title: Pneumococcal microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules targeting of the extracellular matrix.
abstract: The attachment of bacteria to host cells and tissues, and their subsequent invasion and dissemination are key processes during pathogenesis. In this issue of Molecular Microbiology, Jensch and co-workers provide further molecular insight into these events during infection with the Gram positive bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae. Their characterization of pneumococcal adherence and virulence factor B (PavB), a bacterial surface protein with orthologues in other streptococci, show that it binds to the extracellar matrix components fibronection and plasminogen by virtue of repetitive sequences-designated streptococcal surface repeats. In mice, a pavB mutant showed reduced nasopharyngeal colonization and was attenuated in a lung infection model. As discussed here in the context of the pneumococcus, the study of PavB highlights the central role during microbal pathogenesis of targetting the extracellular matrix by so-called microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules (MSCRAMMs).
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Health Science Center, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MC7758, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
authors.forename: Gavin K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Paterson
authors.forename: Carlos J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Orihuela
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism*; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism; D017353:Gene Deletion; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D010958:Plasminogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D005353:Fibronectins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D037521:Virulence Factors; D010958:Plasminogen