A Burkholderia pseudomallei toxin inhibits helicase activity of translation factor eIF4A

Science. 2011 Nov 11;334(6057):821-4. doi: 10.1126/science.1211915.

Abstract

The structure of BPSL1549, a protein of unknown function from Burkholderia pseudomallei, reveals a similarity to Escherichia coli cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1. We found that BPSL1549 acted as a potent cytotoxin against eukaryotic cells and was lethal when administered to mice. Expression levels of bpsl1549 correlate with conditions expected to promote or suppress pathogenicity. BPSL1549 promotes deamidation of glutamine-339 of the translation initiation factor eIF4A, abolishing its helicase activity and inhibiting translation. We propose to name BPSL1549 Burkholderia lethal factor 1.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Motifs
  • Animals
  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry*
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Bacterial Proteins / toxicity*
  • Bacterial Toxins / chemistry*
  • Bacterial Toxins / genetics
  • Bacterial Toxins / metabolism
  • Bacterial Toxins / toxicity*
  • Burkholderia pseudomallei / chemistry*
  • Burkholderia pseudomallei / pathogenicity*
  • Catalytic Domain
  • Cell Line
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Cytotoxins / chemistry
  • Cytotoxins / genetics
  • Cytotoxins / metabolism
  • Cytotoxins / toxicity
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / chemistry
  • Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-4A / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-4A / metabolism
  • Glutamine / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Models, Molecular
  • Mutant Proteins / toxicity
  • Peptide Chain Initiation, Translational / drug effects
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary

Substances

  • BPSL1549 protein, Burkholderia pseudomallei
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Bacterial Toxins
  • Cytotoxins
  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • Mutant Proteins
  • Glutamine
  • cytotoxic necrotizing factor type 1
  • Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-4A

Associated data

  • PDB/3TU8
  • PDB/3TUA