title: The mechanism of action of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa-encoded type III cytotoxin, ExoU.
abstract: Pseudomonas aeruginosa delivers the toxin ExoU to eukaryotic cells via a type III secretion system. Intoxication with ExoU is associated with lung injury, bacterial dissemination and sepsis in animal model and human infections. To search for ExoU targets in a genetically tractable system, we used controlled expression of the toxin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. ExoU was cytotoxic for yeast and caused a vacuolar fragmentation phenotype. Inhibitors of human calcium-independent (iPLA(2)) and cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)) lipase activity reduce the cytotoxicity of ExoU. The catalytic domains of patatin, iPLA(2) and cPLA(2) align or are similar to ExoU sequences. Site-specific mutagenesis of predicted catalytic residues (ExoUS142A or ExoUD344A) eliminated toxicity. ExoU expression in yeast resulted in an accumulation of free palmitic acid, changes in the phospholipid profiles and reduction of radiolabeled neutral lipids. ExoUS142A and ExoUD344A expressed in yeast failed to release palmitic acid. Recombinant ExoU demonstrated lipase activity in vitro, but only in the presence of a yeast extract. From these data we conclude that ExoU is a lipase that requires activation or modification by eukaryotic factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Dara W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: Cecilia J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hillard
authors.forename: Jimmy B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Feix
authors.forename: Ravi R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Pankhaniya
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moriyama
authors.forename: Viviane
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Finck-Barbançon
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buchaklian
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Roy M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Jeanine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wiener-Kronish
authors.forename: Teiji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sawa
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006801:Humans; D008049:Lipase / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D010741:Phospholipases A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012997:Solvents
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012997:Solvents; C043222:patatin protein, Solanum tuberosum; C111749:pseudomonas exoprotein A protein, Pseudomonas aeruginosa; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases; D008049:Lipase; D010741:Phospholipases A