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Infection and Immunity, June 1999, p. 2729-2739, Vol. 67, No. 6
Departments of
Pediatrics1 and Microbiology and
Immunology,2 University of Oklahoma Health
Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104
Received 20 November 1998/Returned for modification 13 January
1999/Accepted 12 March 1999
Haemophilus influenzae requires heme for growth and can
utilize hemoglobin and hemoglobin-haptoglobin as heme sources. We previously identified two hemoglobin- and
hemoglobin-haptoglobin-binding proteins, HgpA and HgpB, in H. influenzae HI689. Insertional mutation of hgpA and
hgpB, either singly or together, did not abrogate the
ability to utilize or bind either hemoglobin or the
hemoglobin-haptoglobin complex. A hemoglobin affinity purification
method was used to isolate a protein of approximately 120 kDa from the
hgpA hgpB double mutant. We have cloned and sequenced the
gene encoding this third hemoglobin/hemoglobin-haptoglobin binding
protein and designate it hgpC. Insertional mutation of
hgpC did not affect the ability of the strain to utilize
either hemoglobin or hemoglobin-haptoglobin. An hgpA hgpB
hgpC triple mutant constructed by insertional mutagenesis showed
a reduced ability to use the hemoglobin-haptoglobin complex but was
unaltered in the ability to use hemoglobin. A second class of mutants
was constructed in which the entire structural gene of each of the
three proteins was deleted. The hgpA hgpB hgpC complete-deletion triple mutant was unable to utilize the
hemoglobin-haptoglobin complex and showed a reduced ability to use
hemoglobin. We have identified three
hemoglobin/hemoglobin-haptoglobin-binding proteins in Haemophilus
influenzae. Any one of the three proteins is sufficient to
support growth with hemoglobin-haptoglobin as the heme source, and
expression of at least one of the three is essential for
hemoglobin-haptoglobin utilization. Although the three proteins play a
role in hemoglobin utilization, an additional hemoglobin acquisition
mechanism(s) exists.
0019-9567/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Effect of Multiple Mutations in the Hemoglobin- and
Hemoglobin-Haptoglobin-Binding Proteins, HgpA, HgpB, and HgpC, of
Haemophilus influenzae Type b
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Pediatrics, CHO 2308, 940 N.E. 13th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73104. Phone: (405) 271-4401. Fax: (405) 271-8710. E-mail:
Terrence-Stull{at}ouhsc.edu.
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