Previous Article | Next Article 
Infection and Immunity, August 2007, p. 4082-4087, Vol. 75, No. 8
0019-9567/07/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/IAI.00474-07
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Factor H Binding to PspC of Streptococcus pneumoniae Increases Adherence to Human Cell Lines In Vitro and Enhances Invasion of Mouse Lungs In Vivo
Lisa R. Quin,1
Chinwendu Onwubiko,1
Quincy C. Moore,1
Megumi Fujioka Mills,1
Larry S. McDaniel,1,2,3* and
Stephanie Carmicle1,
Departments of Microbiology,1
Surgery,2
Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi 392163
Received 2 April 2007/
Returned for modification 13 May 2007/
Accepted 31 May 2007
Pneumococcal surface protein C (PspC) binds to both human secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) and complement factor H (FH). FH, a regulator of the alternative pathway of complement, can also mediate adherence of different host cells. Since PspC contributes to adherence and invasion of host cells, we hypothesized that the interaction of PspC with FH may also mediate adherence of pneumococci to human cells. In this study, we investigated FH- and sIgA-mediated pneumococcal adherence to human cell lines in vitro. Adherence assays demonstrated that preincubation of Streptococcus pneumoniae D39 with FH increased adherence to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) 5-fold and to lung epithelial cells (SK-MES-1) 18-fold, relative to that of D39 without FH on the surface. The presence of sIgA enhanced adherence to SK-MES-1 6-fold and to pharyngeal epithelial cells (Detroit 562) 14-fold. Furthermore, sIgA had an additive effect on adherence to HUVEC; specifically, preincubation of D39 with both FH and sIgA led to a 21-fold increase in adherence. Finally, using a mouse model, we examined the significance of the FH-PspC interaction in pneumococcal nasal colonization and lung invasion. Mice intranasally infected with D39 preincubated with FH had increased bacteremia and lung invasion, but they had similar levels of nasopharyngeal colonization compared to that of mice challenged with D39 without FH.
* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216. Phone: (601) 984-6880. Fax: (601) 984-1708. E-mail:
LMcDaniel{at}microbio.umsmed.edu
Published ahead of print on 11 June 2007.
Editor: A. Camilli
Current address: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599.
Infection and Immunity, August 2007, p. 4082-4087, Vol. 75, No. 8
0019-9567/07/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/IAI.00474-07
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
This article has been cited by other articles:
-
Losse, J., Zipfel, P. F., Jozsi, M.
(2010). Factor H and Factor H-Related Protein 1 Bind to Human Neutrophils via Complement Receptor 3, Mediate Attachment to Candida albicans, and Enhance Neutrophil Antimicrobial Activity. J. Immunol.
184: 912-921
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Yuste, J., Khandavilli, S., Ansari, N., Muttardi, K., Ismail, L., Hyams, C., Weiser, J., Mitchell, T., Brown, J. S.
(2010). The Effects of PspC on Complement-Mediated Immunity to Streptococcus pneumoniae Vary with Strain Background and Capsular Serotype. Infect. Immun.
78: 283-292
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Dieudonne-Vatran, A., Krentz, S., Blom, A. M., Meri, S., Henriques-Normark, B., Riesbeck, K., Albiger, B.
(2009). Clinical Isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae Bind the Complement Inhibitor C4b-Binding Protein in a PspC Allele-Dependent Fashion. J. Immunol.
182: 7865-7877
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Holmlund, E., Quiambao, B., Ollgren, J., Jaakkola, T., Neyt, C., Poolman, J., Nohynek, H., Kayhty, H.
(2009). Antibodies to Pneumococcal Proteins PhtD, CbpA, and LytC in Filipino Pregnant Women and Their Infants in Relation to Pneumococcal Carriage. CVI
16: 916-923
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
McDowell, J. V., Huang, B., Fenno, J. C., Marconi, R. T.
(2009). Analysis of a Unique Interaction between the Complement Regulatory Protein Factor H and the Periodontal Pathogen Treponema denticola. Infect. Immun.
77: 1417-1425
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Sabharwal, V., Ram, S., Figueira, M., Park, I. H., Pelton, S. I.
(2009). Role of Complement in Host Defense against Pneumococcal Otitis Media. Infect. Immun.
77: 1121-1127
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Lu, L., Ma, Z., Jokiranta, T. S., Whitney, A. R., DeLeo, F. R., Zhang, J.-R.
(2008). Species-Specific Interaction of Streptococcus pneumoniae with Human Complement Factor H. J. Immunol.
181: 7138-7146
[Abstract]
[Full Text]