Synergistic effects of streptolysin S and streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin B on the mouse model of group A streptococcal infection

Chih Hsin Hung, Nina Tsao, Yi Fang Zeng, Shiou Ling Lu, Chuan Chiang-Ni, Yee Shin Lin, Jiunn Jong Wu, Chih Feng Kuo*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal Article peer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

Streptococcus pyogenes is a group A streptococcus (GAS) and an important human pathogen that causes a variety of diseases. Streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin B (SPE B) and streptolysin S (SLS) are important virulence factors involved in GAS infection, but it is not clear which one is more virulent. Using an air pouch infection model, the wild-type strain NZ131, its isogenic mutants, and complementary mutants were used to examine the effects of SPE B and SLS on GAS infection. The results of the skin lesion and mouse mortality assays showed that although SPE B and SLS had a synergistic effect on GAS infection, SPE B played a more important role in local tissue damage while SLS had a more prominent effect on mouse mortality. Surveys of the exudates from the air pouch revealed that the expression of inflammatory cytokines was significantly inhibited in the sagB/ speB-double-mutant JM4-infected mice. Furthermore, in vivo and in vitro studies showed that the isogenic mutant strains were more susceptible to the immune cell killing than the wild-type strain and that the sagB/speB-doublemutant JM4 was the most sensitive among these strains. Moreover, infection with the sagB/speB-double-mutant JM4 strain caused the least amount of macrophage apoptosis compared to infection with the wild-type NZ131 and the other complementary strains, which express only SPE B or SLS or both. Taken together, these results indicate that both SPE B and SLS contributed to GAS evasion from immune cell killing, local tissue damage, and mouse mortality.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)357-369
Number of pages13
JournalMedical Microbiology and Immunology
Volume201
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 08 2012
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Group A streptococcus
  • Streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin B
  • Streptolysin S

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