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

Choline-Binding Protein D (CbpD) in Streptococcus pneumoniae Is Essential for Competence-Induced Cell Lysis

Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, N-1432 Ås, Norway

Received 31 January 2005/ Accepted 31 March 2005

Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important human pathogen that is able to take up naked DNA from the environment by a quorum-sensing-regulated process called natural genetic transformation. This property enables members of this bacterial species to efficiently acquire new properties that may increase their ability to survive and multiply in the human host. We have previously reported that induction of the competent state in a liquid culture of Streptococcus pneumoniae triggers lysis of a subfraction of the bacterial population resulting in release of DNA. We have also proposed that such competence-induced DNA release is an integral part of natural genetic transformation that has evolved to increase the efficiency of gene transfer between pneumococci. In the present work, we have further elucidated the mechanism behind competence-induced cell lysis by identifying a putative murein hydrolase, choline-binding protein D (CbpD), as a key component of this process. By using real-time PCR to estimate the amount of extracellular DNA in competent relative to noncompetent cultures, we were able to show that competence-induced cell lysis and DNA release are strongly attenuated in a cbpD mutant. Ectopic expression of CbpD in the presence or absence of other competence proteins revealed that CbpD is essentially unable to cause cell lysis on its own but depends on at least one additional protein expressed during competence.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Rice, K. C., Bayles, K. W. (2008). Molecular Control of Bacterial Death and Lysis. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 72: 85-109 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Dubrac, S., Boneca, I. G., Poupel, O., Msadek, T. (2007). New Insights into the WalK/WalR (YycG/YycF) Essential Signal Transduction Pathway Reveal a Major Role in Controlling Cell Wall Metabolism and Biofilm Formation in Staphylococcus aureus. J. Bacteriol. 189: 8257-8269 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Lux, T., Nuhn, M., Hakenbeck, R., Reichmann, P. (2007). Diversity of Bacteriocins and Activity Spectrum in Streptococcus pneumoniae. J. Bacteriol. 189: 7741-7751 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Burne, R. A., Bessen, D. E., Broadbent, J. R., Claverys, J.-P. (2007). The Seventh International Conference on the Genetics of Streptococci, Lactococci, and Enterococci. J. Bacteriol. 189: 1209-1218 [Full Text]  
• Lanie, J. A., Ng, W.-L., Kazmierczak, K. M., Andrzejewski, T. M., Davidsen, T. M., Wayne, K. J., Tettelin, H., Glass, J. I., Winkler, M. E. (2007). Genome Sequence of Avery's Virulent Serotype 2 Strain D39 of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Comparison with That of Unencapsulated Laboratory Strain R6. J. Bacteriol. 189: 38-51 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Moscoso, M., Garcia, E., Lopez, R. (2006). Biofilm Formation by Streptococcus pneumoniae: Role of Choline, Extracellular DNA, and Capsular Polysaccharide in Microbial Accretion. J. Bacteriol. 188: 7785-7795 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Ichihara, H., Kuma, K.-i., Toh, H. (2006). Positive Selection in the ComC-ComD System of Streptococcal Species.. J. Bacteriol. 188: 6429-6434 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Mascher, T., Heintz, M., Zahner, D., Merai, M., Hakenbeck, R. (2006). The CiaRH System of Streptococcus pneumoniae Prevents Lysis during Stress Induced by Treatment with Cell Wall Inhibitors and by Mutations in pbp2x Involved in {beta}-Lactam Resistance.. J. Bacteriol. 188: 1959-1968 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Bergmann, S., Hammerschmidt, S. (2006). Versatility of pneumococcal surface proteins. Microbiology 152: 295-303 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Guiral, S., Henard, V., Laaberki, M.-H., Granadel, C., Prudhomme, M., Martin, B., Claverys, J.-P. (2006). Construction and evaluation of a chromosomal expression platform (CEP) for ectopic, maltose-driven gene expression in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Microbiology 152: 343-349 [Abstract] [Full Text]