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.
Division of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
Gavin K
GK
Paterson
Leena
L
Nieminen
Johanna M C
JM
Jefferies
Tim J
TJ
Mitchell
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