This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Watanabe, Y. Articles by Zabriskie, J. B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Watanabe, Y. Articles by Zabriskie, J. B.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infection and Immunity, July 2002, p. 3944-3947, Vol. 70, No. 7
0019-9567/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.70.7.3944-3947.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Cysteine Protease Activity and Histamine Release from the Human Mast Cell Line HMC-1 Stimulated by Recombinant Streptococcal Pyrogenic Exotoxin B/Streptococcal Cysteine Protease

Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Institute of Gerontology, Nippon Medical School, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki 211-8533,¹ Clinical Laboratory, Medca Japan Co., Ltd., Tenjin, Konosu, Saitama 365-8511,² Bureau of International Cooperation, International Medical Center of Japan Tokyo 162-8655,³ Medical Science, Discovery Research Laboratory, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Mishima Settsu-shi, Osaka 566-0022, Japan,⁴ Laboratory of Bacterial Pathogenesis and Immunology,⁵ Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021-6399⁶

Received 7 February 2002/ Returned for modification 7 March 2002/ Accepted 27 March 2002

We constructed the expression vector pSK-SCP containing the streptococcal exotoxin B gene (spe b) which expressed protease activity. We showed that the recombinant streptococcal pyogenic exotoxin B/streptococcal cysteine protease (rSPE B/SCP) was secreted into the culture supernatant of the transformant and retained its SCP activity, which was equivalent to or greater than that of the naturally occurring molecule. The secreted rSPE B/SCP induced histamine release and degranulation of the human mast cell line HMC-1. This study may contribute to the understanding of the pathogenic role of SPE B/SCP in streptococcal infection and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome.

Editor: J. T. Barbieri

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Jing, H.-b., Ning, B.-a., Hao, H.-j., Zheng, Y.-l., Chang, D., Jiang, W., Jiang, Y.-q. (2006). Epidemiological analysis of group A streptococci recovered from patients in China.. J Med Microbiol 55: 1101-1107 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Engleberg, N. C., Heath, A., Vardaman, K., DiRita, V. J. (2004). Contribution of CsrR-Regulated Virulence Factors to the Progress and Outcome of Murine Skin Infections by Streptococcus pyogenes. Infect. Immun. 72: 623-628 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Collin, M., Olsen, A. (2003). Extracellular Enzymes with Immunomodulating Activities: Variations on a Theme in Streptococcus pyogenes. Infect. Immun. 71: 2983-2992 [Full Text]