title: The autophagic pathway: a cell survival strategy against the bacterial pore-forming toxin Vibrio cholerae cytolysin.
abstract: Vibrio cholerae is the causative agent of cholera in humans. In addition to the criticalvirulence factors cholera toxin and toxin coregulated pilus, V. cholerae secretes V.cholerae cytolysin (VCC), a pore-forming exotoxin able to induce cell lysis and extensivevacuolation. We have shown that this vacuolation is related to the activation of autophagyin response to VCC action. Furthermore, we found that the autophagic pathway wasrequired to protect cells upon VCC intoxication. Based on additional data presented here,we propose a model aimed to explain the mechanism of cell protection. We postulatethat VCC-induced autophagic vacuoles, which display features of multivesicular bodies and enclose the toxin, are implicated in cell defense through VCC degradation involvingfusion with lysosomes.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Héctor A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Saka
authors.forename: Maximiliano G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bocco
authors.forename: María I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Colombo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology*; D016466:CHO Cells; D018938:Caco-2 Cells; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D006801:Humans; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008954:Models, Biological; D054353:Perforin; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D054353:Perforin