Spectrum of pneumococcal serotype 11A variants results from incomplete loss of capsule O-acetylation

Journal of Clinical Microbiology
Juan J CalixMoon H Nahm

Abstract

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a significant bacterial pathogen that expresses >90 capsule serotypes. Conventional serotyping methods assume that each serotype is a genetically and antigenically distinct entity; however, recent investigations have revealed pneumococcal isolates that cannot be unambiguously serotyped because they share the properties of more than one serotype. Here, we employed a novel serotyping method and NMR spectroscopy to examine clinical isolates sharing properties of serotypes 11A and 11E. These ambiguous clinical isolates were provisionally named 11A variant (11Av) isolates. Serotype 11A pneumococci characteristically express capsule β-galactose-6-O-acetylation (βGal6OAc) mediated by the capsule synthesis gene wcjE, while 11E strains contain loss-of-function mutations in wcjE and completely lack the expression of βGal6OAc. Although 11Av isolates also contained mutated wcjE alleles, 11Av clinical isolates were composed of antigenically homogeneous bacteria expressing reduced amounts of 11A-specific capsule antigen. NMR data confirmed reduced but detectable amounts of βGal6OAc on 11Av capsule polysaccharide. Furthermore, the transformation of strains with wcjE alleles from 11Av strains was sufficient to resto...Continue Reading

References

Jun 1, 1983·The Journal of Infectious Diseases·P S VenkateswaranR Austrian
Nov 1, 1995·Journal of Biomolecular NMR·F DelaglioA Bax
Jul 1, 1996·Molecular Microbiology·W P Tate, S A Mannering
Oct 27, 2001·Applied and Environmental Microbiology·C K SungD A Morrison
Jan 7, 2005·Journal of Clinical Microbiology·Jigui YuMoon H Nahm
Mar 15, 2006·PLoS Genetics·Stephen D BentleyBrian G Spratt
Feb 3, 2007·Journal of Clinical Microbiology·In Ho ParkMoon H Nahm
Jan 1, 2009·Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·Sandra S RichterGary V Doern
Mar 5, 2009·Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews : MMBR·John F Atkins, Glenn R Björk
May 29, 2010·The Journal of Infectious Diseases·Juan J Calix, Moon H Nahm
Apr 8, 2011·Emerging Infectious Diseases·Judith SpijkermanElisabeth A M Sanders
Jan 24, 2012·Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·Juan J CalixMoon H Nahm
Sep 1, 1994·Journal of Biomolecular NMR·B A Johnson, R A Blevins

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

May 30, 2015·Journal of Immunological Methods·K Aaron GenoMoon H Nahm
Jun 2, 2015·Frontiers in Microbiology·Gregory B WhitfieldP Lynne Howell
Jan 8, 2017·Clinical Microbiology and Infection : the Official Publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases·M StaplesA V Jennison
Jul 18, 2014·Clinical and Vaccine Immunology : CVI·Allison M BradyMoon H Nahm
Jun 6, 2018·Molecules : a Journal of Synthetic Chemistry and Natural Product Chemistry·Francesco BertiRino Rappuoli

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Bacterial Pneumonia

Bacterial pneumonia is a prevalent and costly infection that is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients of all ages. Here is the latest research.

Bacterial Pneumonia (ASM)

Bacterial pneumonia is a prevalent and costly infection that is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients of all ages. Here is the latest research.