Structural Analysis of Membrane-associated Forms of Helicobacter pylori VacA Toxin.

Helicobacter pylori colonizes the stomach in about half of the human population, leading to an increased risk of peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. H. pylori secretes an 88 kDa VacA toxin that contributes to pathogenesis.

Functional Properties of Oligomeric and Monomeric Forms of Helicobacter pylori VacA Toxin.

Helicobacter pylori VacA is a secreted toxin that assembles into water-soluble oligomeric structures and forms anion-selective membrane channels. Acidification of purified VacA enhances its activity in cell culture assays. Sites of protomer-protomer contact within VacA oligomers have been identified by cryoelectron microscopy, and in the current study, we validated several of these interactions by chemical cross-linking and mass spectrometry.

Delineation of the pH-Responsive Regulon Controlled by the Helicobacter pylori ArsRS Two-Component System.

encounters a wide range of pH within the human stomach. In a comparison of cultured under neutral or acidic conditions, about 15% of genes are differentially expressed, and corresponding changes are detectable for many of the encoded proteins. The ArsRS two-component system (TCS), comprised of the sensor kinase ArsS and its cognate response regulator ArsR, has an important role in mediating pH-responsive changes in gene expression.

Temporal Control of the Helicobacter pylori Cag Type IV Secretion System in a Mongolian Gerbil Model of Gastric Carcinogenesis.

The Cag type IV secretion system (T4SS) translocates the effector protein CagA and nonprotein bacterial constituents into host cells. In this study, we infected Mongolian gerbils with an strain in which expression of the operon (required for Cag T4SS activity) is controlled by a TetR/ system. Transcript levels of were significantly higher in gastric tissue from -infected animals receiving doxycycline-containing chow (to derepress Cag T4SS activity) than in tissue from infected control animals receiving drug-free chow.

Functional Properties of Helicobacter pylori VacA Toxin m1 and m2 Variants.

colonizes the gastric mucosa and secretes a pore-forming toxin (VacA). Two main types of VacA, m1 and m2, can be distinguished by phylogenetic analysis. Type m1 forms of VacA have been extensively studied, but there has been relatively little study of m2 forms.

Structure of the Cag type IV secretion system.

Bacterial type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are molecular machines that can mediate interbacterial DNA transfer through conjugation and delivery of effector molecules into host cells. The Cag T4SS translocates CagA, a bacterial oncoprotein, into gastric cells, contributing to gastric cancer pathogenesis. We report the structure of a membrane-spanning Cag T4SS assembly, which we describe as three sub-assemblies: a 14-fold symmetric outer membrane core complex (OMCC), 17-fold symmetric periplasmic ring complex (PRC), and central stalk.

Cryo-EM Analysis Reveals Structural Basis of Helicobacter pylori VacA Toxin Oligomerization.

Helicobacter pylori colonizes the human stomach and contributes to the development of gastric cancer and peptic ulcer disease. H. pylori secretes a pore-forming toxin called vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA), which contains two domains (p33 and p55) and assembles into oligomeric structures.

Intracellular Degradation of Helicobacter pylori VacA Toxin as a Determinant of Gastric Epithelial Cell Viability.

VacA is a secreted pore-forming toxin that induces cell vacuolation and contributes to the pathogenesis of gastric cancer and peptic ulcer disease. We observed that purified VacA has relatively little effect on the viability of AGS gastric epithelial cells, but the presence of exogenous weak bases such as ammonium chloride (NHCl) enhances the susceptibility of these cells to VacA-induced vacuolation and cell death. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that NHCl augments VacA toxicity by altering the intracellular trafficking of VacA or inhibiting intracellular VacA degradation.

Determinants of Raft Partitioning of the Helicobacter pylori Pore-Forming Toxin VacA.

, a Gram-negative bacterium, is a well-known risk factor for gastric cancer. vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA) is a secreted pore-forming toxin that induces a wide range of cellular responses. Like many other bacterial toxins, VacA has been hypothesized to utilize lipid rafts to gain entry into host cells.

A Nonoligomerizing Mutant Form of Helicobacter pylori VacA Allows Structural Analysis of the p33 Domain.

Helicobacter pylori secretes a pore-forming VacA toxin that has structural features and activities substantially different from those of other known bacterial toxins. VacA can assemble into multiple types of water-soluble flower-shaped oligomeric structures, and most VacA activities are dependent on its capacity to oligomerize. The 88-kDa secreted VacA protein can undergo limited proteolysis to yield two domains, designated p33 and p55.