title: Unexpected wide substrate specificity of C. perfringens α-toxin phospholipase C.
abstract: Clostridium perfringens phospholipase C (CpPLC), also called α-toxin, is the main virulence factor for gas gangrene in humans. The lipase activity serves the bacterium to generate lipid signals in the host eukaryotic cell, and ultimately to degrade the host cell membranes. Several previous reports indicated that CpPLC was specific for phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin. Molecular docking studies described in this paper predict favorable interactions of the CpPLC active site with other phospholipids, e.g. phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and, to a lesser extent, phosphatidylglycerol. On the basis of these predictions, we have performed experimental studies showing α-toxin to degrade all the phospholipids mentioned above. The molecular docking data also provide an explanation for the observed lower activity of CpPCL on sphingomyelin as compared to the glycerophospholipids.
authors.affiliation: Université Libre de Bruxelles, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Urbina
authors.forename: M Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Collado
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: Félix M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Goñi
authors.forename: Marietta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Flores-Díaz
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alape-Girón
authors.forename: Jean-Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ruysschaert
authors.forename: Marc F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Lensink
mesh_terms: D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000201:enzymology*; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D010738:Type C Phospholipases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D010738:Type C Phospholipases