Activity of Staphylococcus epidermidis phenol-soluble modulin peptides expressed in Staphylococcus carnosus.
Staphylococcus epidermidis releases a group of peptides termed phenol-soluble modulin (PSM) that stimulate macrophages. The structure of 3 peptides (PSM alpha, PSM beta, and PSM gamma ) have been described. We report a fourth peptide (PSM delta ), which is a 23mer with the structure fMSIVSTIIEVVKTIVDIVKKFKK. The gene for each of the 4 peptides was introduced singly into Staphylococcus carnosus, and the PSM-like activity of culture medium and bacterial extract were significantly greater than those of the parent strain. PSM peptides from each of the S. carnosus-expressing strains were purified and analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The products, which appeared to form aggregates, were active in the activation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 long-terminal repeat and the production of tumor necrosis factor- alpha by the macrophage cell line THP-1. These findings suggest that PSM peptides are responsible, in part, for the modulin-like activity of staphylococci and may contribute to the development of severe staphylococcal sepsis.
Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA.
Michael
M
Otto
D Shane
DS
O'Mahoney
Tina
T
Guina
Seymour J
SJ
Klebanoff
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002460:Cell Line; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016325:HIV Long Terminal Repeat; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C025971:staphylococcal delta toxin