title: Virulence gene pool detected in bovine group C Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. dysgalactiae isolates by use of a group A S. pyogenes virulence microarray.
abstract: A custom-designed microarray containing 220 virulence genes of Streptococcus pyogenes (group A Streptococcus [GAS]) was used to test group C Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. dysgalactiae (GCS) field strains causing bovine mastitis and group C or group G Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis (GCS/GGS) isolates from human infections, with the latter being used for comparative purposes, for the presence of virulence genes. All bovine and all human isolates carried a fraction of the 220 genes (23% and 39%, respectively). The virulence genes encoding streptolysin S, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, the plasminogen-binding M-like protein PAM, and the collagen-like protein SclB were detected in the majority of both bovine and human isolates (94 to 100%). Virulence factors, usually carried by human beta-hemolytic streptococcal pathogens, such as streptokinase, laminin-binding protein, and the C5a peptidase precursor, were detected in all human isolates but not in bovine isolates. Additionally, GAS bacteriophage-associated virulence genes encoding superantigens, DNase, and/or streptodornase were detected in bovine isolates (72%) but not in the human isolates. Determinants located in non-bacteriophage-related mobile elements, such as the gene encoding R28, were detected in all bovine and human isolates. Several virulence genes, including genes of bacteriophage origin, were shown to be expressed by reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR). Phylogenetic analysis of superantigen gene sequences revealed a high level (>98%) of identity among genes of bovine GCS, of the horse pathogen Streptococcus equi subsp. equi, and of the human pathogen GAS. Our findings indicate that alpha-hemolytic bovine GCS, an important mastitis pathogen and considered to be a nonhuman pathogen, carries important virulence factors responsible for virulence and pathogenesis in humans.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Recursos Microbiológicos, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
authors.forename: Márcia G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Rato
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nerlich
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bergmann
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bexiga
authors.forename: Sandro F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.forename: Cristina L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Vilela
authors.forename: Ilda
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Santos-Sanches
authors.forename: Gursharan S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Chhatwal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002417:Cattle; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005788:Gene Pool; D006801:Humans; D020071:Interspersed Repetitive Sequences; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000662:veterinary*; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D017108:Streptococcus Phages / Q000235:genetics; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000235:genetics; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D037521:Virulence Factors