Mouse skin passage of Streptococcus pyogenes results in increased streptokinase expression and activity.
The plasminogen activator streptokinase has been proposed to be a key component of a complex mechanism that promotes skin invasion by Streptococcus pyogenes. This study was designed to compare ska gene message and protein levels in wild-type M1 serotype isolate 1881 and a more invasive variant recovered from the spleen of a lethally infected mouse. M1 isolates selected for invasiveness demonstrated enhanced levels of active plasminogen activator activity in culture. This effect was due to a combination of increased expression of the ska gene and decreased expression of the speB gene. The speB gene product, SpeB, was found to efficiently degrade streptokinase in vitro.
Rezcallah
Myrna S
MS
Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
Boyle
Michael D P
MDP
Department of Biology, Juniata College, 1700 Moore Street, Huntingdon, PA 16652, USA.
Sledjeski
Darren D
DD
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Ohio, 3055 Arlington Avenue, Toledo, OH 43614-5806, USA.
D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000235:genetics; D007700:Kinetics; D051379:Mice; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000201:enzymology; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000502:physiology*; D013300:Streptokinase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013300:Streptokinase; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; C042477:streptopain