title: A role in cell-binding for the C-terminus of pneumolysin, the thiol-activated toxin of Streptococcus pneumoniae.
abstract: Cell binding of pneumolysin to target cells is an important step in the lysis of cells by this toxin. We sought to locate the cell-binding region of pneumolysin. Deletion of the six C-terminal amino acids decreased cell-binding activity by 98%. Furthermore, mutagenesis of an amino acid near the C-terminus decreased the cell-binding activity of full-length pneumolysin by 90%. The C-terminus of pneumolysin has an important role in cell-binding activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Leicester, UK.
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Owen
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Boulnois
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Andrew
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001665:Binding Sites; D003603:Cytotoxins / Q000737:chemistry*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D013301:Streptolysins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003603:Cytotoxins; D013301:Streptolysins; C032290:plY protein, Streptococcus pneumoniae