Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.1.4.3 (phospholipase C)
 18,461 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram-negative pathogen, versatile and opportunistic in terms of its genetics, metabolic potential, and mechanisms of virulence. This versatility enables it to respond to variable and frequently adverse environmental conditions. Considered by many to be an aerobic organism, it is capable of growing anaerobically if certain substrates are available, for example, nitrates or arginine. Diversity of mechanisms of genetic exchange, including transformation, transduction, and conjugation, help P. aeruginosa adapt to changing conditions by acquiring new genetic information. Genetic manipulations have been exploited in recent years to study the basic biology of this bacterial species and the roles of its numerous virulence factors. Recently, transposon mutagenesis techniques and recombinant DNA methods (cloning) have been used to study some of the virulence factors of P. aeruginosa. The pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa infections is multifactorial, as manifested by the numerous toxins, or virulence factors, it produces and the variety of diseases it causes. P. aeruginosa is invasive and toxigenic. Infections appear to occur in stages: bacterial adherence, colonization, invasion and dissemination, and systemic or toxemic disease. Virulence factors can contribute to one or several stages of pathogenesis. Surface factors, including pili, lipopolysaccharide, and polysaccharide slime (alginate), probably contribute to the first two stages. Polysaccharide slime and lipopolysaccharide may also contribute to other processes later in the course of infection. Toxins, including exotoxin A and phospholipase C (hemolysin), and proteases of P. aeruginosa may contribute to tissue damage and dissemination. They may also aid in the procurement of nutrients required by the bacteria in the early stages of infection. The significance of the different virulence factors probably depends on the infection. Alginate production and phospholipase C are likely to have special significance in respiratory infections, particularly in cystic fibrosis.
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PMID:Pseudomonas aeruginosa: biology, mechanisms of virulence, epidemiology. 300 72

Infections with Staphylococcus aureus, a common inducer of septic and toxic shock, often result in tissue damage and death of various cell types. Although S. aureus was suggested to induce apoptosis, the underlying signal transduction pathways remained elusive. We show that caspase activation and DNA fragmentation were induced not only when Jurkat T cells were infected with intact bacteria, but also after treatment with supernatants of various S. aureus strains. We also demonstrate that S. aureus-induced cell death and caspase activation were mediated by alpha-toxin, a major cytotoxin of S. aureus, since both events were abrogated by two different anti-alpha-toxin antibodies and could not be induced with supernatants of an alpha-toxin-deficient S. aureus strain. Furthermore, alpha-toxin-induced caspase activation in CD95-resistant Jurkat sublines lacking CD95, Fas-activated death domain, or caspase-8 but not in cells stably expressing the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2. Together with our finding that alpha-toxin induces cytochrome c release in intact cells and, interestingly, also from isolated mitochondria in a Bcl-2-controlled manner, our results demonstrate that S. aureus alpha-toxin triggers caspase activation via the intrinsic death pathway independently of death receptors. Hence, our findings clearly define a signaling pathway used in S. aureus-induced cytotoxicity and may provide a molecular rationale for future therapeutic interventions in bacterial infections.
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PMID:alpha-Toxin is a mediator of Staphylococcus aureus-induced cell death and activates caspases via the intrinsic death pathway independently of death receptor signaling. 1169 59

Infections caused by Streptococcus suis, a major swine pathogen, include meningitis, arthritis, pneumonia and septicaemia. In this study, we investigated interactions that may occur between human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC), the main constituent of the blood-brain barrier, and S. suis. We show that S. suis acquires plasmin activity in a time-dependent manner when in contact with cultured HBMEC. Cell-associated plasmin activity reached a plateau following a 48h co-incubation period. Zymography analysis revealed that HBMEC produce urokinase, which is probably involved in activation of plasminogen bound to S. suis. We also show that a S. suis culture supernatant which possesses both phospholipase C and haemolysin (suilysin) activities was able to induce the release of arachidonic acid from the membrane of HBMEC. Evidence suggests that the action of suilysin on HBMEC may be a prerequisite for the action of additional molecules such as phospholipase C. These new biological effects associated with S. suis may play an important role in the migration of S. suis through the blood-brain barrier and in the modulation of local inflammation.
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PMID:Acquisition of plasmin activity and induction of arachidonic acid release by Streptococcus suis in contact with human brain microvascular endothelial cells. 1618 70