Escherichia coli hemolysin may damage target cell membranes by generating transmembrane pores

Abstract

Escherichia coli hemolysin is secreted as a water-soluble polypeptide of M(r) 107,000. After binding to target erythrocytes, the membrane-bound toxin resembled an integral membrane protein in that it was refractory towards extraction with salt solutions of low ionic strength. Toxin-induced hemolysis could be totally inhibited by addition of 30 mM dextran 4 (mean M(r), 4,000; molecular diameter ~3 nm) to the extracellular medium. Uncharged molecules of smaller size (e.g., sucrose, with a molecular diameter of 0.9 nm, or raffinose, with a molecular diameter of 1.2 to 1.3 nm) did not afford such protection. Treatment of erythrocytes suspended in dextran-conditioning buffer with the toxin induced rapid efflux of cellular K+ and influx of 45Ca2+, as well as influx of [14C]mannitol and [3H]sucrose. [3H]inulin only slowly permeated into toxin-treated cells, and [3H]dextran uptake was virtually nil. Membranes lysed with high doses of E. coli hemolysin exhibited no recognizable ultrastructural lesions when examined by negative-staining electron microscopy. Sucrose density gradient centrifugation of deoxycholate-solubilized target membranes led to recovery of the toxin exclusively in monomer form. Incubation of toxin-treated cells with trypsin caused limited proteolysis with the generation of membrane-bound, toxin-derived polypeptides of M(r) ~80,000 without destroying the functional pore. We suggest that E. coli hemolysin may damage cell membranes by partial insertion into the lipid bilayer and generation of a discrete, hydrophilic transmembrane pore with an effective diameter of ~3 nm. In contrast to the structured pores generated by cytolysins of gram-positive bacteria such as staphylococcal α-toxin and streptolysin O, pore formation by E. coli hemolysin may be caused by the insertion of toxin monomers into the target lipid bilayers.