Vacuolating cytotoxin of Helicobacter pylori induces apoptosis in the human gastric epithelial cell line AGS.

ABSTRACT: Helicobacter pylori induces cell death by apoptosis. However, the apoptosis-inducing factor is still unknown. The virulence factor vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA) is a potential candidate, and thus its role in apoptosis induction was investigated in the human gastric epithelial cell line AGS. The supernatant from the vacA wild-type strain P12 was able to induce apoptotic cell death, whereas the supernatant from its isogenic mutant strain P14 could not. That VacA was indeed the apoptosis-inducing factor was demonstrated further by substantial reduction of apoptosis upon treatment of AGS cells with a supernatant specifically depleted of native VacA. Furthermore, a recombinant VacA produced in Escherichia coli was also able to induce apoptosis in AGS cells but failed to induce cellular vacuola

SUBMITTER: Kuck D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC98603 | biostudies-literature | 2001 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature