title: Staphylococcus aureus alpha-toxin induces apoptosis in endothelial cells.
abstract: The internalization of Staphylococcus aureus by cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells was recently shown to induce apoptosis. We examined the role of alpha-toxin, a major pore-forming toxin secreted by S. aureus, in causing apoptosis in vitro. Purified alpha-toxin, at sublytic concentrations, induced apoptosis in endothelial cell monolayers. Comparisons of two alpha-toxin (hla)-positive S. aureus strains and their isogenic hla-deficient mutants in the invasion assay of endothelial cells demonstrated that the capacity to produce alpha-toxin was associated with a greater propensity for apoptosis in endothelial cells. These results demonstrate for the first time that expression of alpha-toxin during endothelial cell invasion by S. aureus enhances apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA. barbara.e.menzies@vanderbilt.edu
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Menzies
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kourteva
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology*; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D014471:Umbilical Veins
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; C021091:staphylococcal alpha-toxin