of functional consequences of Rho GTPases glucosylation induced by C. difficile toxins and the role of Rho GTPases in the toxicity of TcdA and TcdB.

Critical roles of Clostridium difficile toxin B enzymatic activities in pathogenesis

TcdB is one of the key virulence factors of Clostridium difficile that is responsible for causing serious and potentially fatal colitis. The toxin contains at least two enzymatic domains: an effector glucosyltransferase domain for inactivating host Rho GTPases and a cysteine protease domain for the delivery of the effector domain into host cytosol. Here, we describe a novel intrabody approach to examine the role of these enzymes of TcdB in cellular intoxication. By screening a single-domain heavy chain (V(H)H) library raised against TcdB, we identified two V(H)H antibodies, 7F and E3, that specifically inhibit TcdB cysteine protease and glucosyltransferase activities, respectively. Cytoplasmic expression of 7F intrabody in Vero cells inhibited TcdB autoprocessing and delayed cellular intoxication, whereas E3 intrabody completely blocked the cytopathic effects of TcdB holotoxin. These data also demonstrate for the first time that toxin autoprocessing occurs after cysteine protease and glucosyltransferase domains translocate into the cytosol of target cells. We further determined the role of the enzymatic activities of TcdB in in vivo toxicity using a sensitive systemic challenge model in mice. Consistent with these in vitro results, a cysteine protease noncleavable mutant, TcdB-L543A, delayed toxicity in mice, whereas glycosyltransferase-deficient TcdB demonstrated no toxicity up to 500-fold of the 50% lethal dose (LD50) when it was injected systemically. Thus, glucosyltransferase but not cysteine protease activity is critical for TcdB-mediated cytopathic effects and TcdB systemic toxicity, highlighting the importance of targeting toxin glucosyltransferase activity for future therapy.

Haemorrhagic toxin and lethal toxin from Clostridium sordellii strain vpi9048: molecular characterization and comparative analysis of substrate specificity of the large clostridial glucosylating toxins

Large clostridial glucosylating toxins (LCGTs) are produced by toxigenic strains of Clostridium difficile, Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium novyi and Clostridium sordellii. While most C. sordellii strains solely produce lethal toxin (TcsL), C. sordellii strain VPI9048 co-produces both hemorrhagic toxin (TcsH) and TcsL. Here, the sequences of TcsH-9048 and TcsL-9048 are provided, showing that both toxins retain conserved LCGT features and that TcsL and TcsH are highly related to Toxin A (TcdA) and Toxin B (TcdB) from C. difficile strain VPI10463. The substrate profile of the toxins was investigated with recombinant LCGT transferase domains (rN) and a wide panel of small GTPases. rN-TcsH-9048 and rN-TcdA-10463 glucosylated preferably Rho-GTPases but also Ras-GTPases to some extent. In this respect, rN-TcsH-9048 and rN-TcdA-10463 differ from the respective full-length TcsH-9048 and TcdA-10463, which exclusively glucosylate Rho-GTPases. rN-TcsL-9048 and full length TcsL-9048 glucosylate both Rho- and Ras-GTPases, whereas rN-TcdB-10463 and full length TcdB-10463 exclusively glucosylate Rho-GTPases. Vero cells treated with full length TcsH-9048 or TcdA-10463 also showed glucosylation of Ras, albeit to a lower extent than of Rho-GTPases. Thus, in vitro analysis of substrate spectra using recombinant transferase domains corresponding to the auto-proteolytically cleaved domains, predicts more precisely the in vivo substrates than the full length toxins. Except for TcdB-1470, all LCGTs evoked increased expression of the small GTPase RhoB, which exhibited cytoprotective activity in cells treated with TcsL isoforms, but pro-apoptotic activity in cells treated with TcdA, TcdB, and TcsH. All LCGTs induced a rapid dephosphorylation of pY118-paxillin and of pS144/141-PAK1/2 prior to actin filament depolymerization indicating that disassembly of focal adhesions is an early event leading to the disorganization of the actin cytoskeleton.

Mechanism of action and epitopes of Clostridium difficile toxin B-neutralizing antibody bezlotoxumab revealed by X-ray crystallography

The symptoms of Clostridium difficile infections are caused by two exotoxins, TcdA and TcdB, which target host colonocytes by binding to unknown cell surface receptors, at least in part via their combined repetitive oligopeptide (CROP) domains. A combination of the anti-TcdA antibody actoxumab and the anti-TcdB antibody bezlotoxumab is currently under development for the prevention of recurrent C. difficile infections. We demonstrate here through various biophysical approaches that bezlotoxumab binds to specific regions within the N-terminal half of the TcdB CROP domain. Based on this information, we solved the x-ray structure of the N-terminal half of the TcdB CROP domain bound to Fab fragments of bezlotoxumab. The structure reveals that the TcdB CROP domain adopts a β-solenoid fold consisting of long and short repeats and that bezlotoxumab binds to two homologous sites within the CROP domain, partially occluding two of the four putative carbohydrate binding pockets located in TcdB. We also show that bezlotoxumab neutralizes TcdB by blocking binding of TcdB to mammalian cells. Overall, our data are consistent with a model wherein a single molecule of bezlotoxumab neutralizes TcdB by binding via its two Fab regions to two epitopes within the N-terminal half of the TcdB CROP domain, partially blocking the carbohydrate binding pockets of the toxin and preventing toxin binding to host cells.

LRP1 is a receptor for Clostridium perfringens TpeL toxin indicating a two-receptor model of clostridial glycosylating toxins

Large glycosylating toxins are major virulence factors of various species of pathogenic Clostridia. Prototypes are Clostridium difficile toxins A and B, which cause antibiotics-associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. The current model of the toxins' action suggests that receptor binding is mediated by a C-terminal domain of combined repetitive oligopeptides (CROP). This model is challenged by the glycosylating Clostridium perfringens large cytotoxin (TpeL toxin) that is devoid of the CROP domain but still intoxicates cells. Using a haploid genetic screen, we identified LDL receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) as a host cell receptor for the TpeL toxin. LRP1-deficient cells are not able to take up TpeL and are not intoxicated. Expression of cluster IV of LRP1 is sufficient to rescue toxin uptake in these cells. By plasmon resonance spectroscopy, a KD value of 23 nM was determined for binding of TpeL to LRP1 cluster IV. The C terminus of TpeL (residues 1335-1779) represents the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the toxin. RBD-like regions are conserved in all other clostridial glycosylating toxins preceding their CROP domain. CROP-deficient C. difficile toxin B is toxic to cells, depending on the RBD-like region (residues 1349-1811) but does not interact with LRP1. Our data indicate the presence of a second, CROP-independent receptor-binding domain in clostridial glycosylating toxins and suggest a two-receptor model for the cellular uptake of clostridial glycosylating toxins.

Clostridium difficile 027/BI/NAP1 encodes a hypertoxic and antigenically variable form of TcdB

The Clostridium difficile exotoxin, TcdB, which is a major virulence factor, varies between strains of this pathogen. Herein, we show that TcdB from the epidemic BI/NAP1/027 strain of C. difficile is more lethal, causes more extensive brain hemorrhage, and is antigenically variable from TcdB produced by previously studied strains of this pathogen (TcdB₀₀₃). In mouse intoxication assays, TcdB from a ribotype 027 strain (TcdB₀₂₇) was at least four fold more lethal than TcdB₀₀₃. TcdB₀₂₇ caused a previously undescribed brain hemorrhage in mice and this correlated with a heightened sensitivity of brain microvascular endothelial cells to the toxin. TcdB₀₀₃ and TcdB₀₂₇ also differed in their antigenic profiles and did not share cross-neutralizing epitopes in a major immunogenic region of the protein. Solid phase humoral mapping of epitopes in the carboxy-terminal domains (CTD) of TcdB₀₂₇ and TcdB₀₀₃ identified 11 reactive epitopes that varied between the two forms of TcdB, and 13 epitopes that were shared or overlapping. Despite the epitope differences and absence of neutralizing epitopes in the CTD of TcdB₀₂₇, a toxoid form of this toxin primed a strong protective response. These findings indicate TcdB₀₂₇ is a more potent toxin than TcdB₀₀₃ as measured by lethality assays and pathology, moreover the sequence differences between the two forms of TcdB alter antigenic epitopes and reduce cross-neutralization by antibodies targeting the CTD.

During the past decade, the C. difficile BI/NAP1/027 strain has emerged and in some settings predominated as the cause of C. difficile infection. Moreover, in some reports C. difficile BI/NAP1/027 has been associated with more severe disease. The reasons for association of this strain with more severe disease and relapse are poorly understood. We compared the toxicity and antigenic profiles of the major C. difficile virulence factor, TcdB, from a previously studied reference strain and a BI/NAP1/027 strain. The results indicate TcdB₀₂₇, the toxin from the BI/NAP1/027 strain, is more lethal and causes more extensive brain hemorrhaging than TcdB₀₀₃, the toxin produced by a reference strain of C. difficile. Furthermore, the results show that the antigenic carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) encodes at least 11 epitopes that differ between the two forms of TcdB. In line with this, experiments demonstrate that antiserum against the CTD does not cross-neutralize TcdB₀₀₃ and TcdB₀₂₇ toxicity against CHO cells, and TcdB₀₂₇ appears to be devoid of neutralizing epitopes in this domain. These findings indicate differences in TcdB₀₀₃ and TcdB₀₂₇ contribute to increased virulence of C. difficile BI/NAP1/027 and reduce the likelihood of acquired immunity providing cross-protection against infection by these strains.

Lactobacillus surface layer proteins: structure, function and applications

Bacterial surface (S) layers are the outermost proteinaceous cell envelope structures found on members of nearly all taxonomic groups of bacteria and Archaea. They are composed of numerous identical subunits forming a symmetric, porous, lattice-like layer that completely covers the cell surface. The subunits are held together and attached to cell wall carbohydrates by non-covalent interactions, and they spontaneously reassemble in vitro by an entropy-driven process. Due to the low amino acid sequence similarity among S-layer proteins in general, verification of the presence of an S-layer on the bacterial cell surface usually requires electron microscopy. In lactobacilli, S-layer proteins have been detected on many but not all species. Lactobacillus S-layer proteins differ from those of other bacteria in their smaller size and high predicted pI. The positive charge in Lactobacillus S-layer proteins is concentrated in the more conserved cell wall binding domain, which can be either N- or C-terminal depending on the species. The more variable domain is responsible for the self-assembly of the monomers to a periodic structure. The biological functions of Lactobacillus S-layer proteins are poorly understood, but in some species S-layer proteins mediate bacterial adherence to host cells or extracellular matrix proteins or have protective or enzymatic functions. Lactobacillus S-layer proteins show potential for use as antigen carriers in live oral vaccine design because of their adhesive and immunomodulatory properties and the general non-pathogenicity of the species.

Cytotoxicity of Clostridium difficile toxin B does not require cysteine protease-mediated autocleavage and release of the glucosyltransferase domain into the host cell cytosol

Clostridium difficile virulence requires secretion of two exotoxins: TcdA and TcdB. The precise mechanism of toxin uptake and delivery is undefined, but current models predict that the cysteine protease domain (CPD)-mediated autocleavage and release of glucosyltransferase domain (GTD) are crucial for intoxication. To determine the importance of CPD-mediated cleavage to TcdB cytotoxicity, we generated two mutant toxins--TcdB-C698S and TcdB-H653A--and assayed their abilities to intoxicate cells. The CPD mutants include an intact GTD but lack the cysteine protease activity. The mutants had reduced potency in that their effect on cells was delayed and required higher concentrations than wild-type TcdB. They did eventually cause cell rounding, glucosylation of Rho GTPases, and apoptosis that was indistinguishable from that caused by TcdB. Although the mutant toxins caused a complete cell rounding, they failed to release their GTD into cytosol, whereas wild-type TcdB displayed significant autocleavage and release of GTD. We conclude that the cysteine protease-mediated autocleavage and release of GTD is not a prerequisite for the cytotoxic activity of TcdB, but rather limits the potency and speed of Rho GTPase glucosylation. Our findings revise and refine the current model for the mode of the action and cellular trafficking of TcdB.

Protein domain repetition is enriched in Streptococcal cell-surface proteins

Tandem repetition of domain in protein sequence occurs in all three domains of life. It creates protein diversity and adds functional complexity in organisms. In this work, we analyzed 52 streptococcal genomes and found 3748 proteins contained domain repeats. Proteins not harboring domain repeats are significantly enriched in cytoplasm, whereas proteins with domain repeats are significantly enriched in cytoplasmic membrane, cell wall and extracellular locations. Domain repetition occurs most frequently in S. pneumoniae and least in S. thermophilus and S. pyogenes. DUF1542 is the highest repeated domain in a single protein, followed by Rib, CW_binding_1, G5 and HemolysinCabind. 3D structures of 24 repeat-containing proteins were predicted to investigate the structural and functional effect of domain repetition. Several repeat-containing streptococcal cell surface proteins are known to be virulence-associated. Surface-associated tandem domain-containing proteins without experimental functional characterization may be potentially involved in the pathogenesis of streptococci and deserve further investigation.

Glucansucrases: three-dimensional structures, reactions, mechanism, α-glucan analysis and their implications in biotechnology and food applications

Glucansucrases are extracellular enzymes that synthesize a wide variety of α-glucan polymers and oligosaccharides, such as dextran. These carbohydrates have found numerous applications in food and health industries, and can be used as pure compounds or even be produced in situ by generally regarded as safe (GRAS) lactic acid bacteria in food applications. Research in the recent years has resulted in big steps forward in the understanding and exploitation of the biocatalytic potential of glucansucrases. This paper provides an overview of glucansucrase enzymes, their recently elucidated crystal structures, their reaction and product specificity, and the structural analysis and applications of α-glucan polymers. Furthermore, we discuss key developments in the understanding of α-glucan polymer formation based on the recently elucidated three-dimensional structures of glucansucrase proteins. Finally we discuss the (potential) applications of α-glucans produced by lactic acid bacteria in food and health related industries.

S-layer proteins of Lactobacillus acidophilus inhibits JUNV infection

It has been previously described that S-layer binds to the C-type lectin DC-specific ICAM-3-grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN, CD209). It was also shown that DC-SIGN is a cell-surface adhesion factor that enhances viral entry of several virus families. Among those, Junin virus (JUNV) entry is enhanced in cells expressing DC-SIGN and for that reason surface-layer protein (S-layer) of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4365 was evaluated as a possible JUNV inhibitor. Experiments using 3T3 cells stably expressing DC-SIGN, showed an almost complete inhibition of JUNV infection when they were treated with S-layer in a similar extend as the inhibition shown by mannan. However no inhibition effect was observed in 3T3 wild type cells or in 3T3 cells expressing liver/lymph node-specific ICAM-3 grabbing nonintegrin (L-SIGN or DC-SIGNR or CD209L).

Treatments with S-layer during different times in the infection demonstrated that inhibition was only observed when S-layer was presented in early stages of the viral infection. This inhibition does not involve the classic recognition of mannose by this C-type lectin as the S-layer showed no evidence to be glycosylated. In fact, the highly basic nature of the S-layer (pI > 9.5) seems to be involved in electrostatic interactions between DC-SIGN and S-layer, since high pH abolished the inhibitory effect on infection cause by the S-layer. In silico analysis predicts a Ca²⁺-dependant carbohydrate recognition domain in the SlpA protein.

This novel characteristic of the S-layer, a GRAS status protein, contribute to the pathogen exclusion reported for this probiotic strain and may be applied as an antiviral agent to inhibit several kinds of viruses.

Toward a structural understanding of Clostridium difficile toxins A and B

Clostridium difficile is a toxin-producing bacterium that is a frequent cause of hospital-acquired and antibiotic-associated diarrhea. The incidence, severity, and costs associated with C. difficile associated disease are substantial and increasing, making C. difficile a significant public health concern. The two primary toxins, TcdA and TcdB, disrupt host cell function by inactivating small GTPases that regulate the actin cytoskeleton. This review will discuss the role of these two toxins in pathogenesis and the structural and molecular mechanisms by which they intoxicate cells. A focus will be placed on recent publications highlighting mechanistic similarities and differences between TcdA, TcdB, and different TcdB variants.

TcdB from hypervirulent Clostridium difficile exhibits increased efficiency of autoprocessing

TcdB, an intracellular bacterial toxin that inactivates small GTPases, is a major Clostridium difficile virulence factor. Recent studies have found that TcdB produced by emerging/hypervirulent strains of C. difficile is more potent than TcdB from historical strains, and in the current work, studies were performed to investigate the underlying mechanisms for this change in TcdB toxicity. Using a series of biochemical analyses we found that TcdB from a hypervirulent strain (TcdB(HV) ) was more efficient at autoprocessing than TcdB from a historical strain (TcdB(HIST) ). TcdB(HV) and TcdB(HIST) were activated by similar concentrations of IP6; however, the overall efficiency of processing was 20% higher for TcdB(HV) . Using an activity-based fluorescent probe (AWP19) an intermediate, activated but uncleaved, form of TcdB(HIST) was identified, while only a processed form of TcdB(HV) could be detected under the same conditions. Using a much higher concentration (200 µM) of the probe revealed an activated uncleaved form of TcdB(HV) , indicating a preferential and more efficient engagement of intramolecular substrate than TcdB(HIST) . Furthermore, a peptide-based inhibitor (Ac-GSL-AOMK) was found to block the cytotoxicity of TcdB(HIST) at a lower concentration than required to inhibit TcdB(HV) . These findings suggest that TcdB(HV) may cause increased cytotoxicity due to more efficient autoprocessing.

Binding of Clostridium difficile toxins to human milk oligosaccharides

The binding of recombinant fragments of the C-terminal cell-binding domains of the two large exotoxins, toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB), expressed by Clostridium difficile and a library consisting of the most abundant neutral and acidic human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) was examined quantitatively at 25°C and pH 7 using the direct electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ES-MS) assay. The results of the ES-MS measurements indicate that both toxin fragments investigated, TcdB-B1 and TcdA-A2, which possess one and two carbohydrate binding sites, respectively, bind specifically to HMOs ranging in size from tri- to heptasaccharides. Notably, five of the HMOs tested bind to both toxins: Fuc(α1-2)Gal(β1-4)Glc, Gal(β1-3)GlcNAc(β1-3)Gal(β1-4)Glc, Fuc(α1-2)Gal(β1-3)GlcNAc(β1-3)Gal(β1-4)Glc, Gal(β1-3)[Fuc(α1-4)]GlcNAc(β1-3)Gal(β1-4)Glc and Gal(β1-4)[Fuc(α1-3)]GlcNAc(β1-3)Gal(β1-4)Glc. However, the binding of the HMOs is uniformly weak, with apparent affinities ≤10(3 )M(-1). The results of molecular docking simulations, taken together with the experimental binding data, suggest that a disaccharide moiety (lactose or lactosamine) represents the core HMO recognition element for both toxin fragments. The results of a Verocytotoxicity neutralization assay reveal that HMOs do not significantly inhibit the cytotoxic effects of TcdA or TcdB. The absence of protection is attributed to the very weak intrinsic affinities that the toxins exhibit towards the HMOs.

Inositol hexakisphosphate-dependent processing of Clostridium sordellii lethal toxin and Clostridium novyi alpha-toxin

Clostridium sordellii lethal toxin and Clostridium novyi α-toxin, which are virulence factors involved in the toxic shock and gas gangrene syndromes, are members of the family of clostridial glucosylating toxins. The toxins inactivate Rho/Ras proteins by glucosylation or attachment of GlcNAc (α-toxin). Here, we studied the activation of the autoproteolytic processing of the toxins by inositol hexakisphosphate (InsP(6)) and compared it with the processing of Clostridium difficile toxin B. In the presence of low concentrations of InsP(6) (<1 μM), toxin fragments consisting of the N-terminal glucosyltransferase (or GlcNAc-transferase) domains and the cysteine protease domains (CPDs) of C. sordellii lethal toxin, C. novyi α-toxin, and C. difficile toxin B were autocatalytically processed. The cleavage sites of lethal toxin (Leu-543) and α-toxin (Leu-548) and the catalytic cysteine residues (Cys-698 of lethal toxin and Cys-707 of α-toxin) were identified. Affinity of the CPDs for binding InsP(6) was determined by isothermal titration calorimetry. In contrast to full-length toxin B and α-toxin, autocatalytic cleavage and InsP(6) binding of full-length lethal toxin depended on low pH (pH 5) conditions. The data indicate that C. sordellii lethal toxin and C. novyi α-toxin are InsP(6)-dependently processed. However, full-length lethal toxin, but not its short toxin fragments consisting of the glucosyltransferase domain and the CPD, requires a pH-sensitive conformational change to allow binding of InsP(6) and subsequent processing of the toxin.

Variations in TcdB activity and the hypervirulence of emerging strains of Clostridium difficile

Hypervirulent strains of Clostridium difficile have emerged over the past decade, increasing the morbidity and mortality of patients infected by this opportunistic pathogen. Recent work suggested the major C. difficile virulence factor, TcdB, from hypervirulent strains (TcdB_HV) was more cytotoxic in vitro than TcdB from historical strains (TcdB_HIST). The current study investigated the in vivo impact of altered TcdB tropism, and the underlying mechanism responsible for the differences in activity between the two forms of this toxin. A combination of protein sequence analyses, in vivo studies using a Danio rerio model system, and cell entry combined with fluorescence assays were used to define the critical differences between TcdB_HV and TcdB_HIST. Sequence analysis found that TcdB was the most variable protein expressed from the pathogenicity locus of C. difficile. In line with these sequence differences, the in vivo effects of TcdB_HV were found to be substantially broader and more pronounced than those caused by TcdB_HIST. The increased toxicity of TcdB_HV was related to the toxin's ability to enter cells more rapidly and at an earlier stage in endocytosis than TcdB_HIST. The underlying biochemical mechanism for more rapid cell entry was identified in experiments demonstrating that TcdB_HV undergoes acid-induced conformational changes at a pH much higher than that of TcdB_HIST. Such pH-related conformational changes are known to be the inciting step in membrane insertion and translocation for TcdB. These data provide insight into a critical change in TcdB activity that contributes to the emerging hypervirulence of C. difficile.

Clostridium difficile is a spore-forming bacterium that contaminates hospitals and infects patients undergoing antibiotic therapy. C. difficile is now the leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea in developed countries. Most concerning has been the recent increase in mortality of C. difficile patients due to the emergence of a hypervirulent strain of this pathogen. Results from the current study suggest this change in disease severity may be due to new strains producing a variant form of C. difficile's major virulence factor, TcdB. The findings indicate TcdB from hypervirulent strains targets a much broader range of cells in vivo and is able to translocate into target cells more quickly than TcdB from historical strains of C. difficile. The more rapid cell entry by TcdB from hypervirulent C. difficile appears to be due to the toxin's capacity to undergo conformational changes necessary for membrane translocation at a higher pH than TcdB from historical strains. To date, very little has been learned about the underlying reasons for the increased virulence of emerging C. difficile strains. These findings provide insight into this problem and suggest variations in TcdB activity could be an important contributing factor to the hypervirulence of emerging strains of C. difficile.

Clostridial glucosylating toxins enter cells via clathrin-mediated endocytosis

Clostridium difficile toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB), C. sordellii lethal toxin (TcsL) and C. novyi α-toxin (TcnA) are important pathogenicity factors, which represent the family of the clostridial glucosylating toxins (CGTs). Toxin A and B are associated with antibiotic-associated diarrhea and pseudomembraneous colitis. Lethal toxin is involved in toxic shock syndrome after abortion and α-toxin in gas gangrene development. CGTs enter cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis and require an acidified endosome for translocation of the catalytic domain into the cytosol. Here we studied the endocytic processes that mediate cell internalization of the CGTs. Intoxication of cells was monitored by analyzing cell morphology, status of Rac glucosylation in cell lysates and transepithelial resistance of cell monolayers. We found that the intoxication of cultured cells by CGTs was strongly delayed when cells were preincubated with dynasore, a cell-permeable inhibitor of dynamin, or chlorpromazine, an inhibitor of the clathrin-dependent endocytic pathway. Additional evidence about the role of clathrin in the uptake of the prototypical CGT family member toxin B was achieved by expression of a dominant-negative inhibitor of the clathrin-mediated endocytosis (Eps15 DN) or by siRNA against the clathrin heavy chain. Accordingly, cells that expressed dominant-negative caveolin-1 were not protected from toxin B-induced cell rounding. In addition, lipid rafts impairment by exogenous depletion of sphingomyelin did not decelerate intoxication of HeLa cells by CGTs. Taken together, our data indicate that the endocytic uptake of the CGTs involves a dynamin-dependent process that is mainly governed by clathrin.

Identification and characterization of domains responsible for self-assembly and cell wall binding of the surface layer protein of Lactobacillus brevis ATCC 8287

BACKGROUND

Lactobacillus brevis ATCC 8287 is covered by a regular surface (S-) layer consisting of a 435 amino acid protein SlpA. This protein is completely unrelated in sequence to the previously characterized S-layer proteins of Lactobacillus acidophilus group.

RESULTS

In this work, the self-assembly and cell wall binding domains of SlpA were characterized. The C-terminal self-assembly domain encompassed residues 179-435 of mature SlpA, as demonstrated by the ability of N-terminally truncated recombinant SlpA to form a periodic structure indistinguishable from that formed by full length SlpA. Furthermore, a trypsin degradation analysis indicated the existence of a protease resistant C-terminal domain of 214 amino acids. By producing a set of C-terminally truncated recombinant SlpA (rSlpA) proteins the cell wall binding region was mapped to the N-terminal part of SlpA, where the first 145 amino acids of mature SlpA alone were sufficient for binding to isolated cell wall fragments of L. brevis ATCC 8287. The binding of full length rSlpA to the cell walls was not affected by the treatment of the walls with 5% trichloroacetic acid (TCA), indicating that cell wall structures other than teichoic acids are involved, a feature not shared by the Lactobacillus acidophilus group S-layer proteins characterized so far. Conserved carbohydrate binding motifs were identified in the positively charged N-terminal regions of six Lactobacillus brevis S-layer proteins.

CONCLUSION

This study identifies SlpA as a two-domain protein in which the order of the functional domains is reversed compared to other characterized Lactobacillus S-layer proteins, and emphasizes the diversity of potential cell wall receptors despite similar carbohydrate binding sequence motifs in Lactobacillus S-layer proteins.

Structure and mode of action of clostridial glucosylating toxins: the ABCD model

Toxins A and B, which are the major virulence factors of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis caused by Clostridium difficile, are the prototypes of the family of clostridial glucosylating toxins. The toxins inactivate Rho and Ras proteins by glucosylation. Recent findings on the autocatalytic processing of the toxins and analysis of the crystal structures of their domains have made a revision of the current model of their actions on the eukaryotic target cells necessary.

gp96 is a human colonocyte plasma membrane binding protein for Clostridium difficile toxin A

Clostridium difficile toxin A (TxA), a key mediator of antibiotic-associated colitis, requires binding to a cell surface receptor prior to internalization. Our aim was to identify novel plasma membrane TxA binding proteins on human colonocytes. TxA was coupled with biotin and cross-linked to the surface of HT29 human colonic epithelial cells. The main colonocyte binding protein for TxA was identified as glycoprotein 96 (gp96) by coimmunoprecipitation and mass spectrum analysis. gp96 is a member of the heat shock protein family, which is expressed on human colonocyte apical membranes as well as in the cytoplasm. TxA binding to gp96 was confirmed by fluorescence immunostaining and in vitro coimmunoprecipitation. Following TxA binding, the TxA-gp96 complex was translocated from the cell membrane to the cytoplasm. Pretreatment with gp96 antibody decreased TxA binding to colonocytes and inhibited TxA-induced cell rounding. Small interfering RNA directed against gp96 reduced gp96 expression and cytotoxicity in colonocytes. TxA-induced inflammatory signaling via p38 and apoptosis as measured by activation of BAK (Bcl-2 homologous antagonist/killer) and DNA fragmentation were decreased in gp96-deficient B cells. We conclude that human colonocyte gp96 serves as a plasma membrane binding protein that enhances cellular entry of TxA, participates in cellular signaling events in the inflammatory cascade, and facilitates cytotoxicity.

Role of the C-terminal region of dextransucrase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides IBT-PQ in cell anchoring

dsrP, a gene that encodes a cell-associated dextransucrase produced by Leuconostoc mesenteroides IBT-PQ, was isolated, sequenced and expressed in Escherichia coli. From sequence analysis, seven repeat units in the N-terminal region were found, as well as five cell wall binding repeats in the C-terminal region. A model of the C-terminal domain of dextransucrase was built based on the solenoid structure of the cell wall binding domain already described in LytA. By experiments involving direct interactions of the enzyme with L. mesenteroides cells, as well as among the cells and the single C-terminal domain expressed in E. coli, evidence was obtained concerning the anchoring function of this region in cell-associated dextransucrase, a function which may be independent of its capacity to bind dextran.

C-terminal repeats of Clostridium difficile toxin A induce production of chemokine and adhesion molecules in endothelial cells and promote migration of leukocytes

The C-terminal repeating sequences of Clostridium difficile toxin A (designated ARU) are homologous to the carbohydrate-binding domain of streptococcal glucosyltransferases (GTFs) that were recently identified as potent modulins. To test the hypothesis that ARU might exert a similar biological activity on endothelial cells, recombinant ARU (rARU), which was noncytotoxic to cell cultures, was analyzed using human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The rARU could bind directly to endothelial cells in a serum- and calcium-dependent manner and induce the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 in a dose-dependent manner. An oligosaccharide binding assay indicated that rARU, but not GTFC, binds preferentially to Lewis antigens and 3'HSO3-containing oligosaccharides. Binding of rARU to human endothelial or intestinal cells correlated directly with the expression of Lewis Y antigen. Bound rARU directly activated mitogen-activated protein kinases and the NF-kappaB signaling pathway in endothelial cells to release biologically active chemokines and adhesion molecules that promoted migration in a transwell assay and the adherence of polymorphonuclear and mononuclear cells to the endothelial cells. These results suggest that ARU may bind to multiple carbohydrate motifs to exert its biological activity on human endothelial cells.

Auto-catalytic cleavage of Clostridium difficile toxins A and B depends on cysteine protease activity

The action of Clostridium difficile toxins A and B depends on processing and translocation of the catalytic glucosyltransferase domain into the cytosol of target cells where Rho GTPases are modified. Here we studied the processing of the toxins. Dithiothreitol and beta-mercaptoethanol induced auto-cleavage of purified native toxin A and toxin B into approximately 250/210- and approximately 63-kDa fragments. The 63-kDa fragment was identified by mass spectrometric analysis as the N-terminal glucosyltransferase domain. This cleavage was blocked by N-ethylmaleimide or iodoacetamide. Exchange of cysteine 698, histidine 653, or aspartate 587 of toxin B prevented cleavage of full-length recombinant toxin B and of an N-terminal fragment covering residues 1-955 and inhibited cytotoxicity of full-length toxin B. Dithiothreitol synergistically increased the effect of myo-inositol hexakisphosphate, which has been reported to facilitate auto-cleavage of toxin B (Reineke, J., Tenzer, S., Rupnik, M., Koschinski, A., Hasselmayer, O., Schrattenholz, A., Schild, H., and Von Eichel-Streiber, C. (2007) Nature 446, 415-419). N-Ethylmaleimide blocked auto-cleavage induced by the addition of myo-inositol hexakisphosphate, suggesting that cysteine residues are essential for the processing of clostridial glucosylating toxins. Our data indicate that clostridial glucosylating cytotoxins possess an inherent cysteine protease activity related to the cysteine protease of Vibrio cholerae RTX toxin, which is responsible for auto-cleavage of glucosylating toxins.

A novel toxin homologous to large clostridial cytotoxins found in culture supernatant of Clostridium perfringens type C

An unknown cytotoxin was identified in the culture supernatant of Clostridium perfringens type C. The cytotoxin, named TpeL, which was purified using mAb-based affinity chromatography, had a lethal activity of 62 minimum lethal dose (MLD) mg(-1) in mice and a cytotoxic activity of 6.2x10(5) cytotoxic units (CU) mg(-1) in Vero cells. The nucleotide sequence of TpeL was determined. The entire ORF had a length of 4953 bases, and the same nucleotide sequence was not recorded in the GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ databases. The molecular mass calculated from the deduced amino acid sequence was 191 kDa, and a signal peptide region was not found within the ORF. The deduced amino acid sequence exhibited 30-39 % homology to Clostridium difficile toxins A (TcdA) and B (TcdB), Clostridium sordellii lethal toxin (TcsL) and Clostridium novyi alpha-toxin (TcnA). The amino acid sequence of TpeL is shorter than these toxins, and the homologous region was located at the N-terminal site. Eighteen strains of C. perfringens types A, B and C were surveyed for the presence of the tpeL gene by PCR. The tpeL gene was detected in all type B (one strain) and C strains (five strains), but not in any type A strains (12 strains). TpeL was detected in culture filtrates of the five type C strains by dot-blot analysis, but not in the type B strain. It was concluded that TpeL is a novel toxin similar to the known large clostridial cytotoxins. Furthermore, the data indicated that TpeL is produced by many C. perfringens type C strains.

Autocatalytic cleavage of Clostridium difficile toxin B

Clostridium difficile, the causative agent of nosocomial antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and pseudomembranous colitis, possesses two main virulence factors: the large clostridial cytotoxins A and B. It has been proposed that toxin B is cleaved by a cytosolic factor of the eukaryotic target cell during its cellular uptake. Here we report that cleavage of not only toxin B, but also all other large clostridial cytotoxins, is an autocatalytic process dependent on host cytosolic inositolphosphate cofactors. A covalent inhibitor of aspartate proteases, 1,2-epoxy-3-(p-nitrophenoxy)propane, completely blocked toxin B function on cultured cells and was used to identify its catalytically active protease site. To our knowledge this is the first report on a bacterial toxin that uses eukaryotic signals for induced autoproteolysis to deliver its toxic domain into the cytosol of target cells. On the basis of our data, we present an integrated model for the uptake and inositolphosphate-induced activation of toxin B.

Rho-glucosylating Clostridium difficile toxins A and B: new insights into structure and function

Clostridium difficile causes pseudomembranous colitis and is responsible for many cases of nosocomial antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Major virulence factors of C. difficile are the glucosylating exotoxins A and B. Both toxins enter target cells in a pH- dependent manner from endosomes by forming pores. They translocate the N-terminal catalytic domains into the cytosol of host cells and inactivate Rho guanosine triphosphatases by glucosylation. The crystal structure of the catalytic domain of toxin B was solved in a complex with uridine diphosphate, glucose, and manganese ion, exhibiting a folding of type A family glycosyltransferases. Crystallization of fragments of the C-terminus of toxin A, which is characterized by polypeptide repeats, revealed a solenoid-like structure often found in bacterial cell surface proteins. These studies, which provide new insights into structure, uptake, and function of the family of clostridial glucosylating toxins, are reviewed.

Cholesterol-dependent pore formation of Clostridium difficile toxin A

The large clostridial cytotoxins toxin A and toxin B from Clostridium difficile are major virulence factors known to cause antibiotic-associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. Both toxins mono-glucosylate and thereby inactivate small GTPases of the Rho family. Recently, it was reported that toxin B, but not toxin A, induces pore formation in membranes of target cells under acidic conditions. Here, we reassessed data on pore formation of toxin A in cells derived from human colon carcinoma. Treatment of 86Rb+-loaded cells with native or recombinant toxin A resulted in an increased efflux of radioactive cations induced by an acidic pulse. The efficacy of pore formation was dependent on membrane cholesterol, since cholesterol depletion of membranes with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin inhibited 86Rb+ efflux, and cholesterol repletion reconstituted pore-forming activity of toxin A. Similar results were obtained with toxin B. Consistently, methyl-beta-cyclodextrin treatment delayed intoxication of cells in a concentration-dependent manner. In black lipid membranes, toxin A induced ion-permeable pores only in cholesterol containing bilayers and at low pH. In contrast, release of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored structures by phosphatidylinositol specific phospholipase C treatment did not reduce cell sensitivity toward toxins A and B. These data indicate that in colonic cells toxin A induces pore formation in an acidic environment (e.g. endosomes) similar to that reported for toxin B and suggest that pore formation by clostridial glucosylating toxins depends on the presence of cholesterol.