Biomaterial Database

[Cytotoxin vacuolization of Helicobacter pylori]. 1996

A Przondo-Mordarska, and J Zakrzewska-Czerwińska

Katedra i Zakład Mikrobiologii Akademii Medycznej we Wrocławiu.

Helicobacter pylori is now recognized as the major causative agent of chronic superficial gastritis in humans. The virulence factors of H. pylori are still poorly understood. Vacuolating cytotoxin (VacA) is one of the factors that has been identified so far. VacA induces cytoplasmic vacuolation in eukaryotic cells. The vacA gene encodes a precursor protein of 140 kDa which consists of a 33-amino acid signal sequence, the 87 kDa cytotoxin and a 50 kDa C-terminal domain. The 50 kDa domain is involved in translocation of VacA across outer membrane. Sequence analysis of vacA gene derived from different strains of H. pylori revealed the existence of several families of vacA gene allels. Analysis of a clinically isolated strains of H. pylori showed the correlation between presence of specific vacA allels, VacA activity and peptic ulceration.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D002908	Chronic Disease	Diseases which have one or more of the following characteristics: they are permanent, leave residual disability, are caused by nonreversible pathological alteration, require special training of the patient for rehabilitation, or may be expected to require a long period of supervision, observation, or care (Dictionary of Health Services Management, 2d ed). For epidemiological studies chronic disease often includes HEART DISEASES; STROKE; CANCER; and diabetes (DIABETES MELLITUS, TYPE 2).	Chronic Condition,Chronic Illness,Chronically Ill,Chronic Conditions,Chronic Diseases,Chronic Illnesses,Condition, Chronic,Disease, Chronic,Illness, Chronic
D003603	Cytotoxins	Substances that are toxic to cells; they may be involved in immunity or may be contained in venoms. These are distinguished from CYTOSTATIC AGENTS in degree of effect. Some of them are used as CYTOTOXIC ANTIBIOTICS. The mechanism of action of many of these are as ALKYLATING AGENTS or MITOSIS MODULATORS.	Cytolysins,Cytotoxic Agent,Cytotoxic Agents,Cytotoxin,Agent, Cytotoxic
D005756	Gastritis	Inflammation of the GASTRIC MUCOSA, a lesion observed in a number of unrelated disorders.	Gastritides
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013045	Species Specificity	The restriction of a characteristic behavior, anatomical structure or physical system, such as immune response; metabolic response, or gene or gene variant to the members of one species. It refers to that property which differentiates one species from another but it is also used for phylogenetic levels higher or lower than the species.	Species Specificities,Specificities, Species,Specificity, Species
D014617	Vacuoles	Any spaces or cavities within a cell. They may function in digestion, storage, secretion, or excretion.	Vacuole
D016480	Helicobacter pylori	A spiral bacterium active as a human gastric pathogen. It is a gram-negative, urease-positive, curved or slightly spiral organism initially isolated in 1982 from patients with lesions of gastritis or peptic ulcers in Western Australia. Helicobacter pylori was originally classified in the genus CAMPYLOBACTER, but RNA sequencing, cellular fatty acid profiles, growth patterns, and other taxonomic characteristics indicate that the micro-organism should be included in the genus HELICOBACTER. It has been officially transferred to Helicobacter gen. nov. (see Int J Syst Bacteriol 1989 Oct;39(4):297-405).	Campylobacter pylori,Campylobacter pylori subsp. pylori,Campylobacter pyloridis,Helicobacter nemestrinae