Cholera infections caused by Vibrio cholerae bacteria can be life-threatening and the trigger is the cholera toxin produced by the bacteria. It binds to the surface of intestinal cells—more precisely, to certain “sugar lipids” (GM1 gangliosides, GM1) on the cell surfaces. This bond is one of the strongest known interactions between a protein—the toxin—and the sugar part of GM1. It enables the cholera toxin to penetrate the intestinal cells, which causes the very rapid loss of fluid.
In an interdisciplinary approach, a team from the University of Münster, ETH Zürich and Leibniz Universität Hannover has now analyzed a key component of the GM1 cholera toxin complex for the first time using a fluorinated GM1 analog. The findings on the molecular mechanisms of the strong interaction help to better understand the disease and could enable the development of novel drugs.
The work was published in the journal ACS Central Science.
As one of the most abundant biomolecule classes on the plant, carbohydrates are essential in all areas of biology and medicine. From determining blood groups to regulating the immune system and supplying cells with energy—the complexity of these sugar molecules offers great potential for the development of next-generation drugs. However, their interaction with the target proteins is often too weak to be utilized for therapeutic purposes.
By Hanna Dieckmann, University of Münster
Article can be accessed on: phys.org