While the role of A. haemolyticum PLD in pathogenesis is currently unclear, PLD is expressed during infection, as determined by the presence of serum antibodies in pharyngitis patients [15, 16]. PLDs are ubiquitous enzymes which cleave phospholipids, including phosphatidylcholine (PC) and sphingomyelin

(SM), both learn more of which are abundant in the mammalian plasma membrane [17]. SM, with cholesterol and GPI-anchored proteins, predominantly partitions to lipid rafts, which are tightly packed, membrane micro-domains that act to compartmentalize cellular processes on the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane [18]. Lipid rafts are also implicated in host cell invasion by microorganisms [19]. Host PLD cleaves SM releasing ceramide and accumulation of ceramide within

rafts alters their biophysical properties, leading to the formation of large, ceramide-rich membrane platforms [20]. These platforms allow reorganization and aggregation of protein receptors and receptor-associated signaling molecules, which in turn facilitates efficient signal transduction for normal physiological processes [20]. In contrast, PC found in the liquid disordered, or non-raft, phase, is associated with both the inner and outer membrane leaflets, and is cleaved by PLD selleckchem to phosphatidic acid and choline, which also have roles as second messengers [18]. PLD is the only A. haemolyticum virulence factor cloned and sequenced to date [21]. Almost invariantly, PLDs possess two His-X-Lys-X4-Asp (HKD) buy MM-102 motifs that are involved in catalysis [22]. However, the PLD expressed by A. haemolyticum is not related to these more common HKD PLDs and has a limited substrate specificity which includes SM, but not PC [23], leading to the alternate nomenclature, sphingomyelinase D. Unlike host sphingomyelinases, A. haemolyticum PLD

cleaves SM releasing ceramide-1-PO4 instead of ceramide. Like ceramide, ceramide-1-PO4 is a bioactive sphingolipid, and it acts as a signaling molecule involved in regulating critical cell functions [24]. A. haemolyticum PLD is most closely C-X-C chemokine receptor type 7 (CXCR-7) related to the PLD of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis [21]. In C. pseudotuberculosis, PLD is absolutely required for virulence, as a pld mutant could not spread from the site of inoculation or persist in the lymph nodes [25]. C. pseudotuberculosis PLD hydrolyzes SM in host cell membranes and lysophosphatidylcholine in plasma [23], which causes endothelial membrane leakage and cytolysis, leading to enhanced vascular permeability [25]. C. pseudotuberculosis PLD also activates complement [26], promotes neutrophil chemotaxis [27] and is directly dermonecrotic when injected into the skin [26]. The PLDs of recluse spider (Loxosceles spp.) venom are also structurally and functionally related to the A. haemolyticum and corynebacterial PLDs [28].