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Review
. 2021 Nov 26;13(12):845.
doi: 10.3390/toxins13120845.

Delivery of Toxins and Effectors by Bacterial Membrane Vesicles

Adrian Macion  1 , Agnieszka Wyszyńska  1 , Renata Godlewska  1
Affiliations
Review

Delivery of Toxins and Effectors by Bacterial Membrane Vesicles

Adrian Macion et al. Toxins (Basel). .

Abstract

Pathogenic bacteria interact with cells of their host via many factors. The surface components, i.e., adhesins, lipoproteins, LPS and glycoconjugates, are particularly important in the initial stages of colonization. They enable adhesion and multiplication, as well as the formation of biofilms. In contrast, virulence factors such as invasins and toxins act quickly to damage host cells, causing tissue destruction and, consequently, organ dysfunction. These proteins must be exported from the bacterium and delivered to the host cell in order to function effectively. Bacteria have developed a number of one- and two-step secretion systems to transport their proteins to target cells. Recently, several authors have postulated the existence of another transport system (sometimes called "secretion system type zero"), which utilizes extracellular structures, namely membrane vesicles (MVs). This review examines the role of MVs as transporters of virulence factors and the interaction of toxin-containing vesicles and other protein effectors with different human cell types. We focus on the unique ability of vesicles to cross the blood-brain barrier and deliver protein effectors from intestinal or oral bacteria to the central nervous system.

Keywords: bacterial toxins; membrane vesicle; pathogenesis; secretion systems; virulence factors.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mechanisms of bacterial membrane vesicle formation. In gram-negative bacteria, membrane vesicles are produced through membrane blebbing or explosive cell lysis triggered by phage-derived endolysins. Endolysins participate in the formation of cytoplasmic membrane vesicles (CMVs) in Gram-positive bacteria. The cytoplasmic membrane protrudes through holes in the peptidoglycan degraded by phage-derived endolysins. The contents of the membrane vesicles depends on the route of their formation. EMV—explosive membrane vesicle; OIMV—outer-inner membrane vesicle; OMV—outer membrane vesicle; CMV—cytoplasmic membrane vesicle.
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