Placental and intestinal alkaline phosphatases are receptors for Aeromonas sobria hemolysin.

The Aeromonas sobria hemolysin causes diarrhea following infection by this enteropathogenic bacterium. We previously identified the putative receptor for A. sobria hemolysin as a p66 protein on Intestine 407 cells (Microb. Pathog. 27 (1999) 215-221). Here, we have partially purified and obtained a peptide mass fingerprint of p66 which revealed its identity with placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP). Recombinant PLAP expressed in 293T cells was also found to bind to hemolysin and the binding was found not to be dependent on the N-linked glycosylation of PLAP. By immunohistochemical analysis, PLAP expression was detected in human intestinal mucosa, the target tissue in disease. In addition to PLAP, hemolysin also binds to intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP), an enzyme that is also abundantly expressed in intestine. Thus, both PLAP and IAP are very likely involved in the pathogenesis of diarrhea caused by this bacterial toxin.

Studies of the mechanism of action of the aerolysin-like hemolysin of Aeromonas sobria in stimulating T84 cells to produce cyclic AMP.

We previously reported that the aerolysin-like hemolysin of Aeromonas sobria stimulates T84 cells to produce cyclic AMP, which then emerges in the culture medium. In order to clarify the mechanism of action of the hemolysin, we examined the involvement of adenosine nucleotide. The results show that the hemolysin stimulates T84 cells to release ATP, which is then converted to adenosine by ectonucleotidase. The adenosine generated might stimulate the P1 adenosine receptors of T84 cells to produce cyclic AMP.

The protein encoded at the 3' end of the serine protease gene of Aeromonas sobria functions as a chaperone in the production of the protease.

For the successful production of Aeromonas sobria serine protease (ASP), open reading frame 2 (ORF2) protein, encoded at the 3' end of the protease operon, is required. In this study, we examined the action of ORF2 protein. The results showed that the protein associated with ASP in the periplasm and helped ASP to form an active structure.

Physicochemical and biological properties of an extracellular serine protease of Aeromonas sobria.

Previously, we cloned a protease gene of Aeromonas sobria, determined its nucleotide sequence and established a method of purifying its product. In this study, we examined the properties of the purified protease. The protease was temperature-labile and had an optimal pH of 7.5. Metallo-protease inhibitors and a cysteine protease inhibitor did not block the proteolytic activity of the enzyme. The treatment with reagents to modify sulfhydryl group did not reduce the activity. But, serine protease inhibitors did, showing that it was a serine protease. Subsequently, we examined the ability of the protease to enhance vascular permeability in dorsal skin. The protease showed activity and the reaction was inhibited by a simultaneously injected antihistaminic agent. Histopathological examination showed that mast cells appeared around the site where the protease was injected. These findings show that the vascular permeability-enhancing effect of the protease is due to histamine released at the site. Furthermore, we found that a soybean trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz) did not block the proteolytic action of the protease in vitro, but inhibited its vascular permeability-enhancing activity in skin. This suggests that a trypsin-like protease from skin mediates the activity of the protease to enhance its vascular permeability.

Site-directed mutagenesis studies of the amino acid residue at position 412 of Escherichia coli TolC which is required for the activity.

The Escherichia coli TolC acts as a channel-tunnel in the transport of molecules across the outer membrane. We previously showed that the region extending from the 50th to the 60th amino acid residues from the carboxy terminus is involved in the transport activity of TolC. To clarify which amino acids are important to the activity, we mutated the gene coding these residues and examined the activity of the mutant TolCs. The results showed that leucine at position 412, the 60th amino acid residue from the carboxy terminal end, is important. Further mutational research on the residue suggested that TolC required a nonpolar amino acid residue at position 412 to express its activity.