Differential interaction of the two cholesterol-dependent, membrane-damaging toxins, streptolysin O and Vibrio cholerae cytolysin, with enantiomeric cholesterol

FEBS Lett. 2003 Oct 23;553(3):229-31. doi: 10.1016/s0014-5793(03)01023-8.

Abstract

Membrane cholesterol is essential to the activity of at least two structurally unrelated families of bacterial pore-forming toxins, represented by streptolysin O (SLO) and Vibrio cholerae cytolysin (VCC), respectively. Here, we report that SLO and VCC differ sharply in their interaction with liposome membranes containing enantiomeric cholesterol (ent-cholesterol). VCC had very low activity with ent-cholesterol, which is in line with a stereospecific mode of interaction of this toxin with cholesterol. In contrast, SLO was only slightly less active with ent-cholesterol than with cholesterol, suggesting a rather limited degree of structural specificity in the toxin-cholesterol interaction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Cell Membrane Permeability
  • Cholesterol / chemistry*
  • Cholesterol / metabolism*
  • Cytotoxins / metabolism*
  • Fluoresceins / metabolism
  • Liposomes / chemistry
  • Liposomes / metabolism
  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Protein Binding
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Stereoisomerism
  • Streptolysins / genetics
  • Streptolysins / metabolism*
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Vibrio cholerae / chemistry*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Cytotoxins
  • Fluoresceins
  • Liposomes
  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Streptolysins
  • streptolysin O
  • Cholesterol
  • fluorexon