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Updated: May 21, 2026

Directed Protein Packaging within Outer Membrane Vesicles from Escherichia coli: Design, Production and Purification
Published on: November 16, 2016
Investigation of a bacterial pore-forming chimera toxin for application as a novel drug-delivery system tool
Atsushi Tabata1, Yukimasa Ohkubo, Eriko Sakakura
1Department of Biological Science and Technology, Life System, Institute of Technology and Science, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan.
Background/Aim:
Cholesterol-dependent cytolysins (CDCs) are pore-forming toxins from Gram-positive bacteria. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of a CDC, intermedilysin, as a drug-delivery system (DDS) for clinical application.
Materials And Methods:
Intermedilysin was modified by the addition of a disulfide bridge to regulate pore formation, by swapping domain 4 to provide cholesterol-binding capacity, and by the introduction of a targeting domain. The resultant chimera protein, His-LTBP-CDC(ss)(IP), was investigated for its use as a DDS tool in vitro.
Results:
His-LTBP-CDC(ss)(IP) exhibited a regulated pore-forming capacity under reducing conditions. This chimera protein was able to deliver a drug-carrier liposome specifically to the target cell, to be endocytosed into the cell with subsequent release of the components into the cytoplasm.
Conclusion:
A chimera protein derived from the bacterial pore-forming toxin intermedilysin (His-LTBP-CDC(ss)(IP)) forms the basis for a novel DDS tool.
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