title: Increased expression of the ska gene in emm49-genotyped Streptococcus pyogenes strains isolated from patients with severe invasive streptococcal infections.
abstract: Since 2000, emm49-genotyped Streptococcus pyogenes strains have been isolated from patients with severe invasive group A streptococcal infections in Japan, although they had not been isolated before 1999. We compare the characteristics of these strains with those of strains isolated from patients with non-invasive infections. SmaI-digested pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles of the isolates were almost indistinguishable between these groups, however, we found that ska (streptokinase gene) transcriptional levels in the strains isolated from patients with severe invasive infections were significantly higher than those in non-invasive infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
authors.forename: Tadayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ikebe
authors.forename: Miyoko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Endoh
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D015870:Gene Expression; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013300:Streptokinase / Q000235:genetics*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; C014689:streptococcal M protein; D013300:Streptokinase