Induction of cell cycle arrest in lymphocytes following exposure to the Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans cytolethal distending toxin (Cdt) is dependent upon the integrity of lipid membrane microdomains. Moreover, we have previously demonstrated that the association of Cdt with target cells involves the CdtC subunit which binds to cholesterol via a cholesterol recognition amino acid consensus sequence (CRAC site). In this study, we demonstrate that the active Cdt subunit, CdtB, also is capable of binding to large unilamellar vesicles ( A ggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is a Gram-negative organism that is associated with aggressive forms of periodontitis and other systemic infections (1-5). Periodontitis is a chronic infectious inflammatory disorder that ultimately leads to the destruction of tooth-supporting tissue. While the exact nature of the pathogenesis of periodontal disease and the contribution of bacteria to this process are not known, it is becoming increasingly clear that A. actinomycetemcomitans produces several potential virulence factors; these include adhesins and fimbria which have been shown to contribute to colonization of the human oral cavity as well as two exotoxins, cytolethal distending toxin (Cdt) and leukotoxin, both of which are capable of killing and/or altering the function of host immune cells (4,(6)(7)(8).The Cdts are a family of heat-labile protein cytotoxins produced by several additional bacterial species, including Campylobacter jejuni, Shigella species, Haemophilus ducreyi, and diarrheal disease-causing enteropathogens such as some Escherichia coli isolates (9-15). There is clear evidence that Cdts are encoded by three genes, designated cdtA, cdtB, and cdtC, which are arranged as an apparent operon (7,(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20). The Cdt holotoxin consists of three subunits, CdtA, CdtB, and CdtC, that form a heterotrimeric complex. Furthermore, there is considerable agreement among investigators that, regardless of the microbial source of Cdt, the heterotrimeric holotoxin functions as an AB 2 toxin where CdtB is the active (A) unit and the complex of CdtA and CdtC comprises the binding (B) unit (18,21,22). Indeed, several investigators have demonstrated that the internalization of CdtB requires the presence of both CdtA and CdtC (21,23,24).While several cell types and cell lines have been shown to be susceptible to the toxic actions of Cdt, tropism for specific cells and/or tissue remains to be identified. In this regard, we have demonstrated that lymphocytes in vitro are most susceptible, requiring very low concentrations of Cdt (picograms/milliliter) to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis versus other cell types that typically require as much as microgram quantities (25). Typically, susceptibility to bacterial toxins is dependent upon the expression of specific receptors or moieties that enable the toxin to preferentially associate with target host cells. Structural analysis of CdtA and CdtC identified ricin-like lectin domains, suggesting that these units interact wi...