Myricetin Preferentially Binds to Interfacial Regions in Domains 1 – 3 to Inhibit Cholesterol-Dependent Cytolysins: A Molecular Docking Study

<p>Cholesterol-dependent cytolysins (CDCs) are proteinaceous toxins secreted as monomers by some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria that contribute to their pathogenicity. These toxins bind to either cholesterol or human CD59, leading to massive structural changes, toxin oligomerization, formation of very large pores, and ultimately cell death, making these proteins promising targets for inhibition. Myricetin, and its related flavonoids, have been previously identified as a candidate small molecule inhibitor of specific CDCs such as listeriolysin O (LLO) and suilysin (SLY), interfering with their oligomerization. In this work, molecular docking was performed to assess the interaction of myricetin with other CDCs whose crystal structures are already known. Results indicated that although myricetin bound to the hitherto identified cavity in domain 4 (D4), much more efficient and stable binding was obtained in sites along the interfacial regions of domains 1 – 3 (D1 – D3). This was common among the tested CDCs, which was primarily due to much more extensive stabilizing intermolecular interactions, as indicated by post-docking analysis. Specifically, myricetin bound to (1) the interface of the three domains in anthrolysin O (ALO), perfringolysin O (PFO), pneumolysin (PLY), SLY, and vaginolysin (VLY), (2) at/near the D1/D3 interface in LLO and streptolysin O (SLO), and (3) along the D2/D3 interface in intermedilysin (ILY). These findings provide theoretical basis on the possibility of using myricetin and its related compounds as a broad-spectrum inhibitor of CDCs to potentially address the diseases associated with these pathogens.</p>

Myricetin Preferentially Binds to Interfacial Regions in Domains 1 – 3 to Inhibit Cholesterol-Dependent Cytolysins: A Molecular Docking Study

<p>Cholesterol-dependent cytolysins (CDCs) are proteinaceous toxins secreted as monomers by some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria that contribute to their pathogenicity. These toxins bind to either cholesterol or human CD59, leading to massive structural changes, toxin oligomerization, formation of very large pores, and ultimately cell death, making these proteins promising targets for inhibition. Myricetin, and its related flavonoids, have been previously identified as a candidate small molecule inhibitor of specific CDCs such as listeriolysin O (LLO) and suilysin (SLY), interfering with their oligomerization. In this work, molecular docking was performed to assess the interaction of myricetin with other CDCs whose crystal structures are already known. Results indicated that although myricetin bound to the hitherto identified cavity in domain 4 (D4), much more efficient and stable binding was obtained in sites along the interfacial regions of domains 1 – 3 (D1 – D3). This was common among the tested CDCs, which was primarily due to much more extensive stabilizing intermolecular interactions, as indicated by post-docking analysis. Specifically, myricetin bound to (1) the interface of the three domains in anthrolysin O (ALO), perfringolysin O (PFO), pneumolysin (PLY), SLY, and vaginolysin (VLY), (2) at/near the D1/D3 interface in LLO and streptolysin O (SLO), and (3) along the D2/D3 interface in intermedilysin (ILY). These findings provide theoretical basis on the possibility of using myricetin and its related compounds as a broad-spectrum inhibitor of CDCs to potentially address the diseases associated with these pathogens.</p>

Ostreolysin A and anthrolysin O use different mechanisms to control movement of cholesterol from the plasma membrane to the endoplasmic reticulum

Recent studies using two cholesterol-binding bacterial toxin proteins, perfringolysin O (PFO) and domain 4 of anthrolysin O (ALOD4), have shown that cholesterol in the plasma membranes (PMs) of animal cells resides in three distinct pools. The first pool comprises mobile cholesterol, accessible to both PFO and ALOD4, that is rapidly transported to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to signal cholesterol excess and maintain cholesterol homeostasis. The second is a sphingomyelin (SM)-sequestered pool inaccessible to PFO and ALOD4 but that becomes accessible by treatment with SM-degrading sphingomyelinase (SMase). The third is an essential pool also inaccessible to PFO and ALOD4 that cannot be liberated by SMase treatment. The accessible cholesterol pool can be trapped on PMs of live cells by nonlytic ALOD4, blocking its transport to the ER. However, studies of the two other pools have been hampered by a lack of available tools. Here, we used ostreolysin A (OlyA), which specifically binds SM/cholesterol complexes in membranes, to study the SM-sequestered cholesterol pool. Binding of nonlytic OlyA to SM/cholesterol complexes in PMs of live cells depleted the accessible PM cholesterol pool detectable by ALOD4. Consequently, transport of accessible cholesterol from PM to ER ceased, thereby activating SREBP transcription factors and increasing cholesterol synthesis. Thus, OlyA and ALOD4 both control movement of PM cholesterol, but through different lipid-binding mechanisms. We also found that PM-bound OlyA was rapidly internalized into cells, whereas PM-bound ALOD4 remained on the cell surface. Our findings establish OlyA and ALOD4 as complementary tools to investigate cellular cholesterol transport.

Continuous transport of a small fraction of plasma membrane cholesterol to endoplasmic reticulum regulates total cellular cholesterol

Cells employ regulated transport mechanisms to ensure that their plasma membranes (PMs) are optimally supplied with cholesterol derived from uptake of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and synthesis. To date, all inhibitors of cholesterol transport block steps in lysosomes, limiting our understanding of post-lysosomal transport steps. Here, we establish the cholesterol-binding domain 4 of anthrolysin O (ALOD4) as a reversible inhibitor of cholesterol transport from PM to endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Using ALOD4, we: (1) deplete ER cholesterol without altering PM or overall cellular cholesterol levels; (2) demonstrate that LDL-derived cholesterol travels from lysosomes first to PM to meet cholesterol needs, and subsequently from PM to regulatory domains of ER to suppress activation of SREBPs, halting cholesterol uptake and synthesis; and (3) determine that continuous PM-to-ER cholesterol transport allows ER to constantly monitor PM cholesterol levels, and respond rapidly to small declines in cellular cholesterol by activating SREBPs, increasing cholesterol uptake and synthesis.

Activation of the latent PlcR regulon in Bacillus anthracis

Many genes in Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis are under the control of the transcriptional regulator PlcR and its regulatory peptide, PapR. In Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, PlcR is inactivated by truncation, and consequently genes having PlcR binding sites are expressed at very low levels when compared with B. cereus. We found that activation of the PlcR regulon in B. anthracis by expression of a PlcR–PapR fusion protein does not alter sporulation in strains containing the virulence plasmid pXO1 and thereby the global regulator AtxA. Using comparative 2D gel electrophoresis, we showed that activation of the PlcR regulon in B. anthracis leads to upregulation of many proteins found in the secretome of B. cereus, including phospholipases and proteases, such as the putative protease BA1995. Transcriptional analysis demonstrated expression of BA1995 to be dependent on PlcR–PapR, even though the putative PlcR recognition site of the BA1995 gene does not exactly match the PlcR consensus sequence, explaining why this protein had escaped recognition as belonging to the PlcR regulon. Additionally, while transcription of major PlcR-dependent haemolysins, sphingomyelinase and anthrolysin O is enhanced in response to PlcR activation in B. anthracis, only anthrolysin O contributes significantly to lysis of human erythrocytes. In contrast, the toxicity of bacterial culture supernatants from a PlcR-positive strain towards murine macrophages occurred independently of anthrolysin O expression in vitro and in vivo.