title: Helicobacter pylori vacuolating cytotoxin, VacA.
abstract: Helicobacter pylori is the leading bacterial cause of food-borne illness worldwide and plays a major role in the development of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric cancer. Strains isolated from patients contain the cagA gene (cytotoxin-associated gene A) and produce the vacuolating cytotoxin, VacA. Recent molecular and cellular studies of VacA action have begun to unravel its structure and the details of the mechanism of gastric injury caused by H. pylori infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirayama
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Kinnosuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yahiro
authors.forename: Miyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kimura
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016923:Cell Death; D003603:Cytotoxins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D003603:Cytotoxins; C074689:VacA protein, Helicobacter pylori