Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA.
Department of Basic and Translational Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Mol Oral Microbiol. 2020 Jan;35(1):29-39. doi: 10.1111/omi.12275. Epub 2019 Dec 26.
The oral pathogen, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, produces a number of virulence factors, including a leukotoxin (LtxA), which specifically kills human white blood cells, to provide a colonization advantage to the bacterium. Strains of A. actinomycetemcomitans that produce more LtxA have been more closely linked to disease, indicating that this toxin plays a key role in pathogenesis of the bacterium. Disruption of the activity of LtxA thus represents a promising approach to reducing the pathogenicity of the bacterium. Catechins are polyphenolic molecules derived from plants, which have shown potent antibacterial and antitoxin activities. We have previously shown that galloylated catechins are able to prevent LtxA delivery to host cells by altering the toxin's secondary structure and preventing binding to cholesterol on the host cell membrane. Here, we have investigated how one particular galloylated catechin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), affects A. actinomycetemcomitans growth and toxin secretion. Our results demonstrate that EGCg, at micromolar concentrations, inhibits A. actinomycetemcomitans growth, as has been reported for other bacterial species. At subinhibitory concentrations, EGCg promotes LtxA production, but the toxicity of the bacterial supernatant against human immune cells is reduced. The results of our biophysical studies indicate that this seemingly contradictory result is caused by an EGCg-mediated enhancement of LtxA affinity for the bacterial cell surface. Together, these results demonstrate the potential of EGCg in the treatment of virulent A. actinomycetemcomitans infections.
口腔病原体伴放线放线杆菌(Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans)产生许多毒力因子,包括一种白细胞毒素(LtxA),它专门杀死人类白细胞,为细菌提供定植优势。产生更多 LtxA 的伴放线放线杆菌菌株与疾病的关联性更强,表明这种毒素在细菌的发病机制中起着关键作用。因此,破坏 LtxA 的活性是降低细菌致病性的一种有前途的方法。儿茶素是植物来源的多酚类分子,具有很强的抗菌和抗毒素活性。我们之前曾表明,没食子酰基儿茶素能够通过改变毒素的二级结构并防止与宿主细胞膜上的胆固醇结合,从而阻止 LtxA 递送至宿主细胞。在这里,我们研究了一种特定的没食子酰基儿茶素,表没食子儿茶素没食子酸酯(EGCg)如何影响伴放线放线杆菌的生长和毒素分泌。我们的结果表明,EGCg 在微摩尔浓度下抑制伴放线放线杆菌的生长,这与其他细菌物种的报道一致。在亚抑菌浓度下,EGCg 促进 LtxA 的产生,但细菌上清液对人免疫细胞的毒性降低。我们的生物物理研究结果表明,这种看似矛盾的结果是由 EGCg 介导的 LtxA 与细菌表面亲和力的增强引起的。总之,这些结果表明 EGCg 在治疗毒力伴放线放线杆菌感染方面具有潜力。
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