Additive attenuation of virulence of Streptococcus pneumoniae by mutation of the genes encoding pneumolysin and other putative pneumococcal virulenceproteins
Am. Berry et Jc. Paton, Additive attenuation of virulence of Streptococcus pneumoniae by mutation of the genes encoding pneumolysin and other putative pneumococcal virulenceproteins, INFEC IMMUN, 68(1), 2000, pp. 133-140
Although the polysaccharide capsule of Streptococcus pneumoniae has been re
cognized as a sine qua non of virulence, much recent attention has focused
on the role of pneumococcal proteins in pathogenesis, particularly in view
of their potential as vaccine antigens. The individual contributions of pne
umolysin (Ply), the major neuraminidase (NanA), autolysin (LytA), hyaluroni
dase (Hyl), pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA), and choline-binding prot
ein A (CbpA) have been examined by specifically mutagenizing the respective
genes in the pneumococcal chromosome and comparing the impact on virulence
in a mouse intraperitoneal challenge model. Mutagenesis of either the ply,
lytA, or pspA gene in S. pneumoniae D39 significantly reduced virulence, r
elative to that of the wild-type strain, indicating that the respective gen
e products contribute to pathogenesis. On the other hand, mutations in nanA
, hyl, or cbpA had no significant impact. The virulence of D39 derivatives
carrying a ply deletion mutation as well as an insertion-duplication mutati
on in one of the other genes was also examined. Mutagenesis of either nanA
or lytA did not result in an additional attenuation of virulence in the ply
deletion background. However, significant additive attenuation in virulenc
e was observed for the strains with ply-hyl, ply-pspA, and ply-cbpA double
mutations.