Identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae genes specifically induced in mouse lung tissues

2008 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiang-Ping Meng ◽  
Yi-Bing Yin ◽  
Xue-Mei Zhang ◽  
Yuan-Shuai Huang ◽  
Kai Lan ◽  
...  

To identify Streptococcus pneumoniae genes expressed specifically during infections, a selection system based on the in vivo expression technology (IVET) was established. galU, which is critical for capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis, and lacZY encoding β-galactosidase were employed as dual reporter genes to screen in-vivo-induced (ivi) genes of S. pneumoniae. The galU-deficient mutant of S. pneumoniae is incapable of utilizing galactose, thus failing to synthesize capsular polysaccharide, and therefore loses its ability to survive in the host. A promoter-trap library was constructed in S. pneumoniae, which was used to infect BALB/c mice in an intranostril model. Those strains recovered from lung tissue of mice and exhibiting a white colony phenotype on tryptic soy agar containing X-gal (5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-β-d-galactopyranoside) were collected and identificated. A total of 15 unique sequences were obtained through in vivo screening. The ivi genes of S. pneumoniae are involved in many processes, such as colonization and adherence, energy metabolism, nutrient substance transport, transcription regulation, DNA metabolism, and cell wall synthesis. There are some hypothetical proteins whose functions are not clear. This novel IVET is a useful tool for identifying ivi genes in S. pneumoniae.

2006 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 1122-1122
Author(s):  
Yuichi Fukuda ◽  
Katsunori Yanagihara ◽  
Hideaki Ohno ◽  
Yasuhito Higashiyama ◽  
Yoshitsugu Miyazaki ◽  
...  

2010 ◽  
Vol 192 (21) ◽  
pp. 5832-5836 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin B. Troy ◽  
Vincent J. Carey ◽  
Dennis L. Kasper ◽  
Laurie E. Comstock

ABSTRACT Orientations of the seven invertible polysaccharide biosynthesis locus promoters of B acteroides fragilis were determined from bacteria grown in vitro, from feces of monoassociated and complex colonized mice, and from B. fragilis-induced murine abscesses. Bacteria grown in vivo have greater variability in orientation of polysaccharide locus promoters than culture-grown organisms.


2005 ◽  
Vol 389 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nehmé SAKSOUK ◽  
Ludovic PELOSI ◽  
Pierre COLIN-MOREL ◽  
Manel BOUMEDIENNE ◽  
Patricia L. ABDIAN ◽  
...  

CPS (capsular polysaccharide) is a major virulence factor in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Biosynthesis of CPS RU (repeat unit) proceeds by sequential transfer of sugar residues from the appropriate sugar donor to an activated lipid carrier by committed GTs (glycosyltransferases). While the nucleotide sequence of many cps loci is already known, the real substrate specificity of the hypothetical GTs, as well as the sequence of sugar addition is unclear. In the present paper, we report the biochemical characterization of one α-galactosyltransferase, WciS (Cap8H), a member of GT family 4. This enzyme is implicated in the tetrasaccharide RU biosynthetic pathway of Strep. pneumoniae CPS 8 ([→4)-α-D-Glcp-(1→4)-α-D-Galp-(1→4)-β-D-GlcAp-(1→4)-β-D-Glcp-(1→]n). Expression of WciS–His6 in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) strains or BL21 (DE3)/ΔgalU strain resulted in synthesis of a 39 kDa membrane-associated protein identified by N-terminal sequencing and recognized by anti-His6-tag antibody. This protein was capable of adding a galactose residue cellobiuronic acid [β-D-GlcAp-(1→4)-D-Glcp]-pyrophosphate-polyprenol from UDP-Gal. The newly added galactose residue is removed by α-galactosidase, indicating that WciS is a retaining GT. Our results suggest that WciS catalyses the addition of the third sugar residue of the CPS 8 RU. The recombinant WciS–His6 was solubilized and purified as a soluble multimer, opening the way for structural studies.


2006 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuichi Fukuda ◽  
Katsunori Yanagihara ◽  
Hideaki Ohno ◽  
Yasuhito Higashiyama ◽  
Yoshitsugu Miyazaki ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT DX-619 is a novel des-fluoro(6) quinolone with potent activity against gram-positive pathogens. The in vivo activity of DX-619 against Streptococcus pneumoniae was compared with those of fluoro(6) quinolones, sitafloxacin, and ciprofloxacin in a mouse model. Two strains of S. pneumoniae were used: a penicillin-sensitive S. pneumoniae (PSSP) strain and a penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae (PRSP) strain. Furthermore, these strains showed intermediate susceptibilities to ciprofloxacin. In murine lung infections caused by PSSP, the 50% effective doses (ED50s) of DX-619, sitafloxacin, and ciprofloxacin were 9.15, 11.1, and 127.6 mg/kg of body weight, respectively. Against PRSP-mediated pneumonia in mice, the ED50s of DX-619, sitafloxacin, and ciprofloxacin were 0.69, 4.84, and 38.75 mg/kg, respectively. The mean ± standard error of the mean viable bacterial counts in murine lungs infected with PSSP and treated with DX-619, sitafloxacin, ciprofloxacin (10 mg/kg twice daily), and saline (twice daily) were 1.75 ± 0.06, 1.92 ± 0.23, 6.48 ± 0.28, and 7.57 ± 0.13 log10 CFU/ml, respectively. Furthermore, the numbers of viable bacteria in lungs infected with PRSP and treated with the three agents and not treated (control) were 1.73 ± 0.04, 2.28 ± 0.17, 4.61 ± 0.59, and 5.54 ± 0.72 log10 CFU/ml, respectively. DX-619 and sitafloxacin significantly decreased the numbers of viable bacteria in the lungs compared to the numbers in the lungs of ciprofloxacin-treated and untreated mice. The pharmacokinetic parameter of the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC)/MIC ratio in the lungs for DX-619, sitafloxacin, and ciprofloxacin were 171.0, 21.92, and 1.22, respectively. The AUC/MIC ratio in the lungs was significantly higher for DX-619 than for sitafloxacin and ciprofloxacin. Our results suggest that DX-619 and sitafloxacin are potent against both PSSP and PRSP in our mouse pneumonia model.


2009 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 1502-1513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haijun Tian ◽  
Sarah Weber ◽  
Peter Thorkildson ◽  
Thomas R. Kozel ◽  
Liise-anne Pirofski

ABSTRACT Serotype-specific antibodies to pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide (PPS) are a critical component of vaccine-mediated immunity to Streptococcus pneumoniae. In this study, we investigated the in vitro opsonophagocytic activities of three PPS-specific mouse immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), 1E2, 5F6, and 7A9, and determined their in vivo efficacies against intranasal challenge with WU2, a serotype 3 pneumococcal strain, in normal and immunodeficient mice. The MAbs had different in vitro activities in a pneumococcal killing assay: 7A9 enhanced killing by mouse neutrophils and J774 cells in the presence of a complement source, whereas 5F6 promoted killing in the absence, but not the presence, of complement, and 1E2 did not promote killing under any conditions. Nonetheless, all three MAbs protected normal and complement component 3-deficient mice from a lethal intranasal challenge with WU2 in passive-immunization experiments in which 10 μg of the MAbs were administered intraperitoneally before intranasal challenge. In contrast, only 1E2 protected Fcγ receptor IIB knockout (FcγRIIB KO) mice and mice that were depleted of neutrophils with the MAb RB6, whereas 7A9 and 5F6 required neutrophils and FcγRIIB to mediate protection. Conversely, 7A9 and 5F6 protected FcγR KO mice, but 1E2 did not. Hence, the efficacy of 1E2 required an activating FcγR(s), whereas 5F6 and 7A9 required the inhibitory FcγR (FcγRIIB). Taken together, our data demonstrate that both MAbs that do and do not promote pneumococcal killing in vitro can mediate protection in vivo, although their efficacies depend on different host receptors and/or components.


1999 ◽  
Vol 181 (11) ◽  
pp. 3599-3605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judy K. Morona ◽  
Renato Morona ◽  
James C. Paton

ABSTRACT Analysis of the sequence data obtained from the 5′ portion of theStreptococcus pneumoniae type 19A capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis locus (cps19a) revealed that the first seven genes are homologous to the first seven genes in the type 19F (cps19f) locus. The former genes were designatedcps19aA to -G and were 70 to 90% identical to their cps19f counterparts. Southern hybridization analysis of the cps loci from various S. pneumoniaeserotypes with probes specific for the cps19aC,cps19aD, and cps19aE genes indicated a hybridization pattern complementary to that previously reported forcps19fC, cps19fD, and cps19fE. That is, all serotypes tested contained high-stringency homologues of either the cps19aC to -E genes or thecps19fC to -E genes, but not both. On this basis S. pneumoniae cps loci can be divided into two distinct classes. Long-range PCR was used to amplify thecps regions between cpsB and aliAfrom a variety of pneumococcal serotypes. Direct sequencing of the 5′ end of these PCR products, and phylogenetic analysis of the sequence data, confirmed the presence of the two distinct classes ofcpsC. Whereas members within one class are greater than 95% identical to each other, the DNA sequence identity between the two classes is only approximately 70%.


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