title: Proteus mirabilis strains of diverse type have IgA protease activity.
abstract: A strain of Proteus mirabilis associated with chronic urinary tract infection was found to produce an EDTA-sensitive IgA protease that cleaved the IgA heavy chain into two fragments at sites different from those attacked by other microbial IgA1 proteases. Another 14 P. mirabilis strains of diverse type and from various clinical conditions also produced a similar IgA protease. This enzyme may be a virulence determinant of P. mirabilis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Dundee University Medical School, Ninewells Hospital.
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Senior
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Albrechtsen
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kerr
mesh_terms: D001345:Autoradiography; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011512:Proteus Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D011513:Proteus mirabilis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C021433:IgA-specific serine endopeptidase