scholarly journals Interaction of Pneumococcal Histidine Triad Proteins with Human Complement

2010 ◽  
Vol 78 (5) ◽  
pp. 2089-2098 ◽  
Author(s):  
Merit Melin ◽  
Emmanuel Di Paolo ◽  
Leena Tikkanen ◽  
Hanna Jarva ◽  
Cecile Neyt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Factor H ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Bacterial Cells ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Protein Antigens ◽  
Pneumococcal Infections ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Bacterial Lysates ◽  
Affect Factor ◽  
Complement Deposition

ABSTRACT The pneumococcal histidine triad (Pht) proteins PhtA, PhtB, PhtD, and PhtE form a group of conserved pneumococcal surface proteins. Humans produce antibodies to Pht proteins upon exposure to pneumococcus, and immunization of mice has provided protective immunity against sepsis and pneumonia and reduced nasopharyngeal colonization. Pht proteins are candidates for inclusion in multicomponent pneumococcal protein vaccines. Their biological function in pneumococcal infections is not clear, but a role in complement inhibition has been suggested. We measured complement deposition on wild-type and Pht mutant strains in four genetic backgrounds: Streptococcus pneumoniae D39 (serotype 2) and R36A (unencapsulated derivative of D39) and strains of serotypes 3, 4, and 19F. PspA and PspC single and double mutants were compared to the wild-type and Pht-deficient D39 strains. Factor H binding was measured to bacterial cells, lysates, and protein antigens. Deletion of all four Pht proteins (Pht−) resulted in increased C3 deposition on the serotype 4 strain but not on the other strains. Pht antigens did not bind factor H, and deletion of Pht proteins did not affect factor H binding by bacterial lysates. The Pht− mutant serotype 4 strain bound slightly less factor H than the wild-type strain when binding was measured by flow cytometry. Pht proteins may play a role in immune evasion, but the mechanism of function is unlikely to be mediated by factor H binding. The relative contribution of Pht proteins to the inhibition of complement deposition is likely to be affected by the presence of other pneumococcal proteins and to depend on the genetic background.

scholarly journals A Novel, Multiple-Antigen Pneumococcal Vaccine Protects against LethalStreptococcus pneumoniaeChallenge

2018 ◽  
Vol 87 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Win-Yan Chan ◽  
Claire Entwisle ◽  
Giuseppe Ercoli ◽  
Elise Ramos-Sevillano ◽  
Ann McIlgorm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Shock ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Surface Protein ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Rabbit Serum ◽  
Protein Antigens ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multiple Antigen ◽  
Bacterial Lysates ◽  
Chromatography Step

ABSTRACTCurrent vaccination againstStreptococcus pneumoniaeuses vaccines based on capsular polysaccharides from selected serotypes and has led to nonvaccine serotype replacement disease. We have investigated an alternative serotype-independent approach, using multiple-antigen vaccines (MAV) prepared fromS. pneumoniaeTIGR4 lysates enriched for surface proteins by a chromatography step after culture under conditions that induce expression of heat shock proteins (Hsp; thought to be immune adjuvants). Proteomics and immunoblot analyses demonstrated that, compared to standard bacterial lysates, MAV was enriched with Hsps and contained several recognized protective protein antigens, including pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) and pneumolysin (Ply). Vaccination of rodents with MAV induced robust antibody responses to multiple serotypes, including nonpneumococcal conjugate vaccine serotypes. Homologous and heterologous strains ofS. pneumoniaewere opsonized after incubation in sera from vaccinated rodents. In mouse models, active vaccination with MAV significantly protected against pneumonia, while passive transfer of rabbit serum from MAV-vaccinated rabbits significantly protected against sepsis caused by both homologous and heterologousS. pneumoniaestrains. Direct comparison of MAV preparations made with or without the heat shock step showed no clear differences in protein antigen content and antigenicity, suggesting that the chromatography step rather than Hsp induction improved MAV antigenicity. Overall, these data suggest that the MAV approach may provide serotype-independent protection againstS. pneumoniae.

scholarly journals Both galactosaminogalactan and α-1,3-glucan contribute to aggregation of Aspergillus oryzae hyphae in liquid culture

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken Miyazawa ◽  
Akira Yoshimi ◽  
Motoaki Sano ◽  
Fuka Tabata ◽  
Asumi Sugahara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Filamentous Fungi ◽  
Aspergillus Oryzae ◽  
Double Mutant ◽  
Liquid Culture ◽  
Bacterial Cells ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Hydrogen Bond Formation ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Increase Productivity

AbstractFilamentous fungi generally form aggregated hyphal pellets in liquid culture. We previously reported that α-1,3-glucan-deficient mutants of Aspergillus nidulans did not form hyphal pellets and their hyphae were fully dispersed, and we suggested that α-1,3-glucan functions in hyphal aggregation. Yet, Aspergillus oryzae α-1,3-glucan-deficient (AGΔ) mutants still form small pellets; therefore, we hypothesized that another factor responsible for forming hyphal pellets remains in these mutants. Here, we identified an extracellular matrix polysaccharide galactosaminogalactan (GAG) as such a factor. To produce a double mutant of A. oryzae (AG-GAGΔ), we disrupted the genes required for GAG biosynthesis in an AGΔ mutant. Hyphae of the double mutant were fully dispersed in liquid culture, suggesting that GAG is involved in hyphal aggregation in A. oryzae. Addition of partially purified GAG fraction to the hyphae of the AG-GAGΔ strain resulted in formation of mycelial pellets. Acetylation of the amino group in galactosamine of GAG weakened GAG aggregation, suggesting that hydrogen bond formation by this group is important for aggregation. Genome sequences suggest that α-1,3-glucan, GAG, or both are present in many filamentous fungi and thus may function in hyphal aggregation in these fungi. We also demonstrated that production of a recombinant polyesterase, CutL1, was higher in the AG-GAGΔ strain than in the wild-type and AGΔ strains. Thus, controlling hyphal aggregation factors of filamentous fungi may increase productivity in the fermentation industry.ImportanceProduction using filamentous fungi is an important part of the fermentation industry, but hyphal aggregation in these fungi in liquid culture limits productivity compared with that of yeast or bacterial cells. We found that galactosaminogalactan and α-1,3-glucan both function in hyphal aggregation in Aspergillus oryzae, and that the hyphae of a double mutant deficient in both polysaccharides become fully dispersed in liquid culture. We also revealed the relative contribution of α-1,3-glucan and galactosaminogalactan to hyphal aggregation. Recombinant protein production was higher in the double mutant than in the wild-type strain. Our research provides a potential technical innovation for the fermentation industry that uses filamentous fungi, as regulation of the growth characteristics of A. oryzae in liquid culture may increase productivity.

scholarly journals Borrelia burgdorferi Binding of Host Complement Regulator Factor H Is Not Required for Efficient Mammalian Infection

2007 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
pp. 3131-3139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E. Woodman ◽  
Anne E. Cooley ◽  
Jennifer C. Miller ◽  
John J. Lazarus ◽  
Kathryn Tucker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Alternative Pathway ◽  
Host Factor ◽  
Factor H ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Factor B ◽  
Mammalian Infection ◽  
Deficient Mice

ABSTRACT The causative agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, is naturally resistant to its host's alternative pathway of complement-mediated killing. Several different borrelial outer surface proteins have been identified as being able to bind host factor H, a regulator of the alternative pathway, leading to a hypothesis that such binding is important for borrelial resistance to complement. To test this hypothesis, the development of B. burgdorferi infection was compared between factor H-deficient and wild-type mice. Factor B- and C3-deficient mice were also studied to determine the relative roles of the alternative and classical/lectin pathways in B. burgdorferi survival during mammalian infection. While it was predicted that B. burgdorferi should be impaired in its ability to infect factor H-deficient animals, quantitative analyses of bacterial loads indicated that those mice were infected at levels similar to those of wild-type and factor B- and C3-deficient mice. Ticks fed on infected factor H-deficient or wild-type mice all acquired similar numbers of bacteria. Indirect immunofluorescence analysis of B. burgdorferi acquired by feeding ticks from the blood of infected mice indicated that none of the bacteria had detectable levels of factor H on their outer surfaces, even though such bacteria express high levels of surface proteins capable of binding factor H. These findings demonstrate that the acquisition of host factor H is not essential for mammalian infection by B. burgdorferi and indicate that additional mechanisms are employed by the Lyme disease spirochete to evade complement-mediated killing.

scholarly journals Role of Complement in Defense of the Middle Ear Revealed by Restoring the Virulence of Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae siaB Mutants

2006 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 325-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisol A. Figueira ◽  
Sanjay Ram ◽  
Richard Goldstein ◽  
Derek W. Hood ◽  
E. Richard Moxon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Haemophilus Influenzae ◽  
Otitis Media ◽  
Resistant Strain ◽  
Alternative Pathway ◽  
Factor H ◽  
Sensitive Strain ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Nontypeable Haemophilus Influenzae ◽  
Type Strains

ABSTRACT Nontypeable (NT) Haemophilus influenzae is an important cause of otitis media in children. We have shown previously that NT H. influenzae mutants defective in their ability to sialylate lipopolysaccharide (LPS), called siaB mutants, show attenuated virulence in a chinchilla model of experimental otitis media (EOM). We show that complement is a key arm of host innate immunity against NT H. influenzae-induced EOM. Depleting complement in chinchillas by use of cobra venom factor (CoVF) rendered two otherwise avirulent siaB mutants fully virulent and able to cause EOM with severity similar to that of wild-type strains. Clearance of infection caused by siaB mutants in CoVF-treated animals coincided with reappearance of C3. Wild-type strains were more resistant to direct complement-mediated killing than their siaB mutants. The serum-resistant strain bound less C3 and C4 than the serum-sensitive strain. Neither NT H. influenzae strain tested bound factor H (alternative complement pathway regulator). Selective activation of the alternative pathway resulted in more C3 binding to siaB mutants. LPS sialylation had a more profound impact on the amount of alternative-pathway-mediated C3 binding (∼5-fold decrease in fluorescence) when LPS was the main C3 target, as occurred on the more serum-resistant strain. In contrast, only an ∼1.5-fold decrease in fluorescence intensity of C3 binding was seen with the serum-sensitive strain, where surface proteins predominantly bound C3. Differences in binding sites for C3 and C4 may account for variations in serum resistance between NT H. influenzae strains, which in turn may impact their virulence. These data demonstrate a central role for complement in innate immune defenses against NT H. influenzae infections and specifically EOM.

scholarly journals Multiple Functional Domains of Enterococcus faecalis Aggregation Substance Asc10 Contribute to Endocarditis Virulence

2008 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 539-548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivia N. Chuang ◽  
Patrick M. Schlievert ◽  
Carol L. Wells ◽  
Dawn A. Manias ◽  
Timothy J. Tripp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Enterococcus Faecalis ◽  
Bacterial Load ◽  
Rabbit Model ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Functional Domains ◽  
Mammalian Host ◽  
Bacterial Cells ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Aggregation Substance

ABSTRACT Aggregation substance proteins encoded by sex pheromone plasmids increase the virulence of Enterococcus faecalis in experimental pathogenesis models, including infectious endocarditis models. These large surface proteins may contain multiple functional domains involved in various interactions with other bacterial cells and with the mammalian host. Aggregation substance Asc10, encoded by plasmid pCF10, is induced during growth in the mammalian bloodstream, and pCF10 carriage gives E. faecalis a significant selective advantage in this environment. We employed a rabbit model to investigate the role of various functional domains of Asc10 in endocarditis. The data suggested that the bacterial load of the infected tissue was the best indicator of virulence. Isogenic strains carrying either no plasmid, wild-type pCF10, a pCF10 derivative with an in-frame deletion of the prgB gene encoding Asc10, or pCF10 derivatives expressing other alleles of prgB were examined in this model. Previously identified aggregation domains contributed to the virulence associated with the wild-type protein, and a strain expressing an Asc10 derivative in which glycine residues in two RGD motifs were changed to alanine residues showed the greatest reduction in virulence. Remarkably, this strain and the strain carrying the pCF10 derivative with the in-frame deletion of prgB were both significantly less virulent than an isogenic plasmid-free strain. The data demonstrate that multiple functional domains are important in Asc10-mediated interactions with the host during the course of experimental endocarditis and that in the absence of a functional prgB gene, pCF10 carriage is actually disadvantageous in vivo.

scholarly journals MgrA regulates interaction of Staphylococcus aureus with mucin

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Connor P. Parker ◽  
Nour Akil ◽  
Cullen R. Shanrock ◽  
Patrick D. Allen ◽  
Anna L. Chaly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Dose Range ◽  
Microtiter Plate ◽  
Bacterial Attachment ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Respiratory Pathogen ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Bacterial Cells ◽  
Wild Type

AbstractBackgroundTo defend the lungs, mucus adheres to bacterial cells and facilitates their removal by ciliary transport. Our goals were to measure the affinity of mucus for the respiratory pathogen Staphylococcus aureus and identify bacterial genes that regulate this interaction.MethodsS. aureus was added to pig tracheas to determine whether it binds mucus or epithelial cells. To quantify its affinity for mucus, we developed a competition assay in microtiter plates. Mucin was added over a dose range as an inhibitor of bacterial attachment. We then examined how transcriptional regulator MgrA and cell wall transpeptidase sortase (SrtA) affect bacterial interaction with mucin.ResultsIn pig tracheas, S. aureus bound mucus strands from submucosal glands more than epithelial cells. In microtiter plate assays, ΔsrtA failed to attach even in the absence of mucin. Mucin blocked wild type S. aureus attachment in a dose-dependent manner. Higher concentrations were needed to inhibit binding of ΔmgrA. Co-deletion of ebh and sraP, which encode surface proteins repressed by MgrA, suppressed the ΔmgrA binding phenotype. No differences between ΔmgrA and wild type were observed when methylcellulose or heparin sulfate were substituted for mucin, indicating specificity.ConclusionsMucin decreases attachment of S. aureus to plastic, consistent with its physiologic role in host defense. S. aureus deficient in MgrA has decreased affinity for mucin. Ebh and SraP, which are normally repressed by MgrA, may function as inhibitors of attachment to mucin. These data show that specific bacterial factors may regulate the interaction of S. aureus with mucus.

Abnormal Spinal Cord Myelination due to Oligodendrocyte Dysfunction in a Model of Huntington’s Disease

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Costanza Ferrari Bardile ◽  
Harwin Sidik ◽  
Reynard Quek ◽  
Nur Amirah Binte Mohammad Yusof ◽  
Marta Garcia-Miralles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Huntington's Disease ◽  
Huntington’S Disease ◽  
Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Related Proteins ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Cervical Area

Background: The relative contribution of grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) degeneration to the progressive brain atrophy in Huntington’s disease (HD) has been well studied. The pathology of the spinal cord in HD is comparatively less well documented. Objective: We aim to characterize spinal cord WM abnormalities in a mouse model of HD and evaluate whether selective removal of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) from oligodendroglia rescues these deficits. Methods: Histological assessments were used to determine the area of GM and WM in the spinal cord of 12-month-old BACHD mice, while electron microscopy was used to analyze myelin fibers in the cervical area of the spinal cord. To investigate the impact of inactivation of mHTT in oligodendroglia on these measures, we used the previously described BACHDxNG2Cre mouse line where mHTT is specifically reduced in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. Results: We show that spinal GM and WM areas are significantly atrophied in HD mice compared to wild-type controls. We further demonstrate that specific reduction of mHTT in oligodendroglial cells rescues the atrophy of spinal cord WM, but not GM, observed in HD mice. Inactivation of mHTT in oligodendroglia had no effect on the density of oligodendroglial cells but enhanced the expression of myelin-related proteins in the spinal cord. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that the myelination abnormalities observed in brain WM structures in HD extend to the spinal cord and suggest that specific expression of mHTT in oligodendrocytes contributes to such abnormalities.

scholarly journals Putative Surface Proteins Encoded within a Novel Transferable Locus Confer a High-Biofilm Phenotype to Enterococcus faecalis

2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (6) ◽  
pp. 2063-2072 ◽  
Author(s):  
Preeti M. Tendolkar ◽  
Arto S. Baghdayan ◽  
Nathan Shankar
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Enterococcus Faecalis ◽  
Insertional Mutagenesis ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Conjugative Plasmid ◽  
Sequence Information ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Abiotic Surfaces ◽  
Mutant Bank

ABSTRACT Enterococci are opportunistic pathogens and among the leading causes of nosocomial infections. Enterococcus faecalis, the dominant species among infection-derived isolates, has recently been recognized as capable of forming biofilms on abiotic surfaces in vitro as well as on indwelling medical devices. A few bacterial factors known to contribute to biofilm formation in E. faecalis have been characterized. To identify additional factors which may be important to this process, we utilized a Tn917-based insertional mutagenesis strategy to generate a mutant bank in a high-biofilm-forming E. faecalis strain, E99. The resulting mutant bank was screened for mutants exhibiting a significantly reduced ability to form biofilms. One mutant, P101D12, which showed greater than 70% reduction in its ability to form biofilms compared to the wild-type parent, was further characterized. The single Tn917 insertion in P101D12 was mapped to a gene, bee-2, encoding a probable cell wall-anchored protein. Sequence information for the region flanking bee-2 revealed that this gene was a member of a locus (termed the bee locus for biofilm enhancer in enterococcus) comprised of five genes encoding three putative cell wall-anchored proteins and two probable sortases. Contour-clamped homogeneous electric field gel and Southern hybridization analyses suggested that the bee locus is likely harbored on a large conjugative plasmid. Filter mating assays using wild-type E99 or mutant P101D12 as a donor confirmed that the bee locus could transfer conjugally at high frequency to recipient E. faecalis strains. This represents the first instance of the identification of a mobile genetic element conferring biofilm-forming property in E. faecalis.

scholarly journals Treatment with human complement factor H rapidly reverses renal complement deposition in factor H-deficient mice

2010 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 279-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fadi Fakhouri ◽  
Elena Goicoechea de Jorge ◽  
Frédérique Brune ◽  
Philippe Azam ◽  
H. Terence Cook ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Factor H ◽  
Complement Factor H ◽  
Complement Factor ◽  
Human Complement ◽  
Deficient Mice ◽  
Complement Deposition
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