This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Spellerberg, B.
Right arrow Articles by Lütticken, R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Spellerberg, B.
Right arrow Articles by Lütticken, R.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Bacteriology, May 1999, p. 3212-3219, Vol. 181, No. 10
0021-9193/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Identification of Genetic Determinants for the Hemolytic Activity of Streptococcus agalactiae by ISS1 Transposition

Barbara Spellerberg,* Barbara Pohl, Gerhard Haase, Simone Martin, Josephine Weber-Heynemann, and Rudolf Lütticken

Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Aachen, D-52057 Aachen, Germany

Received 1 October 1998/Accepted 16 March 1999

Streptococcus agalactiae is a poorly transformable bacterium and studies of molecular mechanisms are difficult due to the limitations of genetic tools. Employing the novel pGh9:ISS1 transposition vector we generated plasmid-based mutant libraries of S. agalactiae strains O90R and AC475 by random chromosomal integration. A screen for mutants with a nonhemolytic phenotype on sheep blood agar led to the identification of a genetic locus harboring several genes that are essential for the hemolytic function and pigment production of S. agalactiae. Nucleotide sequence analysis of nonhemolytic mutants revealed that four mutants had distinct insertion sites in a single genetic locus of 7 kb that was subsequently designated cyl. Eight different open reading frames were identified: cylX, cylD, cylG, acpC, cylZ, cylA, cylB, and cylE, coding for predicted proteins with molecular masses of 11, 33, 26, 11, 15, 35, 32, and 78 kDa, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequence of the protein encoded by cylA harbors a conserved ATP-binding cassette (ABC) motif, and the predicted proteins encoded by cylA and cylB have significant similarities to the nucleotide binding and transmembrane proteins of typical ABC transporter systems. Transcription analysis by reverse transcription-PCR suggests that cylX to cylE are part of an operon. The requirement of acpC and cylZABE for hemolysin production of S. agalactiae was confirmed either by targeted mutagenesis with the vector pGh5, complementation studies with pAT28, or analysis of insertion elements in naturally occurring nonhemolytic mutants.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Aachen, Pauwelsstr. 30, D-52057 Aachen, Germany. Phone (49)-241-8088454. Fax: (49)-241-8888483. E-mail: bspeller{at}imib.rwth-aachen.de.


Journal of Bacteriology, May 1999, p. 3212-3219, Vol. 181, No. 10
0021-9193/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Gleich-Theurer, U., Aymanns, S., Haas, G., Mauerer, S., Vogt, J., Spellerberg, B. (2009). Human Serum Induces Streptococcal C5a Peptidase Expression. Infect. Immun. 77: 3817-3825 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Zhang, J., Biswas, I. (2009). 3'-Phosphoadenosine-5'-Phosphate Phosphatase Activity Is Required for Superoxide Stress Tolerance in Streptococcus mutans. J. Bacteriol. 191: 4330-4340 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sigge, A., Schmid, M., Mauerer, S., Spellerberg, B. (2008). Heterogeneity of Hemolysin Expression during Neonatal Streptococcus agalactiae Sepsis. J. Clin. Microbiol. 46: 807-809 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wu, T.-K., Wang, Y.-K., Chen, Y.-C., Feng, J.-M., Liu, Y.-H., Wang, T.-Y. (2007). Identification of a Vibrio furnissii Oligopeptide Permease and Characterization of Its In Vitro Hemolytic Activity. J. Bacteriol. 189: 8215-8223 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Vanberg, C., Lutnaes, B. F., Langsrud, T., Nes, I. F., Holo, H. (2007). Propionibacterium jensenii Produces the Polyene Pigment Granadaene and Has Hemolytic Properties Similar to Those of Streptococcus agalactiae. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 5501-5506 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Forquin, M.-P., Tazi, A., Rosa-Fraile, M., Poyart, C., Trieu-Cuot, P., Dramsi, S. (2007). The Putative Glycosyltransferase-Encoding Gene cylJ and the Group B Streptococcus (GBS)-Specific Gene cylK Modulate Hemolysin Production and Virulence of GBS. Infect. Immun. 75: 2063-2066 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Marri, P. R., Hao, W., Golding, G. B. (2006). Gene Gain and Gene Loss in Streptococcus: Is It Driven by Habitat?. Mol Biol Evol 23: 2379-2391 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Samen, U. M., Eikmanns, B. J., Reinscheid, D. J. (2006). The Transcriptional Regulator RovS Controls the Attachment of Streptococcus agalactiae to Human Epithelial Cells and the Expression of Virulence Genes.. Infect. Immun. 74: 5625-5635 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Rosa-Fraile, M., Rodriguez-Granger, J., Haidour-Benamin, A., Cuerva, J. M., Sampedro, A. (2006). Granadaene: Proposed Structure of the Group B Streptococcus Polyenic Pigment. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 6367-6370 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Gottschalk, B., Broker, G., Kuhn, M., Aymanns, S., Gleich-Theurer, U., Spellerberg, B. (2006). Transport of Multidrug Resistance Substrates by the Streptococcus agalactiae Hemolysin Transporter.. J. Bacteriol. 188: 5984-5992 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Liu, G. Y., Doran, K. S., Lawrence, T., Turkson, N., Puliti, M., Tissi, L., Nizet, V. (2004). Sword and shield: Linked group B streptococcal {beta}-hemolysin/cytolysin and carotenoid pigment function to subvert host phagocyte defense. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101: 14491-14496 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ouskova, G., Spellerberg, B., Prehm, P. (2004). Hyaluronan release from Streptococcus pyogenes: export by an ABC transporter. Glycobiology 14: 931-938 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Fontaine, M. C., Perez-Casal, J., Willson, P. J. (2004). Investigation of a Novel DNase of Streptococcus suis Serotype 2. Infect. Immun. 72: 774-781 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • De La Rosa-Fraile, M. (2003). Granada Agar Sensitivity and Detection of Group B Streptococcus. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41: 4007-4007 [Full Text]  
  • Biswas, I., Scott, J. R. (2003). Identification of rocA, a Positive Regulator of covR Expression in the Group A Streptococcus. J. Bacteriol. 185: 3081-3090 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Fuller, J. D., Camus, A. C., Duncan, C. L., Nizet, V., Bast, D. J., Thune, R. L., Low, D. E., de Azavedo, J. C. S. (2002). Identification of a Streptolysin S-Associated Gene Cluster and Its Role in the Pathogenesis of Streptococcus iniae Disease. Infect. Immun. 70: 5730-5739 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Spellerberg, B., Rozdzinski, E., Martin, S., Weber-Heynemann, J., Lutticken, R. (2002). rgf Encodes a Novel Two-Component Signal Transduction System of Streptococcus agalactiae. Infect. Immun. 70: 2434-2440 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Bohnsack, J. F., Whiting, A. A., Bradford, R. D., Van Frank, B. K., Takahashi, S., Adderson, E. E. (2002). Long-Range Mapping of the Streptococcus agalactiae Phylogenetic Lineage Restriction Digest Pattern Type III-3 Reveals Clustering of Virulence Genes. Infect. Immun. 70: 134-139 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Carr, A., Sledjeski, D. D., Podbielski, A., Boyle, M. D. P., Kreikemeyer, B. (2001). Similarities between Complement-mediated and Streptolysin S-mediated Hemolysis. J. Biol. Chem. 276: 41790-41796 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Rosa-Fraile, M., Sampedro, A., Rodríguez-Granger, J., García-Peña, M. L., Ruiz-Bravo, A., Haïdour, A. (2001). Pigment Production by Streptococcus agalactiae in Quasi-Defined Media. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 473-474 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ward, P. N., Field, T. R., Ditcham, W. G. F., Maguin, E., Leigh, J. A. (2001). Identification and Disruption of Two Discrete Loci Encoding Hyaluronic Acid Capsule Biosynthesis Genes hasA, hasB, and hasC in Streptococcus uberis. Infect. Immun. 69: 392-399 [Abstract] [Full Text]