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 Ward, P. N.
Right arrow Articles by Leigh, J. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ward, P. N.
Right arrow Articles by Leigh, J. A.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Bacteriology, January 2002, p. 119-125, Vol. 184, No. 1
0021-9193/01/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.184.1.119-125.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Characterization of PauB, a Novel Broad-Spectrum Plasminogen Activator from Streptococcus uberis

Philip N. Ward and James A. Leigh*

Institute for Animal Health, Compton Laboratory, Compton, Berkshire, RG20 7NN, United Kingdom

Received 19 June 2001/ Accepted 11 October 2001

A bovine plasminogen activator of atypical molecular mass (~45 kDa) from Streptococcus uberis strain SK880 had been identified previously (L. B. Johnsen, K. Poulsen, M. Kilian, and T. E. Petersen. Infect. Immun. 67:1072–1078, 1999). The strain was isolated from a clinical case of bovine mastitis. The isolate was found not to secrete PauA, a bovine plasminogen activator expressed by the majority of S. uberis strains. Analysis of the locus normally occupied by pauA revealed an absence of the pauA open reading frame. However, an alternative open reading frame was identified within the same locus. Sequence analysis of the putative gene suggested limited but significant homology to other plasminogen activators. A candidate signal peptide sequence and cleavage site were also identified. Expression cloning of DNA encoding the predicted mature protein (lacking signal peptide) confirmed that the open reading frame encoded a plasminogen activator of the expected size, which we have named PauB. Both native and recombinant forms of PauB displayed an unexpectedly broad specificity profile for bovine, ovine, equine, caprine, porcine, rabbit, and human plasminogen. Clinical and nonclinical field isolates from nine United Kingdom sites were screened for the pauB gene and none were identified as carrying it. Similarly, clinical isolates from 20 Danish herds were all found to encode PauA and not PauB. Therefore, PauB represents a novel but rare bacterial plasminogen activator which displays very broad specificity.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institute for Animal Health, Compton Laboratory, Compton, Berkshire, RG20 7NN, United Kingdom. Phone: 44 (0) 1635 578411. Fax: 44 (0) 1635 577243. E-mail: james.leigh{at}bbsrc.ac.uk.

Journal of Bacteriology, January 2002, p. 119-125, Vol. 184, No. 1
0021-9193/01/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.184.1.119-125.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Coffey, T. J., Pullinger, G. D., Urwin, R., Jolley, K. A., Wilson, S. M., Maiden, M. C., Leigh, J. A. (2006). First Insights into the Evolution of Streptococcus uberis: a Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme That Enables Investigation of Its Population Biology. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 1420-1428 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ward, P. N., Field, T. R., Rapier, C. D., Leigh, J. A. (2003). The Activation of Bovine Plasminogen by PauA Is Not Required for Virulence of Streptococcus uberis. Infect. Immun. 71: 7193-7196 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»