scholarly journals NeuA Sialic Acid O-Acetylesterase Activity Modulates O-Acetylation of Capsular Polysaccharide in Group B Streptococcus

2007 ◽  
Vol 282 (38) ◽  
pp. 27562-27571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda L. Lewis ◽  
Hongzhi Cao ◽  
Silpa K. Patel ◽  
Sandra Diaz ◽  
Wesley Ryan ◽  
...  

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a common cause of neonatal sepsis and meningitis. A major GBS virulence determinant is its sialic acid (Sia)-capped capsular polysaccharide. Recently, we discovered the presence and genetic basis of capsular Sia O-acetylation in GBS. We now characterize a GBS Sia O-acetylesterase that modulates the degree of GBS surface O-acetylation. The GBS Sia O-acetylesterase operates cooperatively with the GBS CMP-Sia synthetase, both part of a single polypeptide encoded by the neuA gene. NeuA de-O-acetylation of free 9-O-acetyl-N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5,9Ac2) was enhanced by CTP and Mg2+, the substrate and co-factor, respectively, of the N-terminal GBS CMP-Sia synthetase domain. In contrast, the homologous bifunctional NeuA esterase from Escherichia coli K1 did not display cofactor dependence. Further analyses showed that in vitro, GBS NeuA can operate via two alternate enzymatic pathways: de-O-acetylation of Neu5,9Ac2 followed by CMP activation of Neu5Ac or activation of Neu5,9Ac2 followed by de-O-acetylation of CMP-Neu5,9Ac2. Consistent with in vitro esterase assays, genetic deletion of GBS neuA led to accumulation of intracellular O-acetylated Sias, and overexpression of GBS NeuA reduced O-acetylation of Sias on the bacterial surface. Site-directed mutagenesis of conserved asparagine residue 301 abolished esterase activity but preserved CMP-Sia synthetase activity, as evidenced by hyper-O-acetylation of capsular polysaccharide Sias on GBS expressing only the N301A NeuA allele. These studies demonstrate a novel mechanism regulating the extent of capsular Sia O-acetylation in intact bacteria and provide a genetic strategy for manipulating GBS O-acetylation in order to explore the role of this modification in GBS pathogenesis and immunogenicity.

2010 ◽  
Vol 428 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon Weiman ◽  
Satoshi Uchiyama ◽  
Feng-Ying C. Lin ◽  
Donald Chaffin ◽  
Ajit Varki ◽  
...  

GBS (Group B Streptococcus) requires capsular Sia (sialic acid) for virulence and partially modifies this sugar by O-acetylation. In the present paper we describe serotype-specific patterns of GBS Sia O-acetylation that can be manipulated by genetic and biochemical means. In vitro and in vivo assays demonstrate that this subtle modification attenuates GBS Sia-mediated neutrophil suppression and animal virulence.


2010 ◽  
Vol 88 (3) ◽  
pp. 513-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Rose Van Calsteren ◽  
Fleur Gagnon ◽  
Sonia Lacouture ◽  
Nahuel Fittipaldi ◽  
Marcello Gottschalk

The capsular polysaccharide (CPS) of Streptococcus suis serotype 2 was isolated, purified, chemically modified, and characterized. Sugar and absolute configuration analyses of the CPS gave the following composition: d-Gal, 3; d-Glc, 1; d-GlcNAc, 1; d-Neu5Ac, 1; l-Rha, 1. Sialic acid was found to be terminal, and the CPS was quantitatively desialylated by mild acid hydrolysis. The CPS was also submitted to periodate oxidation followed by borohydride reduction and Smith degradation. Sugar and methylation analysis,1H and13C nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectrometry of the native CPS or of its specifically modified products allowed to determine the repeating unit sequence: [4)[Neu5Ac(α2–6)Gal(β1–4)GlcNAc(β1–3)]Gal(β1–4)[Gal(α1–3)]Rha(β1–4)Glc(β1-]n. The backbone sequence was found to be identical to that of Streptococcus agalactiae or group B Streptococcus (GBS) type VIII and Streptococcus pneumoniae type 23F. The S. suis CPS shares the sequence Neu5Ac-Gal-GlcNAc-Gal in common with GBS types Ia, Ib, II, III, and IV CPSs but differs from them by the presence of rhamnose and the fact that sialic acid is 2,6- rather than 2,3-linked to the following Gal. A correlation between the S. suis CPS sequence and genes of the serotype 2 cps locus encoding putative enzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of the repeating unit was tentatively established.


2004 ◽  
Vol 72 (11) ◽  
pp. 6367-6372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciana Tissi ◽  
Manuela Puliti ◽  
Francesco Bistoni ◽  
Paolo Mosci ◽  
Thomas R. Kozel ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Glucuronoxylomannan (GXM), the principal constituent of the Cryptococcus neoformans capsule, modulates the inflammatory response of human monocytes in vitro. Here we examine the efficacy of GXM as a novel anti-inflammatory compound for use against experimental septic arthritis. Arthritis was induced in mice by the intravenous injection of 8 × 106 CFU of type IV group B streptococcus (GBS). GXM was administered intravenously in different doses (50, 100, or 200 μg/mouse) 1 day before and 1 day after bacterial inoculation. GXM treatment markedly decreased the incidence and severity of articular lesions. Histological findings showed limited periarticular inflammation in the joints of GXM-treated mice, confirming the clinical observations. The amelioration of arthritis was associated with a significant reduction in the local production of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β, macrophage inflammatory protein 1α (MIP-1α), and MIP-2 and an increase in systemic IL-10 levels. Moreover, peritoneal macrophages derived from GXM-treated mice and stimulated in vitro with heat-inactivated GBS showed a similar pattern of cytokine production. The present study provides evidence for the modulation of the inflammatory response by GXM in vivo and suggests a potential therapeutic use for this compound in pathologies involving inflammatory processes.


1979 ◽  
Vol 149 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
D L Kasper ◽  
C J Baker ◽  
R S Baltimore ◽  
J H Crabb ◽  
G Schiffman ◽  
...  

The type III polysaccharides of group B Streptococcus in its native state chemically consists of glucose, galactose, glucosamine, and sialic acid. The core of this polysaccharide lacks sialic acid and precipitates with type III antiserum to give a partial identity with the precipitate between the native antigen and this serum. The core determinant is immunochemically similar to the capsular polysaccharide of type XIV Streptococcus pneumoniae, while the native type III group B streptococcal polysaccharide does not cross-react with type XIV pneumococcal antiserum. In human sera, it is antibody directed to the native antigen which correlates very highly with opsonic immunity (r = 0.94) while a poorer correlation exists between antibody to the core antigen and opsonins (r = 0.51 P less than 0.001). In natural infections, as association exists between low levels of maternal antibody to the native antigen and risk of disease in the infant. This association is not true for antibody to the core structure, where both infected infants and their mothers have much higher levels of antibody to the core than the native antigens. Infected infants are also more likely to respond to infection by developing antibody to the native antigen. Immunization of 12 adults with multivalent pneumococcal polysaccharide induced significantly better antibody response to the core antigen than to the native, and this vaccine induced opsonic activity in only one recipient. Immunization of adults with type III group B streptococcal antigens induced antibody to the native determinant which correlated with opsonic activity. Therefore, it would appear that native group B streptococcal polysaccharides will provide the best candidate antigens for immunization.


2013 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Rose Van Calsteren ◽  
Fleur Gagnon ◽  
Cynthia Calzas ◽  
Guillaume Goyette-Desjardins ◽  
Masatoshi Okura ◽  
...  

The capsular polysaccharide (CPS) of Streptococcus suis serotype 14 was purified, chemically modified, and characterized. Sugar and absolute configuration analyses gave the following CPS composition: d-Gal, 3; d-Glc, 1; d-GlcNAc, 1; d-Neu5Ac, 1. The Sambucus nigra lectin, which recognizes the Neu5Ac(α2–6)Gal/GalNAc sequence, showed binding to the native CPS. Sialic acid was found to be terminal, and the CPS was quantitatively desialylated by mild acid hydrolysis. It was also submitted to periodate oxidation followed by borohydride reduction and Smith degradation. Sugar and methylation analyses,1H and13C nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectrometry of the native CPS or of its specifically modified products allowed to determine the repeating unit sequence: [6)[Neu5Ac(α2–6)Gal(β1–4)GlcNAc(β1–3)]Gal(β1–3)Gal(β1–4)Glc(β1–]n. S. suis serotype 14 CPS has an identical sialic acid-containing side chain as serotype 2 CPS, but differs by the absence of rhamnose in its composition. The same side chain is also present in group B Streptococcus type Ia CPS, except that in the latter sialic acid is 2,3- rather than 2,6-linked to the following galactose. A correlation between the S. suis CPS sequence and genes of the serotype 14 cps locus encoding putative glycosyltransferases and polymerase responsible for the biosynthesis of the repeating unit is proposed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (9) ◽  
pp. 2637-2650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Areej Alhhazmi ◽  
Armaan Pandey ◽  
Gregory J. Tyrrell

ABSTRACTThe group B streptococcus (GBS) capsular polysaccharide (CPS) is an important virulence factor which is also used for GBS typing. There are 10 CPS types (Ia, Ib, and II to IX). GBS that do not phenotypically type are considered nontypeable. All genes required for CPS synthesis are found on the GBScpsoperon, which contains a highly variable CPS-determining region (cpsG-cpsK). The objective of this study was development of an assay to detect sialic acid on the GBS cell surface, followed by a genotypic PCR CPS typing assay. Sialic acid is located at the terminal end of the side chain of all known GBS CPS types. Sialic acid can be bound to commercially available lectins such as slugLimax flavuslectin. BiotinylatedL. flavus-streptavidin-peroxidase complex was used in an enzyme immunoassay and dot blot assay to detect sialic acid. This was followed by a PCR typing scheme that was developed to target the serotype-determining region of thecpslocus for Ia, Ib, and II to IX. Sialic acid from the CPS types Ia, Ib, and II to IX was detectable on the GBS cell surfaces of all previously identified CPS-typed GBS strains assayed. This was followed by the real-time PCR typing assay which successfully identified CPS Ia, Ib, and II to IX types. The combination of phenotypic and genotypic assays provides an accurate tool for detection of CPS expression and assignment of CPS typing. These assays have the potential to be used for CPS typing in large-scale epidemiological studies.


1994 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark W. Platt ◽  
Norberto Correa Jr. ◽  
Carolyn Mold

Group B streptococcus type III is a major cause of neonatal death. The terminal sialic acid moiety of the group B streptococcus type specific capsule has been shown to be an important virulence factor. We demonstrate here that bacteria grown in human serum have increased cell surface sialic acid content compared with cells grown in common laboratory media. This sialic acid was removed by incubation with neuraminidase, showing that it was on the bacterial surface. Serum-dependent sialylation was dependent on metabolic activity, as the addition of chloramphenicol reduced the amount of added sialic acid by more than 90%. Probing the cell surface with an antibody specific for group B streptococcus type III capsular sialic acid showed an increase in antibody binding after growth in human serum. This effect could be lowered by incubating serum-grown cells in neuraminidase prior to antibody exposure. A group B streptococcus mutant that when grown in laboratory media lacks cell surface sialic acid showed significant cell surface sialic acid when grown in human serum. This increase was associated with a significantly decreased ability to bind C3 and hence activate the alternative complement pathway.Key words: group B streptococcus, capsule, human serum.


2017 ◽  
Vol 89 (7) ◽  
pp. 855-875 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vittorio Cattaneo ◽  
Filippo Carboni ◽  
Davide Oldrini ◽  
Riccardo De Ricco ◽  
Nunzio Donadio ◽  
...  

AbstractGroup B Streptococcus type III (GBSIII) is the most relevant serotype among GBS strains causing infections and the potential of its capsular polysaccharide conjugated to a protein carrier as vaccine is well documented. Polysaccharide from GBSIII (PSIII) can form helical structures in solution where negatively charged sialic acid residues would be disposed externally providing stabilization to the helix. A peculiar high affinity to specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has been reported for PSIII, and fragments of diverse size bind to mAbs in a length dependent manner. These data have been rationalized in terms of conformational epitopes that would be formed by fragments with >4 saccharidic repeating units. Saturation Transfer Difference NMR experiments have demonstrated that the sialic acid residue is not involved in antibody recognition. However the molecular basis of the interaction between PSIII and mAbs has not been fully elucidated. An important prerequisite to achieve this would be the availability of the three possible sugar sequences representing the pentasaccharide PSIII repeating unit. Herein we established a [2+3] convergent approach leading to these three pentasaccharides (1–3) with the end terminal sugar bearing a linker for possible conjugation. The PSIII fragments were coupled to the genetically detoxified diphtheria toxin CRM197 to prove by ELISA that the three pentasaccharides are recognized by polyclonal anti-PSIII serum. The presence of the branching formed by a Glc residue β-(1→6) linked to GlcNAc was proven an important motif for antibody recognition.


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