Divalent cation involvement in the action of Clostridium perfringens type A enterotoxin. Early events in enterotoxin action are divalent cation-independent

Clostridium perfringens type A enterotoxin (CPE) is a membrane-active cytotoxin. There are a number of recognized early steps in CPE cytotoxicity including binding of CPE to a protein receptor, insertion of CPE into membranes, and CPE-mediated induction of changes in membrane permeability for small molecules such as ions and amino acids. Further support for the existence of these early steps and further characterization of these events are presented in this report. We now report that these early steps in CPE action are largely independent of extracellular divalent cations. It is also shown that 3H-nucleotide release, known to be a later CPE effect, is Ca2+-dependent. A model for CPE cytotoxicity is suggested involving CPE action as a two-step process with Ca2+-independent early steps and Ca2+-dependent late steps.     

Molecular cloning of the 3'' half of the Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin gene and demonstration that this region encodes receptor-binding activity.

Clostridium perfringens type A enterotoxin (CPE) causes the symptoms associated with C. perfringens food poisoning. To determine whether the C-terminal half of CPE contains receptor-binding activity, the 3' half of the cpe structural gene was cloned with an Escherichia coli expression vector system. E. coli lysates containing the expressed C-terminal CPE fragment (CPEfrag) were then assayed for CPE-like serologic, receptor-binding, and cytotoxic activities. CPEfrag was shown to contain an epitope located at or near the receptor-binding domain of the CPE molecule. Competitive-binding studies showed specific competition for CPE receptors between CPE and CPEfrag lysates. CPEfrag lysates did not cause cytotoxicity in Vero (African green monkey kidney) cells. However, preincubation with CPEfrag lysates specifically protected Vero cells from subsequent CPE challenge. This indicates that CPEfrag recognizes the physiologic receptor which mediates CPE cytotoxicity. Collectively, these studies indicate that the C-terminal half of CPE contains a receptor-binding domain but additional amino acid sequences appear to be required for CPE cytotoxicity.     

Reversible adsorption and nonreversible insertion of Escherichia coli alpha-hemolysin into lipid bilayers.

Alpha-Hemolysin is an extracellular protein toxin (107 kDa) produced by some pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli. Although stable in aqueous medium, it can bind to lipid bilayers and produce membrane disruption in model and cell membranes. Previous studies had shown that toxin binding to the bilayer did not always lead to membrane lysis. In this paper, we find that alpha-hemolysin may bind the membranes in at least two ways, a reversible adsorption and an irreversible insertion. Reversibility is detected by the ability of liposome-bound toxin to induce hemolysis of added horse erythrocytes; insertion is accompanied by an increase in the protein intrinsic fluorescence. Toxin insertion does not necessarily lead to membrane lysis. Studies of alpha-hemolysin insertion into bilayers formed from a variety of single phospholipids, or binary mixtures of phospholipids, or of phospholipid and cholesterol, reveal that irreversible insertion is favored by fluid over gel states, by low over high cholesterol concentrations, by disordered liquid phases over gel or ordered liquid phases, and by gel over ordered liquid phases. These results are relevant to the mechanism of action of alpha-hemolysin and provide new insights into the membrane insertion of large proteins.     

Activation and membrane binding of carboxypeptidase E

Carboxypeptidase E (CPE) is a carboxypeptidase B-like enzyme that is thought to be involved in the processing of peptide hormones and neurotransmitters. Soluble and membrane-associated forms of CPE have been observed in purified secretory granules from various hormone-producing tissues. In this report, the influence of membrane association on CPE activity has been examined. A substantial amount of the membrane-associated CPE activity is solubilized upon extraction of bovine pituitary membranes with either 100 mM sodium acetate buffer (pH 5.6) containing 0.5% Triton X-100 and 1 M NaCl, or by extraction with high pH buffers (pH greater than 8). These treatments also lead to a two- to threefold increase in CPE activity. CPE extracted from membranes with either NaCl/Triton X-100 or high pH buffers hydrolyzes the dansyl-Phe-Ala-Arg substrate with a lower Km than the membrane-associated CPE. The Vmax of CPE present in extracts and membrane fractions after the NaCl/Triton X-100 treatment is twofold higher than in untreated membranes. Treatment of membranes with high pH buffers does not affect the Vmax of CPE in the soluble and particulate fractions. Pretreatment of membranes with bromoacetyl-D-arginine, an active site-directed irreversible inhibitor of CPE, blocks the activation by NaCl/Triton X-100 treatment. Thus the increase in CPE activity upon extraction from membranes is probably not because of the conversion of an inactive form to an active one, but is the result of changes in the conformation of the enzyme that effect the catalytic activity.     

New insights into the cytotoxic mechanisms of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin

Clostridium perfringens type A isolates producing the 35 kDa enterotoxin (CPE) are an important cause of food poisoning, human non-foodborne gastrointestinal (GI) disease, and some veterinary GI diseases. Studies using CPE knock-out mutants confirmed the importance of enterotoxin expression for the enteric virulence of CPE-positive type A isolates. CPE action involves formation of a series of complexes in mammalian plasma membranes. One such CPE-containing complex (of approximately 155 kDa) is important for the induction of plasma membrane permeability alterations, which are responsible for killing enterotoxin-treated mammalian cells. Those membrane permeability changes damage the epithelium, allowing the enterotoxin to interact with the tight junction (TJ) protein occludin. CPE:occludin interactions result in formation of an approximately 200 kDa CPE complex and internalization of occludin into the cytoplasm. That removal of occludin (and possibly other proteins) damages TJs and disrupts the normal paracellular permeability barrier of the intestinal epithelium, which may contribute to CPE-induced diarrhea. Recent studies demonstrated that low CPE doses kill mammalian cells by inducing a classic apoptotic pathway involving mitochondrial membrane depolarization, cytochrome C release, and caspase 3/7 activation. In contrast, high enterotoxin doses induce oncosis, a proinflammatory event. Thus, inflammation may also contribute to the GI symptoms of patients whose intestines contain high CPE levels. In summary, CPE is a unique, multifunctional toxin with cytotoxic, TJ-damaging, and (probably) proinflammatory activities.     

Localization of the receptor-binding region of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin utilizing cloned toxin fragments and synthetic peptides. The 30 C-terminal amino acids define a functional binding region.

In this study a short sequence encoding the receptor-binding activity of the much larger 35-kDa enterotoxin elaborated by Clostridium perfringens was localized by recombinant DNA techniques. Defined fragments corresponding to portions of the enterotoxin gene were cloned into an Escherichia coli expression vector system, and these lysates were analyzed for their ability to compete for binding with native C. perfringens enterotoxin (CPE). The lysate containing CPE290-319 (CPE sequence encompassing residues 290-319) was shown to compete with 125I-CPE for specific binding sites on rabbit intestinal brush border membranes. To confirm this finding, a peptide corresponding to the CPE amino acid sequence 290-319 was synthesized and found to completely block CPE specific binding. To demonstrate directly that CPE290-319 can act as a competitive antagonist of CPE cytotoxicity for physiologic receptors, Vero cells were preincubated with either E. coli lysates containing CPE290-319 or the synthetic peptide corresponding to this sequence. Preincubation of Vero cells with either the lysate or the peptide completely protected these cells from CPE challenge. This information localizes the C-terminal 30 residues of CPE (CPE290-319) as a linear sequence sufficient for recognition and binding to the eukaryotic CPE receptor.     

pH-Dependent membrane interactions of diphtheria toxin: A genetic approach

A genetic approach is described for exploring the mechanism by which diphtheria toxin undergoes pH-dependent membrane insertion and transfer of its enzymic A fragment into the cytoplasm of mammalian cells. The cloned toxin expressed inEscherichia coli is secreted to the periplasmic space, where it is processed normally and folds into a native structure. When bacteria synthesizing the toxin are exposed to pH 5, they die rapidly. The toxin undergoes a conformational change that is believed to allow it to be inserted into the bacterial inner membrane and form channels, which proves lethal for the cell. The membrane insertion event mimics the process by which the toxin inserts into the endosomal membrane of mammalian cells, leading to release of the enzymic A fragment into the cytoplasm. The observation of pH-dependent bacterial lethality provides the basis for a positive genetic selection method for mutant forms of the toxin that are altered in ability to undergo membrane insertion or pore formation.     

Differential interaction of equinatoxin II with model membranes in response to lipid composition

Equinatoxin II is a 179-amino-acid pore-forming protein isolated from the venom of the sea anemone Actinia equina. Large unilamellar vesicles and lipid monolayers of different lipid compositions have been used to study its interaction with membranes. The critical pressure for insertion is the same in monolayers made of phosphatidylcholine or sphingomyelin (approximately 26 mN m(-1)) and explains why the permeabilization of large unilamellar vesicles by equinatoxin II with these lipid compositions is null or moderate. In phosphatidylcholine-sphingomyelin (1:1) monolayers, the critical pressure is higher (approximately 33 mN m(-1)), thus permitting the insertion of equinatoxin II in large unilamellar vesicles, a process that is accompanied by major conformational changes. In the presence of vesicles made of phosphatidylcholine, a fraction of the protein molecules remains associated with the membranes. This interaction is fully reversible, does not involve major conformational changes, and is governed by the high affinity for membrane interfaces of the protein region comprising amino acids 101-120. We conclude that although the presence of sphingomyelin within the membrane creates conditions for irreversible insertion and pore formation, this lipid is not essential for the initial partitioning event, and its role as a specific receptor for the toxin is not so clear-cut.     

Posttranslational Processing of Carboxypeptidase E, a Neuropeptide-Processing Enzyme, in AtT-20 Cells and Bovine Pituitary Secretory Granules

Abstract: Carboxypeptidase E (CPE) functions in the posttranslational processing of peptide hormones and neurotransmitters. Like other peptide processing enzymes, CPE is present in secretory granules in soluble and membrane-associated forms that arise from posttranslational processing of a single precursor, “proCPE.” To identify the intracellular site of proCPE processing, the biosynthesis and posttranslational processing were investigated in the mouse anterior pituitary-derived cell line, AtT-20. Following a 15-min pulse with [³⁵S]Met, both soluble and membrane-bound forms of CPE were identified, indicating that the posttranslational processing event that generates these forms of CPE occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum or early Golgi apparatus. The relative proportion of soluble and membrane-bound forms of CPE changed when cells were chased for 2 h at 37°C but was unaffected when cells were chased at either 20 or 15°C, suggesting that further processing of membrane forms to the soluble form occurs in a post-Golgi compartment. Treatment of the cells with chloroquine did not alter the relative distribution of soluble and membrane forms, suggesting that an acidic compartment is not required for this processing event. Overexpression of CPE did not influence the distribution of soluble and membrane forms of CPE, indicating that the CPE-processing enzymes are not rate-limiting. To examine directly CPE-processing enzymes, bovine anterior pituitary secretory vesicles were isolated. An enzyme activity that releases the membrane-bound form of CPE was detected in the purified secretory vesicle membranes. This enzyme, which removes the C-terminal region of CPE, is partially inhibited by EDTA and phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and is activated by CaCI₂. Together, the data indicate that posttranslational processing of CPE occurs in secretory granules and that this activity may be mediated by a prohormone convertase-like enzyme.     

Brominated phospholipids as a tool for monitoring the membrane insertion of colicin A.

The intrinsic fluorescence of the colicin A thermolytic fragment does not change after insertion into normal phospholipid vesicles and is thus an unsuitable probe for monitoring the membrane insertion process. In this paper, we report the results of studies on the quenching of this fluorescence by brominated dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol (Br-DOPG) vesicles. Bromine atoms located at the midpoint of the phospholipid acyl chain quench the tryptophan fluorescence, indicating contact between fluorophores of the protein and the bilayer's hydrophobic core. Addition of Br-DOPG vesicles to a protein solution quenches the tryptophan fluorescence in a time-dependent manner. This quenching can be fitted to a single-exponential function, and thus interpreted as a one-step process. This allows calculation of an apparent rate constant of protein insertion into the membrane. Parameters known to affect the insertion of the thermolytic fragment into phospholipid monolayers or vesicles (pH and negative charge density) also affect the rate constant in comparable ways. In addition to the information gained concerning membrane exposure in the steady state, this approach provides the first real-time method for measuring the insertion of colicin into membranes. It is highly quantitative and can be used on all versions of the protein, e.g., full size, proteolytic fragments, and mutants. Brominated lipids provide experimental conditions identical to normal lipids and allow for great flexibility in protein/lipid ratios and concentrations. The kinetic analysis shows clearly the existence of a two-step process involving a rapid adsorption of the protein to the lipid surface followed by a slow insertion.     

Deep penetration of a portion of Escherichia coli SecA protein into model membranes is promoted by anionic phospholipids and by partial unfolding.

SecA protein, a principal component of the protein export machinery of Escherichia coli, is found both in the cytoplasm and inner membrane of cells. Previous in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that the interaction of SecA with the inner membrane requires the presence of physiological levels of anionic (acidic) phospholipids. In this report the degree of SecA insertion into model membranes and the conformational changes associated with this event have been examined. The extent of association of SecA with model membranes was determined by photolabeling with a hydrophobic reagent, and the depth of insertion of the protein into the phospholipid bilayer was determined by the amount of quenching of SecA fluorescence by both brominated and spin-labeled phospholipids. These methods demonstrated that SecA penetrates deep within the acyl chain region of the phospholipid bilayer. It was also found that SecA penetration into vesicles was associated with a major conformational change in the protein. This change can be induced by higher temperatures and involves a partial unfolding event as judged by differential scanning calorimetry, SecA fluorescence and increased sensitivity to proteolysis. These properties suggest the induction of a molten-globule-like conformation in a portion of the SecA polypeptide. This change was also induced at lower temperatures by the presence of membranes containing a physiological amount of the anionic phospholipid, phosphatidylglycerol. The partial unfolding and concomitant deep insertion of SecA into membranes may aid in the insertion of precursor proteins into the inner membrane and may influence possible interactions between SecA and the integral membrane export machinery components.     

不同寡聚形式的Aβ42与细胞膜作用显示毒性差异

β-淀粉样蛋白（β-amyloid peptide, Aβ）与神经细胞膜的相互作用是阿尔茨海默症（Alzheimer’s disease, AD）发病的重要事件,但不同寡聚形式的Aβ与细胞膜相互作用的差异仍缺乏直接比较。本文通过膜天平、透射电子显微镜、Thioflavin T(ThT)和细胞毒性实验等方法,检测Aβ42单体、ADDL、原纤维等形式的β-淀粉样蛋白与磷脂膜的作用方式,分析不同形式淀粉样蛋白对细胞的毒性作用。结果显示,（1）单层膜的实验数据可以判断Aβ42单体和寡聚体插膜能力存在差异,Aβ42单体能插入磷脂单层膜内,而Aβ42 ADDL不具备插膜能力;（2）透射电镜和ThT荧光检测,定性定量地分析出不同聚集形式的Aβ42具有不同的纤维化能力,Aβ42单体纤维化能力最强,而Aβ42原纤维的纤维化能力次之,Aβ42ADDL很难形成纤维;（3）Aβ42单体细胞毒性较弱,而Aβ42 ADDL和原纤维的细胞毒性较强。由以上结果可以得出结论：在磷脂膜存在的条件下,Aβ42单体可以插入膜内并迅速形成无毒性的Aβ42纤维,因此,细胞毒性较弱。而ADDL及原纤维不能插入膜内,纤维化能力较弱,从而以寡聚体的形式发挥细胞毒性。将单体、ADDL及原纤维形式的Aβ42与细胞膜相互作用进行分析,将为Aβ42在AD中的毒性机制研究提供一定的参考。但各种寡聚体入胞的方式及毒性机制仍需要进一步研究。     

Surrogate receptor-mediated cellular cytotoxicity. A method for "custom designing" killer cells of desired target specificity

Palmitate-derivatized antibody molecules can function as surrogate receptors when incorporated into the plasma membranes of nylon wool non-adherent spleen cells. Surrogate receptor molecules are attached to the membranes by insertion of the palmitate hydrocarbon chains into the phospholipid bilayer. This mode of attachment precludes interactions between surrogate receptors and intracellular and intramembranous structures. Despite these limitations, surrogate receptors consisting of either palmitate-derivatized intact antibody molecules or their corresponding F(ab')2 fragments specific for Ag on syngeneic B lymphocytes or hapten-modified EL-4 lymphoma cells can direct cell-mediated cytotoxic activity against the appropriate target. Treatment of the surrogate receptor-decorated effector cell populations with anti-asialo GM1 plus C eliminated the observed target cell lysis, suggesting a role for NK cells in this cytolytic process. The efficiency of this surrogate receptor-mediated cellular cytotoxicity parallels that of natural receptor-mediated target cell lysis and is not limited by inherent resistance of a target cell to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Application of this technology to study the requirements for productive lytic interactions between effector and target cells may provide valuable insights into the mechanism of cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Furthermore, these results provide the rationale for future studies designed to evaluate the ability of surrogate receptors to focus cytotoxic cell activity onto a specified target in situ, in an attempted elimination of diseased cells.     

In vitro synthesis and oligomerization of the mechanosensitive channel of large conductance, MscL, into a functional ion channel

Elucidation of high-resolution structures of integral membrane proteins is drastically lagging behind that of cytoplasmic proteins. In vitro synthesis and insertion of membrane proteins into synthetic membranes could circumvent bottlenecks associated with the overexpression of membrane proteins, producing sufficient membrane-inserted, correctly folded protein for structural studies. Using the mechanosensitive channel of large conductance, MscL, as a model protein we show that in vitro synthesized MscL inserts into YidC-containing proteoliposomes and oligomerizes to form a homopentamer. Using planar membrane bilayers, we show that MscL forms functional ion channels capable of ion transport. These data demonstrate that membrane insertion of MscL is YidC mediated, whereas subsequent oligomerization into a functional homopentamer is a spontaneous event.     

Single mutation in the A domain of diphtheria toxin results in a protein with altered membrane insertion behavior

The insertion of the A domain of diphtheria toxin into model membranes has been shown to be both pH- and temperature-dependent (Hu and Holmes (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 12226-12233). In this report, the insertion behavior of two mutant proteins of diphtheria toxin, CRM197 and CRM9, was studied and compared to that of wild-type toxin. Results indicated that both CRM197 and CRM9 resembled toxin with respect to the pH-dependence of binding to negatively-charged liposomes at room temperature. However, CRM197 differed from toxin with respect to both the pH- and temperature-dependence of fragment A insertion; fragment A197 inserts more readily into the bilayer at 0 degrees C and low pH or at neutral pH and room temperature than does wild type fragment A under these same conditions. This result indicates that the single amino acid substitution in the A domain of CRM197 facilitates entry of fragment A197 into the membrane, suggesting that CRM197 may be conformationally distinct from native toxin. In fact, the fluorescence spectra of CRM197 and wild-type toxin as well as their respective tryptic peptide patterns indicate that, at pH 7, CRM197 more closely resembles the acid form of wild-type toxin than the native form of toxin. These data suggest that CRM197 may be naturally in a more 'insertion-competent' conformation. In contrast, the mutation in the B domain of CRM9 which results in a 1000-fold decrease in binding affinity for plasma membrane receptors apparently does not cause a change in either the insertion of fragment A9 or the lipid-binding properties of CRM9 relative to toxin.     

Characterization of diphtheria toxin-induced lesions in liposomal membranes. An evaluation of the relationship between toxin insertion and "channel" formation

Diphtheria toxin interaction with membranes has been studied by following the release of a fluorescent dye (calcein) encapsulated within large unilamellar vesicles. Results showed that diphtheria toxin induced temperature- as well as pH-dependent permeability changes in these model membranes. Interestingly, insertion of the "channel-forming" B domain was not sufficient for calcein release, since dye release from vesicles composed of dimyristoyllecithin:cholesterol:dicetylphosphate 4:3:0.8) was completely inhibited at low temperatures which permitted B insertion. Rather, the temperature dependence of calcein release from and A domain insertion into dimyristoyllecithin:cholesterol:dicetyl phosphate vesicles suggest some relationship between "channel formation" and fragment A translocation across membranes. However, the nature of the toxin channel is called into question by our observations that channel size, in addition to activity, was pH-dependent. On the basis of these experiments, it is proposed that the toxin "channel" is the result of localized perturbations in the lipid bilayer at the interface between lipids and inserted toxin molecules that are sufficiently large in fluid membranes at low pH to allow the translocation of fragment A across the bilayer.     

Study of interactions between polymer nanoparticles and cell membranes at atomistic levels

Knowledge of how the structure of nanoparticles and the interactions with biological cell membranes is important not only for understanding nanotoxicological effects on human, animal health and the environment, but also for better understanding of nanoparticle fabrication for biomedical applications. In this work, we use molecular modelling techniques, namely molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, to explore how polymer nanoparticles interact with 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) lipid cell membranes. Two different polymers have been considered: 100 monomer units of polyethylene (approx. 2.83 kDa) and polystyrene (approx. 10.4 kDa), both of which have wide industrial applications. We found that, despite the polar lipid head groups acting as an effective barrier to prevent the nanoparticles from interacting with the membrane surface, irreversible adhesion can be initiated by insertion of dangling chain ends from the polymer into the hydrophobic interior of the membrane. In addition, alignment of chain segments from the polymers with that of hydrocarbon chains in the interior of the membrane facilitates the complete immersion of the nanoparticles into the cell membrane. These findings highlight the importance of the surface and the topological structures of the polymer particles that dictate the absorption behaviour into the membrane and, subsequently, induce the possible translocation into the cell.     

Lipid raft association of carboxypeptidase E is necessary for its function as a regulated secretory pathway sorting receptor

Membrane carboxypeptidase E (CPE) is a sorting receptor for targeting prohormones, such as pro-opiomelanocortin, to the regulated secretory pathway in endocrine cells. Its membrane association is necessary for it to bind a prohormone sorting signal at the trans-Golgi network (TGN) to facilitate targeting. In this study, we examined the lipid interaction of CPE in bovine pituitary secretory granule membranes, which are derived from the TGN. We show that CPE is associated with detergent-resistant lipid domains, or rafts, within secretory granule membranes. Lipid analysis revealed that these rafts are enriched in glycosphingolipids and cholesterol. Pulse-chase and subcellular fractionation experiments in AtT-20 cells show that the association of CPE with membrane rafts occurred only after it reached the Golgi. Cholesterol depletion resulted in dissociation of CPE from secretory granule membranes and decreased the binding of prohormones to membranes. In vivo cholesterol depletion using lovastatin resulted in the lack of sorting of CPE and its cargo to the regulated secretory pathway. We propose that the sorting receptor function of CPE necessitates its interaction with glycosphingolipid-cholesterol rafts at the TGN, thereby anchoring it in position to bind to its prohormone cargo.