Staphylococcus aureus Panton-Valentine leukocidin directly targets mitochondria and induces Bax-independent apoptosis of human neutrophils
J. Clin. Invest. Anne-Laure Genestier, et al. 115:3117 doi:10.1172/JCI22684 [Go to this article.]

Figure 5
rPVL-induced PMN apoptosis uses caspases involved in the mitochondrial pathway. (A) Three-day-activated PBLs were incubated with medium or 5 μM STS for 6 hours and PMNs were incubated with medium or with 5 nM rPVL, and, at the indicated times, total protein extracts were prepared and proteins were separated on 12% SDS-PAGE followed by Western blotting with anti–caspase-3, -8 or -9 Ab. Data are from 1 of 2 independent experiments that gave similar results. The cross represents a nonspecific band. (B) PMNs were incubated with medium or with 5 nM rPVL in the presence or absence of zVAD-fmk (100 μM), zIETD-fmk (100 μM), or zLEHD-fmk (100 μM). Apoptosis was measured as surface binding of annexin V. Results are mean ± SD of 3 data points. Data are from 1 of 3 independent experiments that gave similar results. *P ≤ 0.01; **P ≤ 0.001.