Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Vol.100, No.11, 5079-5088, 2016
Discovery of the cell-penetrating function of A(2) domain derived from LTA subunit of Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin
Heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) is a protein toxin produced by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). As a bacterial toxin, LT holotoxin can enter intestinal epithelial cells and cause diarrhea. In addition, LT is also a powerful mucosal adjuvant capable of enhancing the strong immune responses to co-administered antigens. However, the LT immunological mechanism is still not clear in some aspects, especially with the respect to how the LTA subunit functions alone. Here, we discovered that the A(2) domain of LTA could carry a fluorescent protein into cells, whose function is similar to a cell-penetrating peptide. The transmembrane-transporting ability of the A(2) domain is non-specific in its cell-penetrating function, which was shown through testing with different cell types. Moreover, the LTA(2) fusion protein penetrated a fluorescently labeled cell membrane that identified LTA(2) internalization through membrane transport pathways, and showed it finally localized in the endoplasmic reticulum. Furthermore, low-temperature stress and pharmacological agent treatments showed that the LTA(2) internalization route is a temperature-dependent process involving the clathrin-mediated endocytosis and the macropinocytosis pathways. These results could explain the internalization of the LTA subunit alone without the LTB pentamer, contributing to a better understanding of LTA working as a mucosal adjuvant; they also suggest that the A(2) domain could be used as a novel transport vehicle for research and treatment of disease.
Keywords:Heat-labile enterotoxin (LT);A2 domain;Cell-penetrating;Multi-endocytosis pathway;Drugs delivery