title: Fibrinogen and Fibronectin Binding Activity and Immunogenic Nature of Choline Binding Protein M.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Choline-binding proteins (CBPs) are a group of surface-exposed proteins, which play crucial and physiological roles inStreptococcus pneumoniae. The novel member of CBPs, choline-binding protein M (CbpM) may have binding activity to plasma proteins. This study aimed to clone and express CbpM and demonstrate its interaction with plasma proteins and patients' sera.
  
  
  METHODS
  The total length ofcbpM gene was cloned inpET21a vector and expressed in BL21 expression host. Verification of recombinant protein was evaluated by Western blot using anti-His tag monoclonal antibody. Binding ability of the recombinant protein to plasma proteins and the interaction with patients' sera were assessed by Western blot and ELISA methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ThecbpM gene was successfully cloned intopET21a and expressed in BL21 host. Binding activity to fibronectin and fibrinogen and antibody reaction of CbpM to patients' sera was demonstrated by Western blot and ELISA methods, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CbpM is one of the pneumococcal surface-exposed proteins, which mediates pneumococcal binding to fibronectin and fibrinogen proteins.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Pathobiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Davoud
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Afshar
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Pathobiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Urology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Pourmand
authors.affiliation: Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jeddi-Tehrani
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Pathobiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali Akbar
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Saboor Yaraghi
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Pathobiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Azarsa
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fazel
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shokri
keywords: Choline-binding protein M; Fibrinogen; Fibronectin; Streptococcus pneumoniae