Vibrio cholerae MARTX toxin heterologous translocation of beta-lactamase and roles of individual effector domains on cytoskeleton dynamics

The Vibrio cholerae MARTXVc toxin delivers three effector domains to eukaryotic cells. To study toxin delivery and function of individual domains, the rtxA gene was modified to encode toxin with an in-frame beta-lactamase (Bla) fusion. The hybrid RtxA::Bla toxin was Type I secreted from bacteria; and then Bla was translocated into eukaryotic cells and delivered by autoprocessing, demonstrating that the MARTXVc toxin is capable of heterologous protein transfer. Strains that produce hybrid RtxA::Bla toxins that carry one effector domain in addition to Bla were found to more efficiently translocate Bla. In cell biological assays, the actin cross-linking domain (ACD) and Rho-inactivation domain (RID) are found to cross-link actin and inactivate RhoA, respectively, when other effector domains are absent, with toxin autoprocessing required for high efficiency. The previously unstudied alpha-beta hydrolase domain (ABH) is shown here to activate CDC42, although the effect is ameliorated when RID is also present. Despite all effector domains acting on cytoskeleton assembly, the ACD was sufficient to rapidly inhibit macrophage phagocytosis. Both the ACD and RID independently disrupted polarized epithelial tight junction integrity. The sufficiency of ACD but strong selection for retention of RID and ABH suggests these two domains may primarily function by modulating cell signaling.

Autocatalytic processing of Clostridium difficile toxin B. Binding of inositol hexakisphosphate

Clostridium difficile toxins A and B are major virulence factors responsible for induction of pseudomembranous colitis and antibiotic-associated diarrhea in men. The toxins possess a multidomain structure and only the N-terminal glucosyltransferase domain, which inactivates Rho GTPases by glucosylation, is translocated into the cytosol of target cells. Processing of the toxin occurs by autocatalytic cleavage and is activated by inositol hexakisphosphate (InsP6). Here we studied the inherent protease activity in fragments of toxin B and determined the site of toxin B that interacts with InsP6. We report that a fragment of toxin B, comprised of residues 1-955, is cleaved in the presence of InsP6. In contrast, mutants of the catalytic triad of the putative cysteine protease domain did not cleave this fragment. [3H]InsP6 bound to holotoxin B and to the fragment 1-955, but not to a fragment comprising residues 900-2366 or the glucosyltransferase domain (residues 1-544). Binding to the putative cysteine protease domain (residues 544-955) was also observed. InsP6-binding was specific and saturable. Isothermal titration calorimetry revealed a Kd value of 2.4 microm for binding of InsP6 to toxin fragment 544-955 with a stoichiometry factor of 0.86. Lysine 600 of toxin B was identified as essential amino acid for InsP6 binding and for InsP6-dependent activation of the protease activity.

Processing of Clostridium difficile toxins

The pathogenicity ofClostridium difficiledepends on the large clostridial glucosylating toxins A and B (TcdA and TcdB). The proteins accomplish their own uptake by a modular structure comprising a catalytic and a binding/translocation domain. Based on a proteolytic processing step solely the catalytic domain reaches the cytosol. Within the cells, the glucosyltransferases inactivate small GTPases by mono-O-glucosylation. Here, a short overview is given regarding latest insights into the intramolecular processing, which is mediated by an intrinsic protease activity.

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.