title: Antigenic variation of penicillin-binding proteins from penicillin-resistant clinical strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae.
abstract: Penicillin-resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae that are isolated with increasing frequency worldwide contain low-affinity penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs). The relatedness of PBPs from 55 resistant strains isolated on three continents was investigated by testing the reactivity of antibodies specific for PBP 1a or 2b and by comparing the PBP patterns. Seventeen patterns of antibody reactivity could be distinguished, 12 of which were specific to one isolate. Most strains, including all German and South African strains, had a unique PBP profile. A few groups of Spanish and Finnish isolates were identified where the strains within each group shared the same PBP profile, the same antigenic variants of PBPs 1a and 2b, and the same serogroup, suggesting that they represent different clones of S. pneumoniae. The results demonstrated highly variable pathways of resistance development and confirmed that resistant strains have emerged independently in different locations.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck Institut für Molekulare Genetik, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hakenbeck
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Briese
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chalkley
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ellerbrok
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kalliokoski
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Latorre
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leinonen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D000940:Antigenic Variation; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005387:Finland; D005858:Germany; D006602:Hexosyltransferases; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D002267:Muramoylpentapeptide Carboxypeptidase / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D010458:Peptidyl Transferases; D013019:South Africa; D013030:Spain; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D007106:Immune Sera; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D010458:Peptidyl Transferases; D006602:Hexosyltransferases; D002267:Muramoylpentapeptide Carboxypeptidase