Helicobacter pylori VacA: a new perspective on an invasive chloride channel.
The vacuolating cytotoxin VacA, a polypeptide of about 88 kDa, is one of the major virulence factors of Helicobacter pylori. VacA essentially acts as an invasive chloride channel targeting mitochondria. The results of recent studies open a new perspective on the mechanisms by which VacA causes loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial fragmentation, formation of reactive oxygen species, autophagy, cell death and gastric cancer.
Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Institut für Physiologische Chemie, Universitätsstrasse 150, D-44780 Bochum, Germany. joachim.rassow@rub.de
Joachim
J
Rassow
Michael
M
Meinecke
D001343:Autophagy; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016923:Cell Death; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / Q000187:drug effects; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D018118:Chloride Channels; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C074689:VacA protein, Helicobacter pylori; D037521:Virulence Factors