Role of capsule and suilysin in mucosal infection of complement-deficient mice with Streptococcus suis.

ABSTRACT: Virulent Streptococcus suis serotype 2 strains are invasive extracellular bacteria causing septicemia and meningitis in piglets and humans. One objective of this study was to elucidate the function of complement in innate immune defense against S. suis. Experimental infection of wild-type (WT) and C3(-/-) mice demonstrated for the first time that the complement system protects naive mice against invasive mucosal S. suis infection. S. suis WT but not an unencapsulated mutant caused mortality associated with meningitis and other pathologies in C3(-/-) mice. The capsule contributed also substantially to colonization of the upper respiratory tract. Experimental infection of C3(-/-) mice with a suilysin mutant indicated that suilysin expression facilitated an early disease onset and the pathoge

SUBMITTER: Seitz M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4019146 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature