title: Vacuolating cytotoxin of Helicobacter pylori induces apoptosis in the human gastric epithelial cell line AGS.
abstract: Helicobacter pylori induces cell death by apoptosis. However, the apoptosis-inducing factor is still unknown. The virulence factor vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA) is a potential candidate, and thus its role in apoptosis induction was investigated in the human gastric epithelial cell line AGS. The supernatant from the vacA wild-type strain P12 was able to induce apoptotic cell death, whereas the supernatant from its isogenic mutant strain P14 could not. That VacA was indeed the apoptosis-inducing factor was demonstrated further by substantial reduction of apoptosis upon treatment of AGS cells with a supernatant specifically depleted of native VacA. Furthermore, a recombinant VacA produced in Escherichia coli was also able to induce apoptosis in AGS cells but failed to induce cellular vacuolation. These findings demonstrate that the vacuolating cytototoxin of H. pylori is a bacterial factor capable of inducing apoptosis in gastric epithelial cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kuck
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kolmerer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iking-Konert
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Krammer
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Stremmel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rudi
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D003603:Cytotoxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000166:cytology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D014617:Vacuoles
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D003603:Cytotoxins; C074689:VacA protein, Helicobacter pylori