title: Distribution of fibronectin-binding proteins among group A streptococci of different M types.
abstract: Binding of fibronectin by group A streptococci (GAS) promotes adherence to epithelial cells. The fibronectin-binding activity and the presence of prtF, a gene encoding a fibronectin-binding protein, were studied among 109 strains. Fifty-six strains of 42 different M types possessed prtF-related genes, and 89% of these strains bound fibronectin at high levels. The prtF-related genes varied in the number of repeats that constitute one of its two fibronectin-binding domains. Fifty-three strains of 21 different M types lacked prtF. Thirty-nine of these (74%), representing 13 different M types, bound fibronectin at very low levels. However, 9 (17%), of 5 different M types, bound fibronectin at high levels. The presence of prtF and the capacity to bind fibronectin correlated strongly with the M type of various strains of GAS. This correlation may suggest the existence of a relationship between fibronectin binding and the pathogenic potential of GAS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Natanson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sela
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Moses
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Musser
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Caparon
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hanski
mesh_terms: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D005353:Fibronectins; C078635:fibronectin-binding proteins, bacterial