Recommend a paper

Cell & Molecular Biology
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- Sphingomyelin Functions as a Novel Receptor for Helicobacter pylori VacA
  - Vijay R. Gupta, Hetal K. Patel, Sean S. Kostolansky, Roberto A. Ballivian, Joseph Eichberg, Steven R. Blanke, Partho Ghosh,
  - Original article citation: PLoS Pathogens 4," e1000073 ,
  - Categories: Cell & Molecular Biology and Clinical Medicine
  - Recommended by: Anand Giddabasappa CS on 05/25/2008 07:05AM GMT
  - Reasons for recommending:
    Helicobacter pylori is a gastric pathogen that causes gastric and duodenal ulcer and even gastric carcinoma. VacA, a vaculating cytotoxin secreted by this pathogen is responsible for this toxic action on the host cell. Though VacA was known to interact with the cell membrane of the host (gastric epithelium), the internalization mechanisms were unknown. This paper shows that VacA binds to an unusual receptor called sphingomyelin. Sphingomyelin, a membrane lipid acts as the receptor on the host cell and facilitates binding and internalization of the cytotoxin. This article provides the molecular basis for the binding and action of VacA. Further, it also sheds light on the role of lipid rafts as target to block the pathogenic effects of H. pylori.

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