Expression of Shiga toxin 2e glycosphingolipid receptors of primary porcine brain endothelial cells and toxin-mediated breakdown of the blood-brain barrier.

Shiga toxin (Stx) 2e, released by certain Stx-producing Escherichia coli, is presently the best characterized virulence factor responsible for pig edema disease, which is characterized by hemorrhagic lesions, neurological disorders and often fatal outcomes. Although Stx2e-mediated brain vascular injury is the key event in development of neurologic signs, the glycosphingolipid (GSL) receptors of Stx2e and toxin-mediated impairment of pig brain endothelial cells have not been investigated so far. Here, we report on the detailed structural characterization of Stx2e receptors globotriaosylceramide (Gb3Cer) and globotetraosylceramide (Gb4Cer), which make up the major neutral GSLs in primary porcine brain capillary endothelial cells (PBCECs). Various Gb3Cer and Gb4Cer lipoforms harboring sphingenine (d18:1) or sphinganine (d18:0) and mostly a long-chain fatty acid (C20-C24) were detected. A notable batch-to-batch heterogeneity of primary endothelial cells was observed regarding the extent of ceramide hydroxylation of Gb3Cer or Gb4Cer species. Gb3Cer, Gb4Cer and sphingomyelin preferentially distribute to detergent-resistant membrane fractions and can be considered lipid raft markers in PBCECs. Moreover, we employed an in vitro model of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which exhibited strong cytotoxic effects of Stx2e on the endothelial monolayer and a rapid collapse of the BBB. These data strongly suggest the involvement of Stx2e in cerebral vascular damage with resultant neurological disturbance characteristic of edema disease.

The human H3N2 influenza viruses A/Victoria/3/75 and A/Hiroshima/52/2005 preferentially bind to α2-3-sialylated monosialogangliosides with fucosylated poly-N-acetyllactosaminyl chains.

Among influenza A viruses, subtype H3N2 is the major cause of human influenza morbidity and is associated with seasonal epidemics causing annually half million deaths worldwide. Influenza A virus infection is initiated via hemagglutinin that binds to terminally sialylated glycoconjugates exposed on the surface of target cells. Gangliosides from human granulocytes were probed using thin-layer chromatography overlay assays for their binding potential to H3N2 virus strains A/Victoria/3/75 and A/Hiroshima/52/2005. Highly polar gangliosides with poly-N-acetyllactosaminyl chains showing low chromatographic mobility exhibited strong virus adhesion which was entirely abolished by sialidase treatment. Auxiliary overlay assays using anti-sialyl Lewis(x) (sLe(x)) monoclonal antibodies showed identical binding patterns compared with those performed with the viruses. A comprehensive structural analysis of fractionated gangliosides by electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry revealed sLe(x) gangliosides with terminal Neu5Acα2-3Galß1-4(Fucα1-3)GlcNAc epitope and extended neolacto (nLc)-series core structures as the preferential virus binding gangliosides. More precisely, sLe(x) gangliosides with nLc8, nLc10 and nLc12Cer cores, carrying sphingosine (d18:1) and a fatty acid with variable chain length (mostly C24:0, C24:1 or C16:0) in the ceramide moiety and one or two additional internal fucose residues in the oligosaccharide portion, were identified as the preferred receptors recognized by H3N2 virus strains A/Victoria/3/75 and A/Hiroshima/52/2005. This study describes glycan-binding requirements of hemagglutinin beyond binding to glycans with a specific sialic acid linkage of as yet undefined neutrophil receptors acting as ligands for H3N2 viruses. In addition, our results pose new questions on the biological and clinical relevance of this unexpected specificity of a subtype of influenza A viruses.