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Infection and Immunity, October 2005, p. 6419-6428, Vol. 73, No. 10
0019-9567/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.73.10.6419-6428.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

The Surface-Associated Protein of Staphylococcus saprophyticus Is a Lipase

Institut für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie, Abteilung für Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany,¹ Abteilung für Allgemeine und Spezielle Pathologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany²

Received 1 February 2005/ Returned for modification 29 March 2005/ Accepted 5 June 2005

Staphylococcus saprophyticus surface-associated protein (Ssp) was the first surface protein described for this organism. Ssp-positive strains display a fuzzy layer of surface-associated material in electron micrographs, whereas Ssp-negative strains appear to be smooth. The physiologic function of Ssp, however, has remained elusive. To clone the associated gene, we determined the N-terminal sequence, as well as an internal amino acid sequence, of the purified protein. We derived two degenerate primers from these peptide sequences, which we used to identify the ssp gene from genomic DNA of S. saprophyticus 7108. The gene was cloned by PCR techniques and was found to be homologous to genes encoding staphylococcal lipases. In keeping with this finding, strains 7108 and 9325, which are Ssp positive, showed lipase activity on tributyrylglycerol agar plates, whereas the Ssp-negative strain CCM883 did not. Association of enzyme activity with the cloned DNA was proven by introducing the gene into Staphylococcus carnosus TM300. When wild-type strain 7108 and an isogenic mutant were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, strain 7108 exhibited the fuzzy surface layer, whereas the mutant appeared to be smooth. Lipase activity and the surface appendages could be restored by reintroduction of the cloned gene into the mutant. Experiments using immobilized collagen type I did not provide evidence for the involvement of Ssp in adherence to this matrix protein. Our experiments thus provided evidence that Ssp is a surface-associated lipase of S. saprophyticus.

Editor: V. J. DiRita

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Sakinc, T., Kleine, B., Gatermann, S. G. (2006). SdrI, a Serine-Aspartate Repeat Protein Identified in Staphylococcus saprophyticus Strain 7108, Is a Collagen-Binding Protein.. Infect. Immun. 74: 4615-4623 [Abstract] [Full Text]