title: A peptide factor secreted by Staphylococcus pseudintermedius exhibits properties of both bacteriocins and virulence factors.
abstract: Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is a common commensal bacterium colonizing the skin and mucosal surfaces of household animals. However, it has recently emerged as a dangerous opportunistic pathogen, comparable to S. aureus for humans. The epidemiological situation is further complicated by the increasing number of methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius infections and evidence of gene transmission driving antibiotic resistance between staphylococci colonizing human and zoonotic hosts. In the present study, we describe a unique peptide, BacSp222, that possesses features characteristic of both bacteriocins and virulence factors. BacSp222 is secreted in high quantities by S. pseudintermedius strain 222 isolated from dog skin lesions. This linear, fifty-amino-acid highly cationic peptide is plasmid-encoded and does not exhibit significant sequence similarities to any other known peptides or proteins. BacSp222 kills gram-positive bacteria (at doses ranging from 0.1 to several micromol/l) but also demonstrates significant cytotoxic activities towards eukaryotic cells at slightly higher concentrations. Moreover, at nanomolar concentrations, the peptide also possesses modulatory properties, efficiently enhancing interferon gamma-induced nitric oxide release in murine macrophage-like cell lines. BacSp222 appears to be one of the first examples of multifunctional peptides that breaks the convention of splitting bacteriocins and virulence factors into two unrelated groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.|Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Benedykt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wladyka
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.|3rd Department of General Surgery, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-008 Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piejko
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biochemistry, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.|Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bzowska
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pieta
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krzysik
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Łukasz
authors.initials: Ł
authors.lastname: Mazurek
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Ibeth
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Guevara-Lora
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bukowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Artur J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Sabat
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Alexander W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Friedrich
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Emilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bonar
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Międzobrodzki
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.|Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dubin
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.|Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mak
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D055550:Protein Stability; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001430:Bacteriocins; D010455:Peptides; D037521:Virulence Factors; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II