Whooping cough: elucidation of a critical stage in the action of the CyaA toxin

Scientists from the Institut Pasteur are investigating CyaA, one of the major toxins of Bordetella pertussis. This bacterium is responsible for whooping cough, a disease that is currently on the rise. Acylation is a biochemical reaction in which an acyl chain is added to a molecule. It was already known that the CyaA protein was acylated in Bordetella pertussis. The scientists used a combination of experimental approaches to demonstrate that the acylation of CyaA is vital in inducing the folding of the entire hydrophobic region of the toxin, thereby giving it a soluble, functional conformation. This important finding sheds light on the acquisition of CyaA toxicity.

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