The Cytotoxicity of Epsilon Toxin from Clostridium Perfringens on Lymphocytes Is Mediated by MAL Protein Expression

Overview

Journal Mol Cell Biol

Specialty Cell Biology

Date 2018 Jul 11

PMID 29987189

Citations 23

Authors

Marta Blanch

Jonatan Dorca-Arevalo

Anna Not

Merce Cases

Inmaculada Gomez de Aranda

Antonio Martinez-Yelamos

Sergio Martinez-Yelamos

Carles Solsona

Juan Blasi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Epsilon toxin (Etx) from is a pore-forming protein that crosses the blood-brain barrier, binds to myelin, and, hence, has been suggested to be a putative agent for the onset of multiple sclerosis, a demyelinating neuroinflammatory disease. Recently, myelin and lymphocyte (MAL) protein has been identified to be a key protein in the cytotoxic effect of Etx; however, the association of Etx with the immune system remains a central question. Here, we show that Etx selectively recognizes and kills only human cell lines expressing MAL protein through a direct Etx-MAL protein interaction. Experiments on lymphocytic cell lines revealed that MAL protein-expressing T cells, but not B cells, are sensitive to Etx and reveal that the toxin may be used as a molecular tool to distinguish subpopulations of lymphocytes. The overall results open the door to investigation of the role of Etx and on inflammatory and autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis.

Citing Articles

Does Clostridium Perfringens Epsilon Toxin Mimic an Auto-Antigen Involved in Multiple Sclerosis?.

Gougeon M, Seffer V, Hoxha C, Maillart E, Popoff M Toxins (Basel). 2025; 17(1).

PMID: 39852980 PMC: 11768822. DOI: 10.3390/toxins17010027.

Epsilon Toxin from Induces the Generation of Extracellular Vesicles in HeLa Cells Overexpressing Myelin and Lymphocyte Protein.

Dorca-Arevalo J, Santana-Ruiz A, Torrejon-Escribano B, Martin-Satue M, Blasi J Toxins (Basel). 2024; 16(12.

PMID: 39728783 PMC: 11728497. DOI: 10.3390/toxins16120525.

The epsilon toxin from Clostridium perfringens stimulates calcium-activated chloride channels, generating extracellular vesicles in Xenopus oocytes.

Cases M, Dorca-Arevalo J, Blanch M, Rodil S, Terni B, Martin-Satue M Pharmacol Res Perspect. 2024; 12(5):e70005.

PMID: 39320019 PMC: 11423345. DOI: 10.1002/prp2.70005.

The Barrier Disruption and Pyroptosis of Intestinal Epithelial Cells Caused by Perfringolysin O (PFO) from .

Liu Z, Mou S, Li L, Chen Q, Yang R, Guo S Cells. 2024; 13(13.

PMID: 38994991 PMC: 11240805. DOI: 10.3390/cells13131140.

The Molecular Architecture and Mode of Action of ε-Toxin.

Titball R Toxins (Basel). 2024; 16(4).

PMID: 38668605 PMC: 11053738. DOI: 10.3390/toxins16040180.

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