Membrane substrates of HtrA from Helicobacter pylori

High temperature requirement A (HtrA) is a serine protease secreted by the group-I carcinogen Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). The human cell adhesion protein and tumor suppressor E-cadherin (hCdh1) expressed on the surface of gastric epithelial cells was identified as the first HtrA substrate. HtrA-mediated hCdh1 cleavage and subsequent disruption of intercellular adhesion are considered as important steps in H. pylori pathogenesis. In this study, we performed a proteomic profiling of H. pylori HtrA (HpHtrA) to decipher the complex mechanism how H. pylori can interfere with epithelial barrier integrity.