Membrane lipid composition protects Entamoeba histolytica from self-destruction by its pore-forming toxins

• Published in: FEBS letters Vol. 564; no. 1; pp. 109 - 115
• Main Authors: Andrä, Jörg, Berninghausen, Otto, Leippe, Matthias
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier B.V 23-04-2004
• Subjects: Adenosine Triphosphate - analysis; Amoebapore; Animals; Antimicrobial peptide; CAEP, ceramide aminoethylphosphonate; CAEphosphate, N-acyl-sphingosylphosphorylethanolamine; Cholesterol; Cytotoxins - pharmacology; Entamoeba histolytica; Entamoeba histolytica - chemistry; Entamoeba histolytica - physiology; Humans; Ion Channels - pharmacology; Jurkat Cells; Kinetics; Lipid raft; Liposomes - chemistry; Membrane Lipids - analysis; Membrane Lipids - physiology; PC, phosphatidylcholine; PE, phosphatidylethanolamine; PG, phosphatidylglycerol; Phospholipids; PI, phosphatidylinositol; Pore-forming protein; Protective Agents; Protein Binding; Protozoan Proteins - pharmacology; PS, phosphatidylserine; Self-protection; TRITC, tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate; PC, phosphatidylcholine; Pore-forming protein; Lipid raft; Self-protection; Entamoeba histolytica; PE, phosphatidylethanolamine; CAEphosphate, N-acyl-sphingosylphosphorylethanolamine; TRITC, tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate; Cholesterol; PS, phosphatidylserine; PG, phosphatidylglycerol; Amoebapore; CAEP, ceramide aminoethylphosphonate; PI, phosphatidylinositol; Antimicrobial peptide
• ISSN: 0014-5793; 1873-3468
• DOI: 10.1016/S0014-5793(04)00324-2

The protozoan parasite and human pathogen
Entamoeba histolytica is protected against killing by its own lytic effector proteins. Amoebae withstand doses of amoebapores, their pore-forming polypeptides, that readily kill human Jurkat T cells. Moreover, the polypeptides do not bind to the amoebic surface membrane as evidenced by using fluorescently labelled amoebapores and confocal laser microscopy. Experiments employing liposomes as a minimalistic membrane system and the major isoform amoebapore A revealed that the lipid composition of amoebic membranes prevents binding of the cytolytic molecule and that both the phospholipid ingredients and the high content of cholesterol contributes to the protection of the toxin-producing cell.