Suppression of β‐catenin signaling in colon carcinoma cells by a bacterial protein

Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer‐related death worldwide. The adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene is mutated in hereditary colorectal tumors and in more than 80% of sporadic colorectal tumors. APC mutations impair β‐catenin degradation, leading to its permanent stabilization and increased transcription of cancer‐driving target genes. In colon cancer, impairment of β‐catenin degradation leads to its cytoplasmic accumulation, nuclear translocation, and subsequent activation of tumor cell proliferation. Suppressing β‐catenin signaling in cancer cells therefore appears to be a promising strategy for new anticancer strategies. Recently, we discovered a novel Vibrio cholerae cytotoxin, motility‐associated killing factor A (MakA), that affects both invertebrate and vertebrate hosts. It promotes bacterial survival and proliferation in invertebrate predators but has unknown biological role(s) in mammalian hosts. Here, we report that MakA can cause lethality of tumor cells via induction of apoptosis. Interestingly, MakA exhibited potent cytotoxic activity, in particular against several tested cancer cell lines, while appearing less toxic toward nontransformed cells. MakA bound to the tumor cell surface became internalized into the endolysosomal compartment and induced leakage of endolysosomal membranes, causing cytosolic release of cathepsins and activation of proapoptotic proteins. In addition, MakA altered β‐catenin integrity in colon cancer cells, partly through a caspase‐ and proteasome‐dependent mechanism. Importantly, MakA inhibited β‐catenin‐mediated tumor cell proliferation. Remarkably, intratumor injection of MakA significantly reduced tumor development in a colon cancer murine solid tumor model. These data identify MakA as a novel candidate to be considered in new strategies for development of therapeutic agents against colon cancer. What's new? While immune responses induced by bacterial infection may be leveraged to fight cancer, few bacterial proteins have been investigated for anticancer potential. Here, the bacterial protein and virulence factor MakA, from Vibrio cholerae, was examined for possible anticancer effects. In vitro, MakA was found to be lethal to tumor cells, exhibiting potent cytotoxic activity in different cancer cell lines, with less toxicity in non‐transformed cells. In colon cancer cells specifically, MakA inhibited β‐catenin‐mediated tumor cell proliferation. Moreover, in a murine colon cancer model, MakA in