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Designed Azolopyridinium Salts Block Protective Antigen Pores In Vitro and Protect Cells from Anthrax Toxin

Please always quote using this URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-130097
  • Background Several intracellular acting bacterial protein toxins of the AB-type, which are known to enter cells by endocytosis, are shown to produce channels. This holds true for protective antigen (PA), the binding component of the tripartite anthrax-toxin of Bacillus anthracis. Evidence has been presented that translocation of the enzymatic components of anthrax-toxin across the endosomal membrane of target cells and channel formation by the heptameric/octameric \(PA_{63}\) binding/translocation component are related phenomena. ChloroquineBackground Several intracellular acting bacterial protein toxins of the AB-type, which are known to enter cells by endocytosis, are shown to produce channels. This holds true for protective antigen (PA), the binding component of the tripartite anthrax-toxin of Bacillus anthracis. Evidence has been presented that translocation of the enzymatic components of anthrax-toxin across the endosomal membrane of target cells and channel formation by the heptameric/octameric \(PA_{63}\) binding/translocation component are related phenomena. Chloroquine and some 4-aminoquinolones, known as potent drugs against Plasmodium falciparium infection of humans, block efficiently the \(PA_{63}\)-channel in a dose dependent way. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we demonstrate that related positively charged heterocyclic azolopyridinium salts block the \(PA_{63}\)-channel in the µM range, when both, inhibitor and \(PA_{63}\) are added to the same side of the membrane, the cis-side, which corresponds to the lumen of acidified endosomal vesicles of target cells. Noise-analysis allowed the study of the kinetics of the plug formation by the heterocycles. In vivo experiments using J774A.1 macrophages demonstrated that the inhibitors of \(PA_{63}\)-channel function also efficiently block intoxication of the cells by the combination lethal factor and \(PA_{63}\) in the same concentration range as they block the channels in vitro. Conclusions/Significance These results strongly argue in favor of a transport of lethal factor through the \(PA_{63}\)-channel and suggest that the heterocycles used in this study could represent attractive candidates for development of novel therapeutic strategies against anthrax.show moreshow less

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Metadaten
Author: Christoph Beitzinger, Annika Bronnhuber, Kerstin Duscha, Zsuzsanna Riedl, Markus Huber-Lang, Roland Benz, György Hajos, Holger Barth
URN:urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-130097
Document Type:Journal article
Faculties:Fakultät für Biologie / Rudolf-Virchow-Zentrum
Language:English
Parent Title (English):PLoS ONE
Year of Completion:2013
Volume:8
Issue:6
Pagenumber:e66099
Source:PLoS ONE 8(6): e66099. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066099
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0066099
Dewey Decimal Classification:6 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / 61 Medizin und Gesundheit / 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
Tag:anthrax; cell membranes; chloroquine; intoxication; lipid bilayer; macrophages; membrane potential; toxins
Release Date:2016/07/05
Licence (German):License LogoCC BY: Creative-Commons-Lizenz: Namensnennung