Genetic basis for the beta-haemolytic/cytolytic activity of group B Streptococcus.

Group B streptococci (GBS) express a beta-haemolysin/cytolysin that contributes to disease pathogenesis. We report an independent discovery and extension of a genetic locus encoding the GBS beta-haemolysin/cytolysin activity. A plasmid library of GBS chromosomal DNA was cloned into Escherichia coli, and a transformant was identified as beta-haemolytic on blood agar. The purified plasmid contained a 4046 bp insert of GBS DNA encoding two complete open reading frames (ORFs). A partial upstream ORF (cylB) and the first complete ORF (cylE) represent the 3' end of a newly reported genetic locus (cyl) required for GBS haemolysin/cytolysin activity. ORF cylE is predicted to encode a 78.3 kDa protein without GenBank homologies. The GBS DNA fragment also includes a previously unreported ORF, cylF, with homology to bacterial aminomethyltransferases, and the 5' end of cylH, with homology to 3-ketoacyl-ACP synthases. Southern analysis demonstrated that the cyl locus was conserved among GBS of all common serotypes. Targeted plasmid integrational mutagenesis was used to disrupt cylB, cylE, cylF and cylH in three wild-type GBS strains representing serotypes Ia, III and V. Targeted integrations in cylB, cylF and cylH retaining wild-type haemolytic activity were identified in all strains. In contrast, targeted integrations in cylE were invariably non-haemolytic and non-cytolytic, a finding confirmed by in frame allelic exchange of the cylE gene. The haemolytic/cytolytic activity of the cylE allelic exchange mutants could be restored by reintroduction of cylE on a plasmid vector. Inducible expression of cylE, cylF and cylEF demonstrated that it is CylE that confers haemolytic activity in E. coli. We conclude that cylE probably represents the structural gene for the GBS haemolysin/cytolysin, a novel bacterial toxin.

Group B streptococci and other gram-positive cocci bind to cytokeratin 8.

Group B streptococci (GBS) adhere to surface receptors present on epithelial cells; these receptors include fibronectin and laminin. To identify other possible receptors, plasma membranes from A549 cells, a respiratory tract epithelial cell line, were prepared. These plasma membranes were tested in a protein blot analysis using radiolabeled GBS as a probe. GBS adhered to two species, with molecular masses of 50 kDa (p50) and 57 kDa (p57). We concluded that p50 and p57 correspond to two forms of cytokeratin 8 (CK8) on the basis of the following results: (i) protein blot results demonstrated that p50 and p57 exactly comigrated with two forms of CK8 after separation by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE); (ii) p50 and p57 exactly comigrated with CK8 after separation by two-dimensional PAGE; (iii) CK8 in solution bound to GBS, as demonstrated by immunoblot analysis of proteins from A549 lysates that bound to GBS in a liquid-phase assay; and (iv) radiolabeled GBS bound to A549 lysate-derived CK8 that had been captured in anti-CK8-coated microtiter wells. CK8 bound to COH1-13, an acapsular mutant of COH1, demonstrating that adherence is not mediated by capsular polysaccharide. Trypsin-treated GBS did not bind to CK8, indicating that adherence is mediated via a protein on the surface of GBS. Soluble CK8 bound to six of six GBS strains tested. Soluble CK8 also bound to Staphylococcus aureus, Lactococcus lactis, Enterococcus faecalis, and Streptococcus pyogenes. We hypothesize that adherence of GBS to cytokeratin may be important for maintenance of colonization at sites of keratinized epithelium, such as the vagina, or for adherence of these bacteria to damaged epithelial cells at other sites.

Analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphisms of the insertion sequence IS1381 in group B Streptococci.

Group B streptococci (GBS) are typed by capsular polysaccharide type. IS1381, an insertion sequence previously described in Streptococcus pneumoniae, was cloned from GBS strain A909. The presence of multiple copies of IS1381 in A909 suggested that IS1381 analysis might be an effective subtyping tool. IS1381 was found by Southern blot analysis to be present in 18 (72%) of 25 of unrelated GBS isolates tested. IS1381 analysis allowed discrimination between strains that contain IS1381 with a discriminatory power >99%. Eight of 8 sets of epidemiologically related isolates containing IS1381 give identical or nearly identical patterns of IS1381 insertion. For 2 maternal/infant sets, a single additional insertion was seen in 1 strain, suggesting that an additional insertion occurred between maternal colonization and infection of the infant. Insertion patterns of IS1381 are an effective tool for subtyping GBS.

Lack of detection of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in the saliva of infected children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in the saliva of infected children and adolescents. METHODS: Saliva and blood samples were collected from 13 patients (age range, 1-15 years) with HIV-1 infection. Eleven were taking antiretroviral agents. The presence of HIV-1 was determined by polymerase chain reaction analysis of RNA and DNA as well as by viral culture of the saliva samples and by culture of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. RESULTS: Although HIV-1 was cultured from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 12 patients, it was not cultured from their saliva. Only 1 of 13 saliva samples yielded positive test results for HIV-1 RNA, and none did so for HIV-1 DNA. The specimen containing HIV-1 RNA was from an untreated 10-year-old asymptomatic boy with a CD4+ lymphocyte count of 0.91 x 10(9)/L (913 cells/microL) and no infectious virus detected in plasma. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of HIV-1 in the saliva of HIV-1-infected children and adolescents is low and may not be infectious.

Group B streptococci adhere to a variant of fibronectin attached to a solid phase.

Group B streptococci (GBS) are the leading cause of neonatal pneumonia and meningitis. Adherence of GBS to host tissues may play an important role in the pathogenesis of infection. The host molecules which mediate GBS adherence to host tissues are unknown. Many bacterial pathogens adhere to fibronectin, an important component of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Some pathogens adhere to both immobilized and soluble fibronectin, while others adhere to immobilized fibronectin, but not to soluble fibronectin. Previous data indicated that GBS do not adhere to soluble fibronectin. We studied the ability of GBS to adhere to immobilized fibronectin. Forty-five per cent of the input inoculum of COH1, a virulent GBS isolate, adhered to fibronectin immobilized on polystyrene. COH1 did not adhere to the other ECM proteins tested (laminin, type I collagen, vitronectin, and tenascin). Nine out of nine GBS strains from human sources tested adhered specifically to fibronectin at levels varying from 4-60%. We considered the possibility that GBS were adherent to a contaminant in the fibronectin preparation. Properties of fibronectin, including the presence of an immunologic epitope of fibronectin and binding to collagen, were verified to be properties of the molecule to which GBS adhere. COH1 adhered to fibronectin captured by a monoclonal antibody to fibronectin (FN-15), confirming that the molecule to which GBS adhere bears immunologic determinants of fibronectin. Adherence of COH1 to fibronectin was inhibited by collagen, confirming that the molecule to which GBS adhere binds to collagen. These data strongly suggest that GBS adhere to fibronectin, and not to a contaminant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adherence of group B streptococci to cultured epithelial cells: roles of environmental factors and bacterial surface components.

Group B streptococci (GBS) are the major cause of neonatal pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis. Steps considered to be important in the pathogenesis of this infection include colonization of the rectum and vagina of the mother, aspiration of GBS into the fetal lung during or just prior to delivery, and invasion of GBS into pulmonary epithelial cells. We have previously demonstrated that GBS can invade pulmonary epithelial cells both in vivo and in vitro. Adherence of GBS to epithelial cells may play an important role in colonization of the rectum and vagina and constitute a first step in invasion of pulmonary epithelial cells. Because GBS can both adhere to and invade epithelial cells, we have developed two assays for GBS adherence which measure cell surface and not intracellular bacteria. Using these assays, we were able to demonstrate specific adherence of GBS to pulmonary epithelial cells. Adherence levels were similar at 4 and 37 degrees C and for log- and stationary-phase bacteria. Physiologic conditions vary considerably between the rectum, vagina, and lung, and a range of conditions was therefore tested. Adherence was enhanced in hypotonic solutions, while magnesium and calcium had no effect on adherence at physiologic concentrations. In comparison with adherence at neutral pH, adherence was increased 6- to 20-fold at pH 4, which is the normal vaginal pH. Neither capsular polysaccharide nor lipoteichoic acid was important for adherence in these assays. Treatment of GBS with trypsin decreased their adherence by more than 75%, indicating that surface proteins play an important role.

Molecules recognized by anti-idiotypic monoclonal antibodies to the B cell lymphoma, BCL1.

Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to the variable portions of antigen receptors (anti-idiotypes and anti-idiotopes) are often employed to study the molecular nature and the biological role of these antigen receptors. Such antibodies are operationally defined as those antibodies which bind to a particular immunoglobulin but not to other immunoglobulins of the same class in a radioimmunoassay or ELISA. The monoclonal antibodies 32D1 and 31D1 were initially defined as anti-idiotypic as they recognized an immunoglobulin preparation from the murine B cell lymphoma BCL1, but not other immunoglobulins of the same isotype as assessed by a radioimmunoassay. A potential artifact in defining anti-idiotypic antibodies in this way is the possibility of copurification of antigen and antibody, resulting in the tentative identification of anti-antigen as anti-idiotype. Previous studies have demonstrated that BCL1-IgM is involved in binding of murine leukemia virus (MuLV), and BCL1 immunoglobulin and MuLV-gp70 apparently co-purified as an immune complex. Disruption of the immune complexes with SDS and sucrose gradient purification of the immunoglobulin was adequate to prepare BCL1 immunoglobulin free of gp70 as assessed by radioimmunoassay with the monoclonal anti-gp70 RA3-4A3. This preparation of immunoglobulin was used to show that 31D1 does not bind to BCL1 immunoglobulin, but to the contaminating gp70 in the BCL1 immunoglobulin preparation. However, MAb 32D1 was definitively proven to be anti-idiotypic as it recognized SDS sucrose density gradient purified IgM and immunoisolated heavy chain and light chain from BCL1 immunoglobulin. Several other lymphomas were recognized by mAb 32D1, including the T cell lymphoma UNC1 and the B cell lymphoma Balenlm17. To determine whether mAb 32D1 recognized immunospecific receptors on these lymphoma cell lines immunoprecipitation studies were performed. Immunoisolation and molecular analysis revealed that mAb 32D1 did not recognize the antigen receptor on these two cells, but instead recognized a cell-specific gp70. This observation demonstrates that monoclonal antibodies to known antigens (in this case an anti-idiotype) can crossreact with apparently unrelated molecules. The potential significance of this cross reaction to the antigens recognized by B cell lymphomas is discussed.

Isolation of molecules recognized by monoclonal antibodies and antisera: the solid phase immunoisolation technique.

A simple technique for the isolation of antigens recognized by antisera and monoclonal antibodies has been developed. This method, the solid-phase immunoisolation technique, employs the protein-binding properties of polyvinylchloride microtiter plates. Antibodies are adsorbed to the plates either directly or via an anti-immunoglobulin reagent. Antigen is then placed in the wells, and allowed to adsorb to the antibody. The well is washed, and the antigen is then eluted with a denaturing electrophoresis sample buffer for one- or two-dimensional analysis. The solid-phase immunoisolation technique has been used to isolate a variety of cell membrane antigens with high signals and low backgrounds. The ease of the procedure and the high signal-to-noise ratio make this method preferable to the use of a staphylococcal adsorbent for many applications.