Exosome-associated Shiga toxin 2 is released from cells and causes severe toxicity in mice.

Shiga toxin (Stx), a major virulence factor of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), is classified into two subgroups, Stx1 and Stx2. Clinical data clearly indicate that Stx2 is associated with more severe toxicity than Stx1, but the molecular mechanism underlying this difference is not fully understood. Here, we found that after being incorporated into target cells, Stx2, can be transported by recycling endosomes, as well as via the regular retrograde transport pathway. However, transport via recycling endosome did not occur with Stx1. We also found that Stx2 is actively released from cells in a receptor-recognizing B-subunit dependent manner. Part of the released Stx2 is associated with microvesicles, including exosome markers (referred to as exo-Stx2), whose origin is in the multivesicular bodies that formed from late/recycling endosomes. Finally, intravenous administration of exo-Stx2 to mice causes more lethality and tissue damage, especially severe renal dysfunction and tubular epithelial cell damage, compared to a free form of Stx2. Thus, the formation of exo-Stx2 might contribute to the severity of Stx2 in vivo, suggesting new therapeutic strategies against EHEC infections.

Gtr/Ego-independent TORC1 activation is achieved through a glutamine-sensitive interaction with Pib2 on the vacuolar membrane.

TORC1 is a central regulator of cell growth in response to amino acids. The role of the evolutionarily conserved Gtr/Rag pathway in the regulation of TORC1 is well-established. Recent genetic studies suggest that an additional regulatory pathway, depending on the activity of Pib2, plays a role in TORC1 activation independently of the Gtr/Rag pathway. However, the interplay between the Pib2 pathway and the Gtr/Rag pathway remains unclear. In this study, we show that Pib2 and Gtr/Ego form distinct complexes with TORC1 in a mutually exclusive manner, implying dedicated functional relationships between TORC1 and Pib2 or Gtr/Rag in response to specific amino acids. Furthermore, simultaneous depletion of Pib2 and the Gtr/Ego system abolishes TORC1 activity and completely compromises the vacuolar localization of TORC1. Thus, the amino acid-dependent activation of TORC1 is achieved through the Pib2 and Gtr/Ego pathways alone. Finally, we show that glutamine induces a dose-dependent increase in Pib2-TORC1 complex formation, and that glutamine binds directly to the Pib2 complex. These data provide strong preliminary evidence for Pib2 functioning as a putative glutamine sensor in the regulation of TORC1.

Dynamic relocation of the TORC1-Gtr1/2-Ego1/2/3 complex is regulated by Gtr1 and Gtr2.

TORC1 regulates cellular growth, metabolism, and autophagy by integrating various signals, including nutrient availability, through the small GTPases RagA/B/C/D in mammals and Gtr1/2 in budding yeast. Rag/Gtr is anchored to the lysosomal/vacuolar membrane by the scaffold protein complex Ragulator/Ego. Here we show that Ego consists of Ego1 and Ego3, and novel subunit Ego2. The ∆ego2 mutant exhibited only partial defects both in Gtr1-dependent TORC1 activation and Gtr1 localization on the vacuole. Ego1/2/3, Gtr1/2, and Tor1/Tco89 were colocalized on the vacuole and associated puncta. When Gtr1 was in its GTP-bound form and TORC1 was active, these proteins were preferentially localized on the vacuolar membrane, whereas when Gtr1 was in its GDP-bound form, they were mostly localized on the puncta. The localization of TORC1 to puncta was further facilitated by direct binding to Gtr2, which is involved in suppression of TORC1 activity. Thus regulation of TORC1 activity through Gtr1/Gtr2 is tightly coupled to the dynamic relocation of these proteins.