Functional Dissection of Leishmania major Membrane Components in Resistance to Cholesterol-Dependent Cytolysins.

ABSTRACT: Bacteria use cholesterol-dependent cytolysins (CDCs) to damage eukaryotes. While well-studied in mammals, the mechanisms by which CDCs bind to and kill protozoans remain unclear. CDCs bind to the human pathogen Leishmania major but only kill in the absence of sphingolipids. The contribution of other leishmanial membrane components to CDC binding and cytotoxicity remains unknown. Here, we used genetic knockouts and inhibitors to determine the contribution of key membrane components to CDC binding and killing in L. major. We analyzed toxin binding and killing using flow cytometry and Western blotting. Loss of the virulence factor GP63 enhanced toxicity of perfringolysin O but not streptolysin O. Plasmenylethanolamine and lipophosphoglycan had minimal contributions to CDC bindin

SUBMITTER: Haram CS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12846037 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature