title: Heparin-binding hemagglutinin HBHA from Mycobacterium tuberculosis affects actin polymerisation.
abstract: HBHA is a mycobacterial cell surface protein that mediates adhesion to epithelial cells and that has been implicated in the dissemination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) from the site of primary infection. In this work, we demonstrate that HBHA is able to bind G-actin whereas its shorter form, deprived of the lysine-rich C-terminal region (HBHAΔC), does not bind. Consistently, interaction of actin with HBHA is competitive with heparin binding. Notably, we also observe that HBHA, but not HBHAΔC, clearly hampers G-actin polymerisation into F-actin filaments. Since Mtb escapes from the phagosome into the cytosol of host cells, where it can persist and replicate, HBHA is properly localised on the bacterial surface to regulate the dynamic process of cytoskeleton formation driven by actin polymerisation and depolymerisation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, I-80134 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marasco
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Delogu
authors.forename: Emilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pedone
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Berisio
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010588:Phagosomes / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D011487:Protein Conformation
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D037102:Lectins; C104578:heparin-binding hemagglutinin