Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology

The Korean Society for Microbiology and Biotechnology (한국미생물·생명공학회)
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Clostridium difficile Toxin A Induces Reactive Oxygen Species Production and p38 MAPK Activation to Exert Cellular Toxicity in Neuronal Cells

  • Zhang, Peng (Department of Life Science, College of Natural Science, Daejin University) ;
  • Hong, Ji (Department of Life Science, College of Natural Science, Daejin University) ;
  • Yoon, I Na (Department of Life Science, College of Natural Science, Daejin University) ;
  • Kang, Jin Ku (Lee Gil Ya Cancer and Diabetes Institute, Gachon University Graduate School of Medicine) ;
  • Hwang, Jae Sam (Department of Agricultural Biology, National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA) ;
  • Kim, Ho (Department of Life Science, College of Natural Science, Daejin University)
  • Received : 2017.02.15
  • Accepted : 2017.03.17
  • Published : 2017.06.28
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Abstract

Clostridium difficile releases two exotoxins, toxin A and toxin B, which disrupt the epithelial cell barrier in the gut to increase mucosal permeability and trigger inflammation with severe diarrhea. Many studies have suggested that enteric nerves are also directly involved in the progression of this toxin-mediated inflammation and diarrhea. C. difficile toxin A is known to enhance neurotransmitter secretion, increase gut motility, and suppress sympathetic neurotransmission in the guinea pig colitis model. Although previous studies have examined the pathophysiological role of enteric nerves in gut inflammation, the direct effect of toxins on neuronal cells and the molecular mechanisms underlying toxin-induced neuronal stress remained to be unveiled. Here, we examined the toxicity of C. difficile toxin A against neuronal cells (SH-SY5Y). We found that toxin A treatment time- and dose-dependently decreased cell viability and triggered apoptosis accompanied by caspase-3 activation in this cell line. These effects were found to depend on the up-regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the subsequent activation of p38 MAPK and induction of $p21^{Cip1/Waf1}$. Moreover, the N-acetyl-$\text\tiny L$-cysteine (NAC)-induced down-regulation of ROS could recover the viability loss and apoptosis of toxin A-treated neuronal cells. These results collectively suggest that C. difficile toxin A is toxic for neuronal cells, and that this is associated with rapid ROS generation and subsequent p38 MAPK activation and $p21^{Cip1/Waf1}$ up-regulation. Moreover, our data suggest that NAC could inhibit the toxicity of C. difficile toxin A toward enteric neurons.

Keywords

References

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