title: Streptococcus pyogenes recruits collagen via surface-bound fibronectin: a novel colonization and immune evasion mechanism.
abstract: This study aimed to characterize matrix assembly mechanisms on the surface of the human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes. Among 125 S. pyogenes isolates, 61% were able to recruit collagen type IV via surface-bound fibronectin. Streptococcus gordonii expressing the fibronectin-binding repeat domain of S. pyogenes SfbI protein was equally potent in recruiting collagen, indicating that this domain was sufficient to promote fibronectin-mediated collagen recruitment. Electron microscopic analysis of streptococci revealed that fibronectin-mediated collagen recruitment led to matrix deposition on and between streptococcal cells, which induced the formation of large bacterial aggregates. Furthermore, collagen-recruiting streptococci were able to colonize collagen fibres and were protected from adhering to human polymorphonuclear cells in the presence of opsonizing antibodies. Fibronectin-mediated collagen recruitment thus represents a novel aggregation, colonization and immune evasion mechanism of S. pyogenes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbial Pathogenecity and Vaccine Research, GBF-National Centre for Biotechnology, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dinkla
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rohde
authors.forename: Wouter T M
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: Jonathan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Carapetis
authors.forename: Gursharan S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Chhatwal
authors.forename: Susanne R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Talay
mesh_terms: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism*; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010587:Phagocytosis; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D005353:Fibronectins; C078635:fibronectin-binding proteins, bacterial; D003094:Collagen