Human serum albumin enhances the hemolytic activity of Vibrio vulnificus.
Vibrio vulnificus hemolysin (VvhA) is inactivated in the late growth phase by its oligomerization. Albumin is known to affect the activities of many bacterial toxins. In this study, we investigated the effects of human or bovine serum albumin (HSA or BSA) on the production and activity of VvhA. HSA did not affect V. vulnificus growth and vvhA transcription. However, VvhA hemolytic activity in culture supernatants was significantly higher in the presence of HSA than in the absence of HSA. By Western blot analysis, the oligomerization of VvhA was inhibited and the remaining active VvhA monomer was increased in culture supernatants containing HSA. BSA produced similar results. These findings indicate that both HSA and BSA stabilize VvhA and delay VvhA inactivation by oligomerization, and thus enhance VvhA activity.
Choi
Mi-Hwa
MH
Research Center for Resistant Cells, Chosun University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
Sun
Hui-Yu
HY
Park
Ra-Young
RY
Bai
Young-Hoon
YH
Chung
Yoon-Young
YY
Kim
Choon-Mee
CM
Shin
Sung-Heui
SH
D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002417:Cattle; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000494:pharmacology; D041261:Vibrio vulnificus / Q000737:chemistry*; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000097:blood
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D012709:Serum Albumin; C073845:hemolysin, Vibrio; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D001616:beta-Galactosidase