Mast cell degranulation by a hemolytic lipid toxin decreases GBS colonization and infection.

ABSTRACT: Ascending infection of microbes from the lower genital tract into the amniotic cavity increases the risk of preterm birth, stillbirth, and newborn infections. Host defenses that are critical for preventing ascending microbial infection are not completely understood. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) are Gram-positive bacteria that frequently colonize the lower genital tract of healthy women but cause severe infections during pregnancy, leading to preterm birth, stillbirth, or early-onset newborn infections. We recently described that the GBS pigment is hemolytic, and increased pigment expression promotes GBS penetration of human placenta. Here, we show that the GBS hemolytic pigment/lipid toxin and hyperpigmented GBS strains induce mast cell degranulation, leading to the release of prefor

SUBMITTER: Gendrin C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4584422 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature