Helicobacter pylori VacA: a new perspective on an invasive chloride channel

ISSN
1286-4579
Date Issued
2012
Author(s)
Rassow, Joachim
DOI
10.1016/j.micinf.2012.07.002
Abstract
The vacuolating cytotoxin VacA, a polypeptide of about 88 kDa, is one of the major virulence factors of Helicobacter pylori. VacA essentially acts as an invasive chloride channel targeting mitochondria. The results of recent studies open a new perspective on the mechanisms by which VacA causes loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial fragmentation, formation of reactive oxygen species, autophagy, cell death and gastric cancer. (C) 2012 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.