Hemagglutinin Protease HapA Associated With Vibrio cholerae Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMVs) Disrupts Tight and Adherens Junctions

ABSTRACT This study explores the virulence mechanisms of Vibrio cholerae, with a particular emphasis on HapA, a zinc metalloprotease delivered via outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). The findings reveal that OMV‐associated HapA disrupts the integrity of tight and adherens junctions in intestinal epithel...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Palwasha Baryalai, David Irenaeus, Eric Toh, Madeleine Ramstedt, Bernt Eric Uhlin, Aftab Nadeem, Sun Nyunt Wai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-05-01
Series:Journal of Extracellular Vesicles
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/jev2.70092
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:ABSTRACT This study explores the virulence mechanisms of Vibrio cholerae, with a particular emphasis on HapA, a zinc metalloprotease delivered via outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). The findings reveal that OMV‐associated HapA disrupts the integrity of tight and adherens junctions in intestinal epithelial cell models more effectively than its purified counterpart, suggesting that association with OMVs substantially potentiates the pathogenic effects of HapA. The study further details the uptake of V. cholerae OMVs by epithelial cells, as well as their targeted degradation of key junctional proteins, including claudin, ZO‐1, and β‐catenin. These results highlight the critical role of OMV‐associated HapA in compromising epithelial barrier function. Additionally, the use of spheroids and intestinal organoids in our experiments provides deeper insight into bacterial pathogenesis, offering valuable information for the development of targeted therapeutic strategies.
ISSN:2001-3078