scholarly journals Anthrax lethal factor-cleavage products of MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) kinases exhibit reduced binding to their cognate MAPKs

2004 ◽  
Vol 378 (2) ◽  
pp. 569-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Jane BARDWELL ◽  
Mahsa ABDOLLAHI ◽  
Lee BARDWELL
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Protective Antigen ◽  
Signal Transmission ◽  
Lethal Factor ◽  
Lethal Toxin ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Cell Surface Receptor ◽  
Common Mechanism ◽  
Anthrax Lethal Toxin ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein

Anthrax lethal toxin is the major cause of death in systemic anthrax. Lethal toxin consists of two proteins: protective antigen and LF (lethal factor). Protective antigen binds to a cell-surface receptor and transports LF into the cytosol. LF is a metalloprotease that targets MKKs [MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) kinases]/MEKs [MAPK/ERK (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase) kinases], cleaving them to remove a small N-terminal stretch but leaving the bulk of the protein, including the protein kinase domain, intact. LF-mediated cleavage of MEK1 and MKK6 has been shown to inhibit signalling through their cognate MAPK pathways. However, the precise mechanism by which this proteolytic cleavage inhibits signal transmission has been unclear. Here we show that the C-terminal LF-cleavage products of MEK1, MEK2, MKK3, MKK4, MKK6 and MKK7 are impaired in their ability to bind to their MAPK substrates, suggesting a common mechanism for the LF-induced inhibition of signalling.

scholarly journals Inactivation of Rho GTPases by Statins Attenuates Anthrax Lethal Toxin Activity

2008 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 348-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aimee M. deCathelineau ◽  
Gary M. Bokoch
Keyword(s):  
Rho Gtpases ◽  
Rho Gtpase ◽  
Protective Antigen ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Lethal Factor ◽  
Lethal Toxin ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Gtpase Activity ◽  
Anthrax Lethal Toxin ◽  
Reductase Inhibitors

ABSTRACT Anthrax lethal factor (LF), secreted by Bacillus anthracis, interacts with protective antigen to form a bipartite toxin (lethal toxin [LT]) that exerts pleiotropic biological effects resulting in subversion of the innate immune response. Although the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases (MKKs) are the major intracellular protein targets of LF, the pathology induced by LT is not well understood. The statin family of HMG-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors have potent anti-inflammatory effects independent of their cholesterol-lowering properties, which have been attributed to modulation of Rho family GTPase activity. The Rho GTPases regulate vesicular trafficking, cytoskeletal dynamics, and cell survival and proliferation. We hypothesized that disruption of Rho GTPase function by statins might alter LT action. We show here that statins delay LT-induced death and MKK cleavage in RAW macrophages and that statin-mediated effects on LT action are attributable to disruption of Rho GTPases. The Rho GTPase-inactivating toxin, toxin B, did not significantly affect LT binding or internalization, suggesting that the Rho GTPases regulate trafficking and/or localization of LT once internalized. The use of drugs capable of inhibiting Rho GTPase activity, such as statins, may provide a means to attenuate intoxication during B. anthracis infection.

scholarly journals Identification of Amino Acid Residues of Anthrax Protective Antigen Involved in Binding with Lethal Factor

2002 ◽  
Vol 70 (8) ◽  
pp. 4477-4484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vibha Chauhan ◽  
Rakesh Bhatnagar
Keyword(s):  
Cell Surface ◽  
Protective Antigen ◽  
Lethal Factor ◽  
Lethal Toxin ◽  
Cell Surface Receptor ◽  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
Anthrax Lethal Toxin ◽  
Mutant Proteins ◽  
Surface Receptors ◽  
Surface Receptor

ABSTRACT Protective antigen (PA) and lethal factor (LF) are the two components of anthrax lethal toxin. PA is responsible for the translocation of LF to the cytosol. The binding of LF to cell surface receptor-bound PA is a prerequisite for the formation of lethal toxin. It has been hypothesized that hydrophobic residues P184, L187, F202, L203, P205, I207, I210, W226, and F236 of domain 1b of PA play an important role in the binding of PA to LF. These residues are normally buried in the 83-kDA version of PA, PA83, as determined by the crystal structure of PA. However, they become exposed due to the conformational change brought about by the cleavage of PA83 to PA63 by a cell surface protease. Mutation of the above-mentioned residues to alanine resulted in mutant proteins that were able to bind to the cell surface receptors and also to be specifically cleaved by the cellular proteases. All the mutant proteins except the F202A, L203A, P205A, and I207A mutants were able to bind to LF and were also toxic to macrophage cells in combination with LF. It was concluded that residues 202, 203, 205, and 207 of PA are essential for the binding of LF to PA.

Manipulation of host signalling pathways by anthrax toxins

2007 ◽  
Vol 402 (3) ◽  
pp. 405-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin E. Turk
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Protective Antigen ◽  
Lethal Factor ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Signalling Pathways ◽  
Common Strategy ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein

Infectious microbes face an unwelcoming environment in their mammalian hosts, which have evolved elaborate multicelluar systems for recognition and elimination of invading pathogens. A common strategy used by pathogenic bacteria to establish infection is to secrete protein factors that block intracellular signalling pathways essential for host defence. Some of these proteins also act as toxins, directly causing pathology associated with disease. Bacillus anthracis, the bacterium that causes anthrax, secretes two plasmid-encoded enzymes, LF (lethal factor) and EF (oedema factor), that are delivered into host cells by a third bacterial protein, PA (protective antigen). The two toxins act on a variety of cell types, disabling the immune system and inevitably killing the host. LF is an extraordinarily selective metalloproteinase that site-specifically cleaves MKKs (mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases). Cleavage of MKKs by LF prevents them from activating their downstream MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) substrates by disrupting a critical docking interaction. Blockade of MAPK signalling functionally impairs cells of both the innate and adaptive immune systems and induces cell death in macrophages. EF is an adenylate cyclase that is activated by calmodulin through a non-canonical mechanism. EF causes sustained and potent activation of host cAMP-dependent signalling pathways, which disables phagocytes. Here I review recent progress in elucidating the mechanisms by which LF and EF influence host signalling and thereby contribute to disease.

scholarly journals Antiplatelet Activities of Anthrax Lethal Toxin Are Associated with Suppressed p42/44 and p38 Mitogen‐Activated Protein Kinase Pathways in the Platelets

2005 ◽  
Vol 192 (8) ◽  
pp. 1465-1474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jyh‐Hwa Kau ◽  
Der‐Shan Sun ◽  
Wei‐Jern Tsai ◽  
Huey‐Fen Shyu ◽  
Hsin‐Hsien Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Lethal Toxin ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Anthrax Lethal Toxin ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein

scholarly journals Proteasome Activity Is Required for Anthrax Lethal Toxin To Kill Macrophages

1999 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
pp. 3055-3060 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangqing Tang ◽  
Stephen H. Leppla
Keyword(s):  
Protective Antigen ◽  
Lethal Factor ◽  
Proteasome Inhibitors ◽  
Lethal Toxin ◽  
Atp Depletion ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Anthrax Lethal Toxin ◽  
Early Effect ◽  
Primary Mouse

ABSTRACT Anthrax lethal toxin (LeTx), consisting of protective antigen (PA) and lethal factor (LF), rapidly kills primary mouse macrophages and macrophage-like cell lines such as RAW 264.7. LF is translocated by PA into the cytosol of target cells, where it acts as a metalloprotease to cleave mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 (MEK1) and possibly other proteins. In this study, we show that proteasome inhibitors such as acetyl-Leu-Leu-norleucinal, MG132, and lactacystin efficiently block LeTx cytotoxicity, whereas other protease inhibitors do not. The inhibitor concentrations that block LF cytotoxicity are similar to those that inhibit the proteasome-dependent IκB-α degradation induced by lipopolysaccharide. The inhibitors did not interfere with the proteolytic cleavage of MEK1 in LeTx-treated cells, indicating that they do not directly block the proteolytic activity of LF. However, the proteasome inhibitors did prevent ATP depletion, an early effect of LeTx. No overall activation of the proteasome by LeTx was detected, as shown by the cleavage of fluorogenic substrates of the proteasome. All of these results suggest that the proteasome mediates a toxic process initiated by LF in the cell cytosol. This process probably involves degradation of unidentified molecules that are essential for macrophage homeostasis. Moreover, this proteasome-dependent process is an early step in LeTx intoxication, but it is downstream of the cleavage by LF of MEK1 or other putative substrates.

scholarly journals Cisplatin Inhibition of Anthrax Lethal Toxin

2006 ◽  
Vol 50 (8) ◽  
pp. 2658-2665 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahtab Moayeri ◽  
Jason F. Wiggins ◽  
Robin E. Lindeman ◽  
Stephen H. Leppla
Keyword(s):  
Protective Antigen ◽  
Lethal Factor ◽  
Lethal Dose ◽  
Inbred Strains ◽  
Lethal Toxin ◽  
Anthrax Lethal Toxin ◽  
Biologically Relevant ◽  
Mouse Macrophages ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein

ABSTRACT Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin (LT) produces symptoms of anthrax in mice and induces rapid lysis of macrophages derived from certain inbred strains. LT is comprised of a receptor binding component, protective antigen (PA), which delivers the enzymatic component, lethal factor (LF), into cells. We found that mouse macrophages were protected from toxin by the antitumor drug cis-diammineplatinum (II) dichloride (cisplatin). Cisplatin was shown to inhibit LT-mediated cleavage of cellular mitogen-activated protein kinases (MEKs) without inhibiting LF's in vitro proteolytic activity. Cisplatin-treated PA lost 100% of its ability to function in toxicity assays when paired with untreated LF, despite maintaining the ability to bind to cells. Cisplatin-treated PA was unable to form heptameric oligomers required for LF binding and translocation. The drug was shown to modify PA in a reversible noncovalent manner. Not surprisingly, cisplatin also blocked the actions of anthrax edema toxin and of LF-Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A fusion peptide (FP59), both of which require PA for translocation. Treatment of BALB/cJ mice or Fischer F344 rats with cisplatin at biologically relevant concentrations completely protected the animals from a coadministered lethal dose of LT. However, treatment with cisplatin 2 hours before or after animals received a lethal bolus of toxin did not protect them.

scholarly journals Oxidized ATP Protection against Anthrax Lethal Toxin

2006 ◽  
Vol 74 (7) ◽  
pp. 3707-3714 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahtab Moayeri ◽  
Katherine E. Wickliffe ◽  
Jason F. Wiggins ◽  
Stephen H. Leppla
Keyword(s):  
Fluorescent Dyes ◽  
Protective Antigen ◽  
Lethal Factor ◽  
Sodium Dodecyl ◽  
Inbred Strains ◽  
Lethal Toxin ◽  
Anthrax Lethal Toxin ◽  
P2x7 Receptors ◽  
Intracellular Location ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein

ABSTRACT Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin (LT) induces rapid lysis (<90 min) of murine macrophages from certain inbred strains. The mechanism for LT-induced cytolysis is currently unknown. We hypothesized that the ATP-activated macrophage P2X7 receptors implicated in nucleotide-mediated macrophage lysis could play a role in LT-mediated cytolysis and discovered that a potent P2X7 antagonist, oxidized ATP (o-ATP), protects macrophages against LT. Other P2X7 receptor antagonists, however, had no effect on LT function, while oxidized nucleotides, o-ADP, o-GTP, and o-ITP, which did not act as receptor ligands, provided protection. Cleavage of the LT substrates, the mitogen-activated protein kinases, was inhibited by o-ATP in RAW274.6 macrophages and CHO cells. We investigated the various steps in the intoxication pathway and found that binding of the protective-antigen (PA) component of LT to cells and the enzymatic proteolytic ability of the lethal factor (LF) component of LT were unaffected by o-ATP. Instead, the drug inhibited formation of the sodium dodecyl sulfate-resistant PA oligomer, which occurs in acidified endosomes, but did not prevent cell surface PA oligomerization, as evidenced by binding and translocation of LF to a protease-resistant intracellular location. We found that o-ATP also protected cells from anthrax edema toxin and diphtheria toxin, which also require an acidic environment for escape from endosomes. Confocal microscopy using pH-sensitive fluorescent dyes showed that o-ATP increased endosomal pH. Finally, BALB/cJ mice injected with o-ATP and LT were completely protected against lethality.

scholarly journals Anthrax Lethal Toxin Induces Human Endothelial Cell Apoptosis

2004 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 430-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
James E. Kirby
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Type I Collagen ◽  
Systemic Disease ◽  
Lethal Toxin ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Vascular Pathology ◽  
Type I ◽  
Anthrax Lethal Toxin ◽  
Edema Toxin ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein

ABSTRACT Because of its ease of dispersal and high lethality, Bacillus anthracis is one of the most feared biowarfare agents. A better understanding of anthrax pathogenesis is urgently needed to develop new therapies for systemic disease that is relatively unresponsive to antibiotics. Although experimental evidence has implicated a role for macrophages in anthrax pathogenesis, clinical and pathological observations suggest that a direct insult to the host vasculature may also be important. Two bacterial toxins, lethal toxin and edema toxin, are believed to mediate the clinical sequelae of anthrax. Here, I examined whether these toxins are directly toxic to endothelial cells, the cell type that lines the interior of blood vessels. I show for the first time that lethal toxin but not edema toxin reduces the viability of cultured human endothelial cells and induces caspase-dependent endothelial apoptosis. In addition, this toxicity affects both microvascular and large vessel endothelial cells as well as endothelial cells that have differentiated into tubules within a type I collagen extracellular matrix. Finally, lethal toxin induces cleavage of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases in endothelial cells and inhibits phosphorylation of ERK, p38, and JNK p46. Based on the contributions of these pathways to endothelial survival, I propose that lethal toxin-mediated cytotoxicity/apoptosis results primarily through inhibition of the ERK pathway. I also hypothesize that the observed endothelial toxicity contributes to vascular pathology and hemorrhage during systemic anthrax.

scholarly journals Different polarisome components play distinct roles in Slt2p-regulated cortical ER inheritance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (19) ◽  
pp. 3145-3154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xia Li ◽  
Susan Ferro-Novick ◽  
Peter Novick
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Cell Wall ◽  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Protein Phosphatase ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Common Mechanism ◽  
Late Step ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Cortical Endoplasmic Reticulum

Ptc1p, a type 2C protein phosphatase, is required for a late step in cortical endoplasmic reticulum (cER) inheritance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In ptc1Δ cells, ER tubules migrate from the mother cell and contact the bud tip, yet fail to spread around the bud cortex. This defect results from the failure to inactivate a bud tip–associated pool of the cell wall integrity mitogen-activated protein kinase, Slt2p. Here we report that the polarisome complex affects cER inheritance through its effects on Slt2p, with different components playing distinct roles: Spa2p and Pea2p are required for Slt2p retention at the bud tip, whereas Bni1p, Bud6p, and Sph1p affect the level of Slt2p activation. Depolymerization of actin relieves the ptc1Δ cER inheritance defect, suggesting that in this mutant the ER becomes trapped on the cytoskeleton. Loss of Sec3p also blocks ER inheritance, and, as in ptc1Δ cells, this block is accompanied by activation of Slt2p and is reversed by depolymerization of actin. Our results point to a common mechanism for the regulation of ER inheritance in which Slt2p activity at the bud tip controls the association of the ER with the actin-based cytoskeleton.

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