PclA, a pneumococcal collagen-like protein with selected strain distribution, contributes to adherence and invasion of host cells.
Analysis of Streptococcus pneumoniae sequenced genomes revealed a region present only in selected strains consisting of two ORFs: a putative cell wall anchored protein and a putative transcriptional regulator. The cell wall anchored protein contains large regions of collagen-like repeats, the number of which varies between strains. We have therefore named this protein PclA for pneumococcal collagen-like protein A. The second gene, spr1404, encodes a putative transcriptional regulator. We examined the strain distribution of these two genes among a collection of clinical isolates from invasive pneumococcal disease and found them to be present in 39% of the strains examined. Strains were either positive for both genes or lacked both, with the two genes always present together in the same location of the genome. RT-PCR analysis revealed that pclA is transcribed in vitro, even in the absence of spr1404. Single deletion mutants lacking either gene were not attenuated in a mouse model of invasive pneumonia. However, the pclA mutant was defective in adherence and invasion of host cells in vitro.
Paterson
Gavin K
GK
Division of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
Nieminen
Leena
L
Jefferies
Johanna M C
JM
Mitchell
Tim J
TJ
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D017353:Gene Deletion; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D023061:Gene Order; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D051379:Mice; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020449:Repetitive Sequences, Amino Acid; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000502:physiology*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014774:Virulence; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; D037521:Virulence Factors