Streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin B enhances tissue damage initiated by other Streptococcus pyogenes products.

Abstract

This study compared the pathology and infection pattern of streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin B-positive (SpeB(+)) and SpeB-negative (SpeB(-)) isogenic variants of an M1 isolate of Streptococcus pyogenes in a mouse skin air sac model. SpeB(+) strains resulted in severe local tissue damage that extended from the epidermis through the subcutaneous layers, whereas isogenic SpeB(-) variants had reduced gross pathology. At the histologic level, differences in necrosis and host responses to each variant were apparent. Injection of purified SpeB alone into a skin air sac failed to induce any significant tissue damage; however, coinjection of the enzyme with either the wild-type or the speB mutant resulted in increased and accelerated tissue necrosis. Surprisingly, coinjection of the enzyme with the spleen-recovered SpeB(-) variant failed to induce a lesion.

• Authors: M Saouda, W Wu, P Conran, M D Boyle
• Journal: The Journal of infectious diseases (J Infect Dis) Vol. 184 Issue 6 Pg. 723-31 (Sep 15 2001) ISSN: 0022-1899 [Print] United States
• PMID: 11517433 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Bacterial Proteins
• Exotoxins
• Membrane Proteins
• SpeA protein, Streptococcus pyogenes
• erythrogenic toxin

Topics

• Animals
• Bacterial Proteins
• Blotting, Northern
• Epidermis (drug effects, pathology)
• Exotoxins (genetics, isolation & purification, toxicity)
• Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
• Membrane Proteins
• Mice
• Muscle, Skeletal (drug effects, pathology)
• Phenotype
• Skin (drug effects, microbiology, pathology)
• Streptococcal Infections (pathology)
• Streptococcus pyogenes (genetics)
• Time Factors