The autophagic pathway: a cell survival strategy against the bacterial pore-forming toxin Vibrio cholerae cytolysin.

SAKA HECTOR ALEX; GUTIERREZ, MAXIMILIANO; BOCCO JOSE LUIS (CO-CORRESPONDING AUTHOR); COLOMBO, MARIA I. (CO-CORRESPONDING AUTHOR)

AUTOPHAGY

Landes Biosciences

Año: 2007 vol. 3 p. 363 - 365

1554-8627

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 postulate that 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.