Cholesteryl α-D-glucoside 6-acyltransferase enhances the adhesion of Helicobacter pylori to gastric epithelium

Commun Biol. 2020 Mar 13;3(1):120. doi: 10.1038/s42003-020-0855-y.

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori, the most common etiologic agent of gastric diseases including gastric cancer, is auxotrophic for cholesterol and has to hijack it from gastric epithelia. Upon uptake, the bacteria convert cholesterol to cholesteryl 6'-O-acyl-α-D-glucopyranoside (CAG) to promote lipid raft clustering in the host cell membranes. However, how CAG appears in the host to exert the pathogenesis still remains ambiguous. Herein we identified hp0499 to be the gene of cholesteryl α-D-glucopyranoside acyltransferase (CGAT). Together with cholesteryl glucosyltransferase (catalyzing the prior step), CGAT is secreted via outer membrane vesicles to the host cells for direct synthesis of CAG. This significantly enhances lipid rafts clustering, gathers adhesion molecules (including Lewis antigens and integrins α5, β1), and promotes more bacterial adhesion. Furthermore, the clinically used drug amiodarone was shown as a potent inhibitor of CGAT to effectively reduce the bacterial adhesion, indicating that CGAT is a potential target of therapeutic intervention.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acyltransferases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Acyltransferases / genetics
  • Acyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Amiodarone / pharmacology
  • Bacterial Adhesion / drug effects
  • Bacterial Adhesion / genetics*
  • Bacterial Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cholesterol / analogs & derivatives*
  • Cholesterol / metabolism
  • Epithelium / microbiology
  • Gastric Mucosa / microbiology*
  • Gene Knockout Techniques
  • Genes, Bacterial
  • Glucosyltransferases / metabolism
  • Helicobacter pylori / enzymology*
  • Humans
  • Integrin alpha5 / metabolism
  • Integrin beta1 / metabolism
  • Lewis Blood Group Antigens / metabolism
  • Membrane Microdomains / metabolism

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Integrin alpha5
  • Integrin beta1
  • Lewis Blood Group Antigens
  • cholesteryl glucoside
  • Cholesterol
  • Acyltransferases
  • Glucosyltransferases
  • Amiodarone