Haemorrhagic toxin and lethal toxin from Clostridium sordellii strain vpi9048: molecular characterization and comparative analysis of substrate specificity of the large clostridial glucosylating toxins.

Large clostridial glucosylating toxins (LCGTs) are produced by toxigenic strains of Clostridium difficile, Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium novyi and Clostridium sordellii. While most C. sordellii strains solely produce lethal toxin (TcsL), C. sordellii strain VPI9048 co-produces both hemorrhagic toxin (TcsH) and TcsL. Here, the sequences of TcsH-9048 and TcsL-9048 are provided, showing that both toxins retain conserved LCGT features and that TcsL and TcsH are highly related to Toxin A (TcdA) and Toxin B (TcdB) from C. difficile strain VPI10463. The substrate profile of the toxins was investigated with recombinant LCGT transferase domains (rN) and a wide panel of small GTPases. rN-TcsH-9048 and rN-TcdA-10463 glucosylated preferably Rho-GTPases but also Ras-GTPases to some extent. In this respect, rN-TcsH-9048 and rN-TcdA-10463 differ from the respective full-length TcsH-9048 and TcdA-10463, which exclusively glucosylate Rho-GTPases. rN-TcsL-9048 and full length TcsL-9048 glucosylate both Rho- and Ras-GTPases, whereas rN-TcdB-10463 and full length TcdB-10463 exclusively glucosylate Rho-GTPases. Vero cells treated with full length TcsH-9048 or TcdA-10463 also showed glucosylation of Ras, albeit to a lower extent than of Rho-GTPases. Thus, in vitro analysis of substrate spectra using recombinant transferase domains corresponding to the auto-proteolytically cleaved domains, predicts more precisely the in vivo substrates than the full length toxins. Except for TcdB-1470, all LCGTs evoked increased expression of the small GTPase RhoB, which exhibited cytoprotective activity in cells treated with TcsL isoforms, but pro-apoptotic activity in cells treated with TcdA, TcdB, and TcsH. All LCGTs induced a rapid dephosphorylation of pY118-paxillin and of pS144/141-PAK1/2 prior to actin filament depolymerization indicating that disassembly of focal adhesions is an early event leading to the disorganization of the actin cytoskeleton.

Protection from Clostridium difficile toxin B-catalysed Rac1/Cdc42 glucosylation by tauroursodeoxycholic acid-induced Rac1/Cdc42 phosphorylation.

Toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB) are the major virulence factors of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea (CDAD). TcdA and TcdB mono-glucosylate small GTPases of the Rho family, thereby causing actin re-organisation in colonocytes, resulting in the loss of colonic barrier function. The hydrophilic bile acid tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) is an approved drug for the treatment of cholestasis and biliary cirrhosis. In this study, TUDCA-induced activation of Akt1 is presented to increase cellular levels of pS71-Rac1/Cdc42 in human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) cells, showing for the first time that bile acid signalling affects the activity of Rho proteins. Rac1/Cdc42 phosphorylation, in turn, protects Rac1/Cdc42 from TcdB-catalysed glucosylation and reduces the TcdB-induced cytopathic effects in HepG2 cells. The results of this study indicate that TUDCA may prove useful as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of CDAD.

Difference in Mono-O-Glucosylation of Ras Subtype GTPases Between Toxin A and Toxin B From Clostridioides difficile Strain 10463 and Lethal Toxin From Clostridium sordellii Strain 6018.

Clostridioides difficile toxin A (TcdA) and Toxin B (TcdB) trigger inflammasome activation with caspase-1 activation in cultured cells, which in turn induce the release of IL-6, IFN-γ, and IL-8. Release of these proinflammatory responses is positively regulated by Ras-GTPases, which leads to the hypothesis that Ras glucosylation by glucosylating toxins results in (at least) reduced proinflammatory responses. Against this background, data on toxin-catalyzed Ras glucosylation are required to estimate of pro-inflammatory effect of the glucosylating toxins. In this study, a quantitative evaluation of the GTPase substrate profiles glucosylated in human colonic (Caco-2) cells treated with either TcdA, TcdB, or the related Clostridium sordellii lethal toxin (TcsL) was performed using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mass spectrometry. (H/K/N)Ras are presented to be glucosylated by TcsL and TcdA but by neither TcdB isoform tested. Furthermore, the glucosylation of (H/K/N)Ras was detected in TcdA-(not TcdB)-treated cells, as analyzed exploiting immunoblot analysis using the Ras glucosylation-sensitive 27H5 antibody. Furthermore, [14C]glucosylation of substrate GTPase was found to be increased in a cell-free system complemented with Caco-2 lysates. Under these conditions, (H/K/N)Ras glucosylation by TcdA was detected. In contrast, TcdB-catalyzed (H/K/N)Ras glucosylation was detected by neither MRM analysis, immunoblot analysis nor [14C]glucosylation in a cell-free system. The observation that TcdA (not TcdB) glucosylates Ras subtype GTPases correlates with the fact that TcdB (not TcdA) is primarily responsible for inflammatory responses in CDI. Finally, TcsL more efficaciously glucosylated Ras subtype GTPase as compared with TcdA, reinforcing the paradigm that TcsL is the prototype of a Ras glucosylating toxin.

Metal Ion Activation of Clostridium sordellii Lethal Toxin and Clostridium difficile Toxin B.

Lethal Toxin from Clostridium sordellii (TcsL) and Toxin B from Clostridium difficile (TcdB) belong to the family of the "Large clostridial glycosylating toxins." These toxins mono-O-glucosylate low molecular weight GTPases of the Rho and Ras families by exploiting UDP-glucose as a hexose donor. TcsL is casually involved in the toxic shock syndrome and the gas gangrene. TcdB-together with Toxin A (TcdA)-is causative for the pseudomembranous colitis (PMC). Here, we present evidence for the in vitro metal ion activation of the glucosyltransferase and the UDP-glucose hydrolysis activity of TcsL and TcdB. The following rating is found for activation by divalent metal ions: Mn(2+) > Co(2+) > Mg(2+) >> Ca(2+), Cu(2+), Zn(2+). TcsL and TcdB thus require divalent metal ions providing an octahedral coordination sphere. The EC50 values for TcsL were estimated at about 28 µM for Mn(2+) and 180 µM for Mg(2+). TcsL and TcdB further require co-stimulation by monovalent K⁺ (not by Na⁺). Finally, prebound divalent metal ions were dispensible for the cytopathic effects of TcsL and TcdB, leading to the conclusion that TcsL and TcdB recruit intracellular metal ions for activation of the glucosyltransferase activity. With regard to the intracellular metal ion concentrations, TcsL and TcdB are most likely activated by K⁺ and Mg(2+) (rather than Mn(2+)) in mammalian target cells.

Role of p38alpha/beta MAP Kinase in Cell Susceptibility to Clostridium sordellii Lethal Toxin and Clostridium difficile Toxin B.

Lethal Toxin from Clostridium sordellii (TcsL), which is casually involved in the toxic shock syndrome and in gas gangrene, enters its target cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis. Inside the cell, TcsL mono-O-glucosylates and thereby inactivates Rac/Cdc42 and Ras subtype GTPases, resulting in actin reorganization and an activation of p38 MAP kinase. While a role of p38 MAP kinase in TcsL-induced cell death is well established, data on a role of p38 MAP kinase in TcsL-induced actin reorganization are not available. In this study, TcsL-induced Rac/Cdc42 glucosylation and actin reorganization are differentially analyzed in p38alpha-/- MSCV empty vector MEFs and the corresponding cell line with reconstituted p38alpha expression (p38alpha-/- MSCV p38alpha MEFs). Genetic deletion of p38alpha results in reduced susceptibility of cells to TcsL-induced Rac/Cdc42 glucosylation and actin reorganization. Furthermore, SB203580, a pyridinyl imidazole inhibitor of p38alpha/beta MAP kinase, also protects cells from TcsL-induced effects in both p38-/- MSCV empty vector MEFs and in p38alpha-/- MSCV p38alpha MEFs, suggesting that inhibition of p38beta contributes to the protective effect of SB203580. In contrast, the effects of the related C. difficile Toxin B are responsive neither to SB203580 treatment nor to p38alpha deletion. In conclusion, the protective effects of SB203580 and of p38alpha deletion are likely not based on inhibition of the toxins' glucosyltransferase activity rather than on inhibited endocytic uptake of specifically TcsL into target cells.

Loading acetoxymethyl ester fluorescent dyes into the cytoplasm of Arabidopsis and Commelina guard cells.

• Cytosolic calcium and pH changes are integral components of guard cell signal transduction. Acetoxymethyl (AM) ester-linked Ca2+ sensitive dyes are usually degraded before loading by extracellular esterases or partitioned into plant vacuoles using standard techniques, thereby preventing cytoplasmic Ca2+ imaging. • Here a method is described for improved loading of the calcium sensitive fluorescent dyes Calcium Green-1 and Fura-2 AM ester into the cytoplasm of Commelina and Arabidopsis guard cells in epidermal strips, allowing fluorescence from several guard cells in an epidermal strip to be imaged and measured simultaneously. • Calcium Green-1 based imaging, external Ca2+ buffering and Mn2+ quenching in Commelina guard cells suggest that abscisic acid stimulates plasma membrane Ca2+ influx. The Ca2+ sensitive dye Fura-2 was loaded into the cytoplasm of Arabidopsis guard cells, allowing ratiometric analyses of these cells. Data indicated that intact Ca2+ homeostasis mechanisms were present in Fura-2 AM loaded cells. • Loading of acetoxymethyl ester dyes provides a viable alternative method to cameleon imaging, which will be useful in loading Arabidposis mutants that are difficult to transform. This method may also be applicable to loading other ester linked dyes into the cytoplasm of plant cells.

Rac1-dependent recruitment of PAK2 to G2 phase centrosomes and their roles in the regulation of mitotic entry.

During mitotic entry, the centrosomes provide a scaffold for initial activation of the CyclinB/Cdk1 complex, the mitotic kinase Aurora A, and the Aurora A-activating kinase p21-activated kinase (PAK). The activation of PAK at the centrosomes is yet regarded to happen independently of the Rho-GTPases Rac/Cdc42. In this study, Rac1 (but not RhoA or Cdc42) is presented to associate with the centrosomes from early G2 phase until prometaphase in a cell cycle-dependent fashion, as evidenced by western blot analysis of prepared centrosomes and by immunolabeling. PAK associates with the G2/M-phase centrosomes in a Rac1-dependent fashion. Furthermore, specific inhibition of Rac1 by C. difficile toxinB-catalyzed glucosylation or by knockout results in inhibited activation of PAK1/2, Aurora A, and the CyclinB/Cdk1 complex in late G2 phase/prophase and delayed mitotic entry. Inhibition of PAK activation at late G2-phase centrosomes caused by Rac1 inactivation coincides with impeded activation of Aurora A and the CyclinB/Cdk1 complex and delayed mitotic entry.

Inhibition of macrophage migration by C. botulinum exoenzyme C3.

C3-like exoenzymes are produced by various microorganism including Clostridium botulinum (C3bot), Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus. C3bot is the prototype of C3-like exoenzymes that specifically ADP-ribosylates and thereby inactivates Rho(A/B/C). C3-like exoenzymes are not yet regarded as virulence factors, as the lack of cell entry domains results in a poor accessibility of the C3-like exoenzymes to cells. In this study, the sensitivity of various cell lines to C3bot has been reinvestigated. Primary monocytes as well as cultured macrophage-like cells including J774A.1 cells and RAW macrophages exhibit a tenfold higher sensitivity to C3bot than fibroblasts and epithelial cells. RhoA ADP-ribosylation by C3bot resulted in the formation of pronounced bipolar protrusions based on defective tail retraction. The formation of bipolar protrusion resulted in inhibited macrophage migration. These findings suggested that macrophages appear to be target cells of C3bot. Migration of macrophage is a prerequiste for their recruitment to the site of pathogen invasion or tissue damage. Inhibition of macrophage migration likely preserves the survival of C3-producing microorganisms. The observations of this study reinforce the paradigm of a role of C3-like exoenzymes as virulence factors.

Cytoprotective effect of the small GTPase RhoB expressed upon treatment of fibroblasts with the Ras-glucosylating Clostridium sordellii lethal toxin.

Mono-glucosylation of (H/K/N)Ras by Clostridium sordellii lethal toxin (TcsL) blocks critical survival signaling pathways, resulting in apoptosis. In this study, TcsL and K-Ras knock-down by siRNA are presented to result in expression of the cell death-regulating small GTPase RhoB. TcsL-induced RhoB expression is based on transcriptional activation involving p38(alpha) MAP kinase. Newly synthesized RhoB protein is rapidly degraded in a proteasome- and a caspase-dependent manner, providing first evidence for caspase-dependent degradation of a Rho family protein. Although often characterised as a pro-apoptotic protein, RhoB suppresses caspase-3 activation in TcsL-treated fibroblasts. The finding on the cytoprotective activity of RhoB in TcsL-treated cells re-enforces the concept that RhoB exhibits cytoprotective rather than pro-apoptotic activity in a cellular background of inactive Ras.

Difference in the biological effects of Clostridium difficile toxin B in proliferating and non-proliferating cells.

Toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB) from Clostridium difficile are the causative agents of the C. difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) and its severe form, the pseudomembranous colitis. TcdA and TcdB both glucosylate and thereby inactivate low molecular weight GTP-binding proteins of the Rho, Rac, and Cdc42 subfamilies. In cultured cell lines, TcdB induces actin re-organization and bi-nucleation ("cytopathic effects") and cell death ("cytotoxic effects"). In this study, the role of cell cycle progression in the cytopathic and the cytotoxic effects of TcdB is evaluated by a differential analysis of these effects in proliferating and non-proliferating cells. Density-synchronized murine fibroblasts and confluent HT29 colonocytes are exploited as cell culture models for non-proliferating cells. Cell death is analyzed in terms of a loss of cell viability, phosphatidylserine exposure, and DNA fragmentation. In proliferating cells, TcdB blocks cell proliferation and induces apoptotic cell death. In contrast, TcdB induces non-apoptotic cell death in non-proliferating cells. TcdB-induced cell rounding turns out to be independent of cell cycle progression. Cell cycle progression is an important determinant in the biological effects of TcdB. With respect to the pathology of CDAD, this study leads to the new hypothesis that necrotic cell death of terminally differentiated colonocytes and inhibition of epithelial renewal of the colon contribute to the pathogenesis of CDAD.