Membrane localization of the Repeats-in-Toxin (RTX) Leukotoxin (LtxA) produced by Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans

PLoS One. 2018 Oct 18;13(10):e0205871. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205871. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

The oral bacterium, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, which is associated with localized aggressive periodontitis, as well as systemic infections including endocarditis, produces numerous virulence factors, including a repeats-in-toxin (RTX) protein called leukotoxin (LtxA), which kills human immune cells. The strains of A. actinomycetemcomitans most closely associated with disease have been shown to produce the most LtxA, suggesting that LtxA plays a significant role in the virulence of this organism. LtxA, like many of the RTX toxins, can be divided into four functional domains: an N-terminal hydrophobic domain, which contains a significant fraction of hydrophobic residues and has been proposed to play a role in the membrane interaction of the toxin; the central domain, which contains two lysine residues that are the sites of post-translational acylation; the repeat domain that is characteristic of the RTX toxins, and a C-terminal domain thought to be involved in secretion. In its initial interaction with the host cell, LtxA must bind to both cholesterol and an integrin receptor, lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1). While both interactions are essential for toxicity, the domains of LtxA involved remain unknown. We therefore undertook a series of experiments, including tryptophan quenching and trypsin digestion, to characterize the structure of LtxA upon interaction with membranes of various lipid compositions. Our results demonstrate that LtxA adopts a U-shaped conformation in the membrane, with the N- and C-terminal domains residing outside of the membrane.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / chemistry*
  • Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / growth & development
  • Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / pathogenicity
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry*
  • Bacterial Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Binding Sites
  • Cholesterol / chemistry*
  • Cholesterol / metabolism
  • Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine / chemistry
  • Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine / metabolism
  • Hemolysin Proteins / chemistry*
  • Hemolysin Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Hemolysin Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Jurkat Cells
  • Lipid Bilayers / chemistry
  • Lipid Bilayers / metabolism
  • Liposomes / chemistry
  • Liposomes / metabolism
  • Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 / chemistry*
  • Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 / metabolism
  • Phosphatidylethanolamines / chemistry
  • Phosphatidylethanolamines / metabolism
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Proteolysis
  • Trypsin / chemistry
  • Virulence Factors / chemistry*
  • Virulence Factors / isolation & purification
  • Virulence Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Hemolysin Proteins
  • Lipid Bilayers
  • Liposomes
  • Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1
  • Phosphatidylethanolamines
  • Virulence Factors
  • lktA protein, bacteria
  • N-methyl-1,2-dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine
  • Cholesterol
  • Trypsin
  • Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine