0000000001203522
AUTHOR
Cesare Montecucco
The Vibrio choleare haemolysin anion channel is required for cell vacuolation and death
SummarySeveral strains of Vibrio cholerae secrete ahaemolytic toxin of 63kDa, termed V. cholerae cytolysin (VCC). This toxin causes extensive vacuo-lation and death of cells in culture and forms ananion-selective channel in planar lipid bilayers and incells. Here, we identify inhibitors of the VCC anionchannel and show that the formation of the anionchannel is necessary for the development of the vacuoles and for the cell death induced by this toxin. Using markers of cell organelles, we show that vacuoles derive from different intracellular com-partments and we identify the contribution of lateendosomes and of the trans -Golgi network in vacuolebiogenesis.Introduction The Gram-negative bact…
Repair of a Bacterial Small β-Barrel Toxin Pore Depends on Channel Width
ABSTRACT Membrane repair emerges as an innate defense protecting target cells against bacterial pore-forming toxins. Here, we report the first paradigm of Ca2+-dependent repair following attack by a small β-pore-forming toxin, namely, plasmid-encoded phobalysin of Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae. In striking contrast, Vibrio cholerae cytolysin, the closest ortholog of phobalysin, subverted repair. Mutational analysis uncovered a role of channel width in toxicity and repair. Thus, the replacement of serine at phobalysin´s presumed channel narrow point with the bulkier tryptophan, the corresponding residue in Vibrio cholerae cytolysin (W318), modulated Ca2+ influx, lysosomal exocytosi…