scholarly journals Identification of Group B Streptococcus Capsule Type by Use of a Dual Phenotypic/Genotypic Assay

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.

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 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.


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.


1999 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 1852-1857 ◽  
Author(s):  
François Coutlée ◽  
Patti Gravitt ◽  
Harriet Richardson ◽  
Catherine Hankins ◽  
Eduardo Franco ◽  
...  

The line blot assay, a gene amplification method that combines PCR with nonisotopic detection of amplified DNA, was evaluated for its ability to detect human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in genital specimens. Processed samples were amplified with biotin-labeled primers for HPV detection (primers MY09, MY11, and HMB01) and for β-globin detection (primers PC03 and PC04). Amplified DNA products were hybridized by a reverse blot method with oligonucleotide probe mixtures fixed on a strip that allowed the identification of 27 HPV genotypes. The line blot assay was compared to a standard consensus PCR test in which HPV amplicons were detected with radiolabeled probes in a dot blot assay. Two hundred fifty-five cervicovaginal lavage specimens and cervical scrapings were tested in parallel by both PCR tests. The line blot assay consistently detected 25 copies of HPV type 18 per run. The overall positivity for the DNA of HPV types detectable by both methods was 37.7% (96 of 255 samples) by the line blot assay, whereas it was 43.5% (111 of 255 samples) by the standard consensus PCR assay. The sensitivity and specificity of the line blot assay reached 84.7% (94 of 111 samples) and 98.6% (142 of 144 samples), respectively. The agreement for HPV typing between the two PCR assays reached 83.9% (214 of 255 samples). Of the 37 samples with discrepant results, 33 (89%) were resolved by avoiding coamplification of β-globin and modifying the amplification parameters. With these modifications, the line blot assay compared favorably to an assay that used radiolabeled probes. Its convenience allows the faster analysis of samples for large-scale epidemiological studies. Also, the increased probe spectrum in this single hybridization assay permits more complete type discrimination.


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.


Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 545
Author(s):  
A-Yeung Jang ◽  
Min-Joo Choi ◽  
Yong Zhi ◽  
Hyun-Jung Ji ◽  
Ji-Yun Noh ◽  
...  

Streptococcus agalactiae (group B Streptococcus, GBS) is a leading cause of neonatal sepsis and meningitis in infants. Limitations of prenatal GBS screening and intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis render developing GBS vaccines a high priority. In this study, we developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the practical and large-scale evaluation of GBS capsular polysaccharide (PS) vaccine immunogenicity against three main serotypes, Ia, III, and V. GBS-ELISA was developed and subsequently validated using a standardized curve-fitting four-parameter logistic method. Specificity was measured using adsorption of serum with homologous and heterologous PS. Homologous adsorption showed a ≥75% inhibition of all three serotypes, whereas with heterologous PS, IgG GBS-ELISA inhibited only ≤25% of serotypes III and V. However, with serotype Ia, IgG antibody levels decreased by >50%, even after adsorption with heterologous PS (III or V). In comparison, the inhibition opsonophagocytic killing assay (OPA) of serotypes Ia GBS exhibited a reduction in opsonophagocytic activity of only 20% and 1.1% for serotypes III and V GBS, respectively. The precision of the GBS-ELISA was assessed in five independent experiments using four serum samples. The coefficient of variation was <5% for all three serotypes. This standardized GBS-ELISA would be useful for GBS vaccine development and its evaluation.


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