Infection with Helicobacter pylori is a major risk factor for development of gastric disease, including gastric cancer. Patients infected with H. pylori strains that express CagA are at even greater risk of gastric carcinoma. Given the importance of CagA, this report describes a new molecular mechanism by which the cagA copy number dynamically expands and contracts in H. pylori. Analysis of strain PMSS1 revealed a heterogeneous population in terms of numbers of cagA copies; strains carried from zero to four copies of cagA that were arranged as direct repeats within the chromosome. Each of the multiple copies of cagA was expressed and encoded functional CagA; strains with more cagA repeats exhibited higher levels of CagA expression and increased levels of delivery and phosphorylation of CagA within host cells. This concomitantly resulted in more virulent phenotypes as measured by cell elongation and interleukin-8 (IL-8) induction. Sequence analysis of the repeat region revealed three cagA homologous areas (CHAs) within the cagA repeats. Of these, CHA-ud flanked each of the cagA copies and is likely important for the dynamic variation of cagA copy numbers. Analysis of a large panel of clinical isolates showed that 7.5% of H. pylori strains isolated in the United States harbored multiple cagA repeats, while none of the tested Korean isolates carried more than one copy of cagA. Finally, H. pylori strains carrying multiple cagA copies were differentially associated with gastric disease. Thus, the dynamic expansion and contraction of cagA copy numbers may serve as a novel mechanism by which H. pylori modulates gastric disease development.

Helicobacter pylori is associated with hypergastrinemia, which has been linked to the development of gastric diseases. Although the molecular mechanism is not fully understood, H. pylori is known to modulate the Erk pathway for induction of gastrin expression. Herein we found that an epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor kinase inhibitor significantly blocked H. pylori-induced gastrin promoter activity, suggesting involvement of EGF receptor ligands. Indeed, H. pylori induced mRNA expression of EGF family members such as amphiregulin, EGF, heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF), and transforming growth factor-α. Of these, specific siRNA targeting of HB-EGF significantly blocked H. pylori-induced gastrin expression. Moreover, H. pylori induced HB-EGF ectodomain shedding, which we found to be a critical process for H. pylori-induced gastrin expression. Thus, we demonstrate a novel role for human mature HB-EGF in stimulating gastrin promoter activity during H. pylori infection. Further investigation using specific siRNAs targeting each isoform of Raf, Mek, and Erk elucidated that the mechanism underlying H. pylori-induced gastrin expression can be delineated as the sequential activation of HB-EGF, the EGF receptor, C-Raf, Mek1, and the Erk2 molecules in the MAPK pathway. Surprisingly, whereas Erk2 acts as a potent activator of gastrin expression, siRNA knockdown of Erk1 induced gastrin promoter activity, suggesting that Erk1 typically acts as a repressor of gastrin expression. Elucidation of the mechanism of gastrin modulation by HB-EGF-mediated EGF receptor transactivation should facilitate the development of therapeutic strategies against H. pylori-related hypergastrinemia and consequently gastric disease development, including gastric cancers.

Infection with CagA+ Helicobacter pylori strains is linked to an increased risk for gastric diseases, including gastric cancer. Recent evidence indicates that dynamic expansion and contraction of cagA copy number may serve as a novel mechanism to enhance disease development. Herein, comparative genomic analysis divided hpEurope into two groups: hpEurope/type-A and type-B. Only hpEurope/type-B displayed the multi- cagA genotype. Further analysis showed that cag PAI appears to have been independently introduced into two different H . pylori types, termed pre-type-A and pre-type-B, which consequently evolved to cag PAI type-A and type-B, respectively; importantly, all multi- cagA genotype strains displayed cag PAI type-B. Two direct cagA -flanking repeats of a genetic element termed CHA-ud were essential for the multi- cagA genotype in strain PMSS1 (hpEurope/type-B and cag PAI type-B). Furthermore, introduction of this genetic element into strain G27 (hpEurope/type-A and cag PAI type-A) was sufficient to generate the multi- cagA genotype. The critical steps in the evolution of the multi- cagA genotype involved creation of CHA-ud at cagA upstream in cag PAI type-B strains followed by its duplication to cagA downstream. En masse , elucidation of the mechanism by which H . pylori evolved to carry multiple copies of cagA helps to provide a better understanding of how this ancient pathogen interacts with its host.

Mammalian γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) has been identified as a bone-resorbing factor. Since GGT of Bacillus subtilis exhibits similarity in their primary structure and enzymatic characteristics with mammalian GGTs, the bone-resorbing activity of bacterial GGT was examined in this study. Osteoclastogenesis was performed in a co-culture system of mouse calvaria-derived osteoblasts and bone marrow cells. A conditioned medium from GGT-overproducing B. subtilis culture showed significantly higher activity of osteoclast formation than a conditioned medium from wild-type B. subtilis culture. Recombinant GGT (rGGT) of wild-type B. subtilis and an enzymatic activity-defected rGGT of B. subtilis 2288 mutant were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified using His tag. Both purified rGGTs induced similar levels of osteoclastogenesis, suggesting that B. subtilis GGT possesses virulent bone-resorbing activity and its activity is probably independent of its enzymatic activity. Furthermore, a recombinant protein of B. subtilis GGT heavy subunit (Bs rGGT/H) showed strong activity of osteoclastogenesis while the light subunit failed to show strong activity, suggesting that the bone-resorbing activity is mainly located at the heavy subunit. More importantly, the GGT enzymatic activity may not be required for this virulence activity since the light subunit contains the catalytic pocket. In addition, B. subtilis rGGT stimulated mRNA expressions of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), while an osteoprotegerin inhibited the osteoclast formation induced by Bs rGGT/H. This is the first demonstration that bacterial GGT itself is sufficient to act as a bone-resorbing virulence factor via RANKL-dependent pathway. Therefore, it can be hypothesized that GGT of periodontopathic bacteria may play an important role as a virulence factor in bone destruction.