Two DHH subfamily 1 proteins contribute to pneumococcal virulence and confer protection against pneumococcal disease.

ABSTRACT: Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important human bacterial pathogen, causing such infections as pneumonia, meningitis, septicemia, and otitis media. Current capsular polysaccharide-based conjugate vaccines protect against a fraction of the over 90 serotypes known, whereas vaccines based on conserved pneumococcal proteins are considered promising broad-range alternatives. The pneumococcal genome encodes two conserved proteins of an as yet unknown function, SP1298 and SP2205, classified as DHH (Asp-His-His) subfamily 1 proteins. Here we examined their contribution to pneumococcal pathogenesis using single and double knockout mutants in three different strains: D39, TIGR4, and BHN100. Mutants lacking both SP1298 and SP2205 were severely impaired in adherence to human epithelial Detroit 562 cell

SUBMITTER: Cron LE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3165479 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature