Bacterial Toxin Exploits Host Membrane Phospholipid as a Receptor for Binding, Entry, and Cytopathogenicity.

ABSTRACT: Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a leading cause of bacterial community-acquired pneumonia, responsible for severe respiratory and extrapulmonary diseases in children and adults. The Community Acquired Respiratory Distress Syndrome (CARDS) toxin is a key virulence factor that exerts ADP-ribosylating and vacuolating activities on host cells, recapitulating the inflammatory and histopathological damage seen in infected airways. Although the host proteins annexin-A2 (AnxA2) and surfactant protein-A were previously identified as toxin receptors, their absence did not abrogate CARDS toxin activity. Intriguingly, our subsequent work identified an interaction between CARDS toxin and the ubiquitous membrane phospholipids sphingomyelin (SM) and phosphatidylcholine (PC). This study investigated whether CARD

SUBMITTER: Kirkpatrick AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12871915 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature