Listeriolysin O: the Swiss army knife of Listeria.
Listeriolysin O (LLO) is a toxin produced by Listeria monocytogenes, an opportunistic bacterial pathogen responsible for the disease listeriosis. This disease starts with the ingestion of contaminated foods and mainly affects immunocompromised individuals, newborns, and pregnant women. In the laboratory, L. monocytogenes is used as a model organism to study processes such as cell invasion, intracellular survival, and cell-to-cell spreading, as this Gram-positive bacterium has evolved elaborate molecular strategies to subvert host cell functions. LLO is a major virulence factor originally shown to be crucial for bacterial escape from the internalization vacuole after entry into cells. However, recent studies are revisiting the role of LLO during infection and are revealing new insights into the action of LLO, in particular before bacterial entry. These latest findings along with their impact on the infectious process will be discussed.
Institut Pasteur, Unité des Interactions Bactéries-Cellules, Département de Biologie Cellulaire et Infection, F-75015 Paris, France.
Mélanie Anne
MA
Hamon
David
D
Ribet
Fabrizia
F
Stavru
Pascale
P
Cossart
D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000382:microbiology; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology*; D058207:Sumoylation; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000382:microbiology; D037521:Virulence Factors
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D006657:Histones; D037521:Virulence Factors; C038705:hlyA protein, Listeria monocytogenes