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Infection and Immunity, October 2001, p. 6102-6109, Vol. 69, No. 10
0019-9567/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/IAI.69.10.6102-6109.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Effect on Polymorphonuclear Cell Function of a Human-Specific Cytotoxin, Intermedilysin, Expressed by Streptococcus intermedius

M. G. Macey,1,2,* R. A. Whiley,3,4 L. Miller,2,5 and H. Nagamune6

Departments of Haematology,1 Oral Microbiology,3 and Immunology,5 Barts, and the London NHS Trust,2 School of Medicine and Dentistry, Whitechapel,4 London, United Kingdom, and Department of Biological Science and Technology, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tokushima, Tokoshima 770, Japan6

Received 16 January 2001/Returned for modification 10 May 2001/Accepted 11 July 2001

Streptococcus intermedius is a member of the normal flora of the mouth but is also an opportunistic pathogen associated with purulent infections at oral and nonoral sites. Intermedilysin (ILY) has been shown to be a cytolysin capable of generating pores in the cell membrane of erythrocytes demonstrable by electron microscopy. This effect has been shown to be specific for human cells. Since polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) are the main cell involved in innate immunity we investigated the effect of purified intermedilysin from Streptococcus intermedius on PMN function. Active ILY at a concentration of 40 ng/µl caused a significant decrease in the number of intact PMNs after 60 min. The active cytolysin, when compared with heat-inactivated ILY, did not appear to be chemotactic for the PMNs but did cause an increase in intracellular calcium, with increased cell surface CD11b expression, metabolic burst, and phagocytosis of Staphylococcus aureus. These findings may have implications for the role of ILY in deep-seated abscesses.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Haematology, Barts and the London NHS Trust, Whitechapel, London E1 1BB, United Kingdom. Phone: 0207 377 7183. Fax: 0207 377 7016. E-mail: macey.marion{at}royalhos-tr.nthames.nhs.uk.

Infection and Immunity, October 2001, p. 6102-6109, Vol. 69, No. 10
0019-9567/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/IAI.69.10.6102-6109.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • LaChapelle, S., Tweten, R. K., Hotze, E. M. (2009). Intermedilysin-Receptor Interactions during Assembly of the Pore Complex: ASSEMBLY INTERMEDIATES INCREASE HOST CELL SUSCEPTIBILITY TO COMPLEMENT-MEDIATED LYSIS. J. Biol. Chem. 284: 12719-12726 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Polekhina, G., Giddings, K. S., Tweten, R. K., Parker, M. W. (2005). Insights into the action of the superfamily of cholesterol-dependent cytolysins from studies of intermedilysin. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102: 600-605 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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