Cytotoxicity of bacterial metabolic products, including listeriolysin O, on leukocyte targets

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 2026

High-throughput Measurement of Plasma Membrane Resealing Efficiency in Mammalian Cells
10:07

High-throughput Measurement of Plasma Membrane Resealing Efficiency in Mammalian Cells

Published on: January 7, 2019

R Stachowiak1, M Lyzniak, B K Budziszewska

  • 1Department of Applied Microbiology, University of Warsaw, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland.

Journal of Biomedicine & Biotechnology
|October 24, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Bacterial toxins like listeriolysin O show anticancer potential. This study found listeriolysin O from Listeria and Bacillus strains effectively reduced cancer cell viability, particularly T cells.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Bacterial toxins are increasingly recognized for their therapeutic potential, including anticancer activities.
  • Listeriolysin O (LLO), a toxin from Listeria monocytogenes, is a pore-forming protein with immunomodulatory properties.
  • Investigating LLO's cytotoxic effects on cancer cell lines is crucial for developing novel cancer therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the anticancer effects of bacterial supernatants containing listeriolysin O.
  • To determine the cytotoxicity of LLO from Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus subtilis against various human cell lines.
  • To assess the influence of bacterial strain, target cell type, and supernatant concentration on LLO's efficacy.

Main Methods:

  • Cytotoxicity assays were performed using Jurkat cell line (T cell leukemia) and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC).
  • Supernatants from Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus subtilis strains, with and without LLO production, were tested.
  • The impact of varying supernatant concentrations on cell viability was analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Supernatants from LLO-producing Listeria monocytogenes strains demonstrated concentration-dependent cytotoxicity against Jurkat cells and PBMC.
  • Bacillus subtilis strains producing LLO also exhibited cytotoxicity towards PBMC and Jurkat cells, with Jurkat cells showing higher sensitivity.
  • LLO-producing bacterial supernatants were cytotoxic to B cells from chronic leukemia patients, irrespective of the strain.
  • One Bacillus subtilis strain lacking hemolytic activity showed selective cytotoxicity against Jurkat cells, suggesting LLO's specific effectiveness against T cells.

Conclusions:

  • Listeriolysin O from both Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus subtilis possesses significant anticancer activity against human leukemia and PBMC.
  • The efficacy of LLO-containing supernatants is dependent on the specific bacterial strain, the type of target cell, and the concentration of the supernatant.
  • LLO demonstrates selective cytotoxicity, particularly against T cell lines, highlighting its potential as a targeted anticancer agent.

More Related Videos

Using a Bacterial Pathogen to Probe for Cellular and Organismic-level Host Responses08:38

Using a Bacterial Pathogen to Probe for Cellular and Organismic-level Host Responses

Published on: February 22, 2019

Visualization of Bacterial Toxin Induced Responses Using Live Cell Fluorescence Microscopy14:29

Visualization of Bacterial Toxin Induced Responses Using Live Cell Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: October 1, 2012

Related Concept Videos

Defense Against Bacterial Pathogens01:31

Defense Against Bacterial Pathogens

The human immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to defend the body against bacterial infections. It consists of various immune cells, each playing a specific role in the defense mechanism.
Phagocytes
Phagocytes are the frontline soldiers of the immune system. They include neutrophils and macrophages. Neutrophils are the most abundant type of white blood cell and are quickly mobilized to the site of infection. Macrophages are larger cells that patrol...
Bacterial Toxins01:12

Bacterial Toxins

Bacterial toxins are sophisticated virulence factors that enable pathogenic bacteria to interact with, invade, and damage host tissues. These toxins fall broadly into two types: protein exotoxins, which are secreted into the environment and target specific host receptors, and lipopolysaccharide endotoxins, which are structural components of the bacterial outer membrane released primarily during bacterial lysis or membrane shedding. Exotoxins generally act more selectively, binding to cell...
Disorders of Leukocytes01:27

Disorders of Leukocytes

Leukocyte disorders can lead to either leukopenia, characterized by an abnormally low leukocyte count, or leukocytosis, marked by a very high leukocyte number.
Leukopenia may result from bone marrow disorders, autoimmune diseases, and infectious diseases. For example, conditions such as multiple myeloma and aplastic anemia can impair the bone marrow's ability to produce adequate leukocytes. Similarly, autoimmune diseases like lupus and viral infections such as HIV can prompt the immune system...
Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response01:27

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

Cytotoxic T cells are a vital component of the immune system. They have the remarkable ability to identify and target antigens on infected or abnormal cells. These antigens often originate from intracellular pathogens such as viruses or abnormal proteins cancer cells produce.
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
Hypersensitivity Reactions: Cytolytic Reactions01:01

Hypersensitivity Reactions: Cytolytic Reactions

Type II hypersensitivity involves IgG and IgM antibodies targeting cell surface antigens, leading to cell destruction. This can occur through complement activation, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), or acting as opsonins for phagocytosis. When excessive, these reactions cause significant tissue damage.Drug-induced hemolytic anemia is a common example, where drugs like penicillin or cephalosporins bind to red blood cells, forming drug-protein complexes. These complexes...
Inhibitors of Bacterial Protein Synthesis01:25

Inhibitors of Bacterial Protein Synthesis

Aminoglycosides constitute a highly potent class of bactericidal antibiotics that exert their antimicrobial effects by targeting the bacterial ribosome, specifically disrupting protein synthesis. These polycationic molecules consist of amino-modified sugars linked via glycosidic bonds to an aminocyclitol core such as 2-deoxystreptamine or streptamine. Their strong positive charges facilitate tight binding to the negatively charged phosphate backbone of ribosomal RNA (rRNA), primarily at the 16S...