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Infection and Immunity, April 2007, p. 1861-1869, Vol. 75, No. 4
0019-9567/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.01473-06
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Extracellular Gelatinase of Enterococcus faecalis Destroys a Defense System in Insect Hemolymph and Human Serum{triangledown}

Shin Yong Park,1 Kyoung Mi Kim,1 Joon Ha Lee,1 Sook Jae Seo,2 and In Hee Lee1*

Department of Biotechnology, Hoseo University, Chungnam, South Korea,1 Division of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Chinju, South Korea2

Received 14 September 2006/ Returned for modification 5 November 2006/ Accepted 22 January 2007

We isolated Enterococcus faecalis from the body fluids of dead larvae of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella. Extracellular gelatinase (GelE) and serine protease (SprE), both of which are considered putative virulence factors of E. faecalis, were purified from the culture supernatant of E. faecalis. In an attempt to elucidate their virulence mechanisms, purified GelE and SprE were injected into hemolymph of G. mellonella and evaluated with regard to their effects on the immune system of insect hemolymph. As a result, it was determined that E. faecalis GelE degraded an inducible antimicrobial peptide (Gm cecropin) which is known to perform a critical role in host defense during the early phase of microbial infection. The results obtained from the G. mellonella-E. faecalis infection model compelled us to assess the virulence activity of GelE against the complement system in human serum. E. faecalis GelE hydrolyzed C3a and also mediated the degradation of the alpha chain of C3b, thereby inhibiting opsonization and the formation of the membrane attack complex resultant from the activation of the complement cascade triggered by C3 activation. In contrast, E. faecalis SprE exhibited no virulence effect against the immune system of insect hemolymph or human serum tested in this study.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Biotechnology, Hoseo University, 165 Sechuli, Baebangmyun, Asan City, Chungnam 336-795, South Korea. Phone: 82-41-540-5626. Fax: 82-41-548-6231. E-mail: leeih{at}office.hoseo.ac.kr.

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 29 January 2007.

Editor: J. B. Bliska

Infection and Immunity, April 2007, p. 1861-1869, Vol. 75, No. 4
0019-9567/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.01473-06
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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