title: Identification of the cpsA gene as a specific marker for the discrimination of Streptococcus pneumoniae from viridans group streptococci.
abstract: Streptococcus pneumoniae, the aetiological agent of pneumonia and non-gonococcal urethritis, shares a high degree of DNA sequence identity with the viridans group of streptococci, particularly Streptococcus mitis and Streptococcus oralis. Although their clinical and pathological manifestations are different, discrimination between S. pneumoniae and its close viridans cocci relatives is still quite difficult. Suppression subtractive hybridization was performed to identify the genomic differences between S. pneumoniae and S. mitis. Thirty-four resulting S. pneumoniae-specific clones were examined by sequence determination and comparative DNA sequence analysis using blast. S. pneumoniae-specific primers were subsequently designed from one of the clonal DNA sequences containing the cps gene (coding for capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis). The primer specificities were evaluated using 49 viridans streptococci including 26 S. pneumoniae, 54 other streptococci, 14 Lactococcus species, 14 Enterococcus species and three Vagococcus species, and compared with the specificities of previously described autolysin (lytA), pneumolysin (ply), Spn9802 and Spn9828 primers. The newly designed cpsA-specific primer set was highly specific to S. pneumoniae and was even better than the existing primers. These findings may help improve the rapid identification and differentiation of S. pneumoniae from closely related members of the viridans group streptococci.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Translational System Biomics, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, 221 Heukseok-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 156-756, Republic of Korea.|Department of Microbiology, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, 221 Heukseok-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 156-756, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hee Kuk
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Wonkwang University College of Dentistry, Iksan 570-749, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Jae
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Translational System Biomics, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, 221 Heukseok-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 156-756, Republic of Korea.|Department of Microbiology, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, 221 Heukseok-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 156-756, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jang Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, 221 Heukseok-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 156-756, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Wook
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Wonkwang University College of Dentistry, Iksan 570-749, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyoung-Shik
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Chosun University College of Dentistry, Gwangju 501-825, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Joong-Ki
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kook
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, 221 Heukseok-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 156-756, Republic of Korea.|Research Institute for Translational System Biomics, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, 221 Heukseok-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 156-756, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Soon Chul
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Myung
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Translational System Biomics, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, 221 Heukseok-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 156-756, Republic of Korea.|Department of Microbiology, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, 221 Heukseok-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 156-756, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Wonyong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000235:genetics; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D017045:Lactococcus / Q000235:genetics; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D034361:Streptococcus mitis / Q000235:genetics; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C500439:CpsA protein, Streptococcus pneumoniae; D017931:DNA Primers; D005819:Genetic Markers