• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.55 no.11
• /
• pp.424-429
• /
• 2012

Purpose: Methods for quick and reliable detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae are needed for the diagnosis of pneumococcal disease and vaccine studies. This study aimed to show that sequential multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is more efficient than conventional culture in achieving S. pneumoniae -positive results. Methods: Nasopharyngeal (NP) secretions were obtained from 842 pediatric patients admitted with lower respiratory infections at Severance Children's Hospital in Korea between March 2009 and June 2010. For identification and serotype determination of pneumococci from the NP secretions, the secretions were evaluated via multiplex PCR technique with 35 serotype-specific primers arranged in 8 multiplex PCR sets and conventional bacteriological culture technique. Results: Among the results for 793 samples that underwent both bacterial culture and PCR analysis for pneumococcal detection, 153 (19.3%) results obtained by PCR and 81 (10.2%) results obtained by conventional culture technique were positive for S. pneumoniae. The predominant serotypes observed, in order of decreasing frequency, were 19A (23%), 6A/B (16%), 19F (11%), 15B/C (5%), 15A (5%), and 11A (4%); further, 26% of the isolates were non-typeable. Conclusion: As opposed to conventional bacteriological tests, PCR analysis can accurately and rapidly identify pneumococcal serotypes.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.239-245
• /
• 2007

DnaK is a major antigen in Streptococcus pneumoniae, and is induced by a minor shift in temperature (30 to $37^{\circ}C$) but not by ethanol shock. Although HrcA in the presence of $Ca^{{+}{+}}$ represses the expression of both groEL and hrcA, the control of transcription of the dnaK operon is not completely understood. In this study, the dnaK operon of S. pneumoniae (5' hrcA-grpE-dnaK-dnaJ) was cloned and analyzed. It contains large intergenic regions in grpE/dnaK and dnaK/dnaJ. Pulse labeling with [$^{35}S$]-methionine and immunoblot analyses revealed the presence of higher levels of DnaK than of HrcA even in the presence of $Ca^{{+}{+}}$ after heat shock suggesting that $Ca^{{+}{+}}$ differentially regulates the heat shock responses of hrcA and dnaK. By blocking de novo mRNA synthesis with rifampin it was shown that neither the hrcA nor the groEL transcripts were stabilized by heat shock even though dnaK transcripts were stabilized. We conclude that S. pneumoniae uses fine regulation of the transcription of the individual genes of the tetracistronic dnaK operon to cope with the various stresses experienced during infections.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.58-64
• /
• 2015

Activating transcription factor-3 (ATF3) acts as a negative regulator of cytokine production during Gram-negative bacterial infection. A recent study reported that ATF3 provides protection from Streptococcus pneumoniae infection by activating cytokines. However, the mechanism by which S. pneumoniae induces ATF3 after infection is still unknown. In this study, we show that ATF3 was upregulated via Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathways in response to S. pneumoniae infection in vitro. Induction was mediated by TLR4 and TLR2, which are in the TLR family. The expression of ATF3 was induced by pneumolysin (PLY), a potent pneumococcal virulence factor, via the TLR4 pathway. Furthermore, ATF3 induction is mediated by p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Thus, this study reveals a potential role of PLY in modulating ATF3 expression, which is required for the regulation of immune responses against pneumococcal infection in macrophages.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2008.05a
• /
• pp.23-25
• /
• 2008

Serum complement proteins comprise an important system that is responsible for several innate and adaptive immune defence mechanisms. There were three well described pathways known to lead to the generation of a C3 convertase, which catalyses the proteolysis of complement component C3, and leads to the formation of C3 opsonins (C3b, iC3b and C3d) that fix to bacteria. A pivotal step in the complement pathway is the assembly of a C3 convertase, which digests the C3 complement component to form microbial-binding C3 fragments recognized by leukocytes. The spleen clears microorganisms from the blood. Individuals lacking this organ are more susceptible to Streptococcus pneumoniae. Innate resistance to S. pneumoniae has previously been shown to involve complement components C3 and C4, however this resistance has only a partial requirement for mediators of these three pathways, such as immunoglobulin, factor B and mannose-binding lectin. Therefore it was likely that spleen and complement system provide resistance against blood-borne S. pneumoniae infection through unknown mechanism. To better understand the mechanisms involved, we studied Specific intracellular adhesion molecule-grabbing nonintegrin (SIGN)-R1. SIGN-R1, is a C-type lectin that is expressed at high levels by spleen marginal-zone macrophages and lymph-node macrophages. SIGN-R1 has previously been shown to be the main receptor for bacterial dextrans, as well as for the capsular pneumococcal polysaccharide (CPS) of S. pneumoniae. We examined the specific role of this receptor in the activation of complement. Using a monoclonal antibody that selectively downregulates SIGN-R1 expression in vivo, we show that in response to S. pneumoniae or CPS, SIGN-R1 mediates the immediate proteolysis of C3 and fixation of C3 opsonins to S. pneumoniae or to marginal-zone macrophages that had taken up CPS. These data indicate that SIGN-R1 is largely responsible for the rapid C3 convertase formation induced by S. pneumoniae in the spleen of mice. Also, we found that SIGN-R1 directly binds C1q and that C3 fixation by SIGN-R1 requires C1q and C4 but not factor B or immunoglobulin. Traditionally C3 convertase can be formed by the classical C1q- and immunoglobulin-dependent pathway, the alternative factor-B-dependent pathway and the soluble mannose-binding lectin pathway. Furthermore Conditional SIGN-R1 knockout mice developed deficits in C3 catabolism when given S. pneumoniae or its capsular polysaccharide intravenously. There were marked reductions in proteolysis of serum C3, deposition of C3 on organisms within SIGN-$R1^+$ spleen macrophages, and formation of C3 ligands. The transmembrane lectin SIGN-R1 therefore contributes to innate resistance by an unusual C3 activation pathway. We propose that in the SIGN-R1 mediated complement activation pathway, after binding to polysaccharide, SIGN-R1 captures C1q. SIGN-R1 can then, in association with several other complement proteins including C4, lead to the formation of a C3 convertase and fixation of C3. Therefore, this new pathway for C3 fixation by SIGN-R1, which is unusual as it is a classical C1q-dependent pathway that does not require immuno globulin, contributes to innate immune resistance to certain encapsulated microorganisms.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.153-157
• /
• 2009

The production of extended-spectrum ${\beta}$-lactamases ($ESBL_S$) of the TEM or SHV type by bacterial pathogens is a major threat to the use of the clinically important expanded-spectrum cephalosporins. The characterization of the SHV ESBLs producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strains present in clinical isolates is time-consuming processes. We describe here in the development of a novel system, which consists of a real time PCR. We found 11 K. pneumoniae strains to be presumptive strains ESBLs producers by clinical and laboratory standards institute (CLSI) guidelines. The double disk synergy test showed 8 ESBL positive and conventional PCR showed 10 SHV ESBL positive, which were K. pneumoniae strains isolates. By real time PCR analysis, SHV gene in 11 of 11 strains were identified. When sequencing analysis was compared with real time PCR, both analysis were presented 99% similarity. In this study, we used a rapid, sensitive, and specific real-time PCR (RT-PCR) method for detection of the assay SHV ESBL producing K. pneumoniae strains in clinical isolates.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.37 no.3
• /
• pp.221-227
• /
• 2001

Heat shock proteins serve as chaperone by preventing the aggregation of denatured proteins and promote survival of pathogens in harsh environments. In bacteria, ethanol shock induced the major chaperone GroEL and DnaK, but in Streptococcus pneumoniae, it induced neither GroEL nor DnaK but alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). In this study, ADH gene encoding a 104-kDa (p104) protein was identified and characterized. The deduced amino acid sequence of pneumococcal ADH shows homology with other members of the ADH family, and particularly with Entamoeba histolytica ADH2 and E. coli ADH. S. pneumoniae adh is composed of 883 amino acids and its estimated isoelectric point is 6.09. Although ADH is conserved between S. pneumoniae and E. coli, immunoblot analysis employing antisera raised against pneumococcus ADH demonstrated no cross-reactivity with ADH analog in Eschericha coli, Staphylococcus aureus and human HeLa cells. Also secretion of ADH was demonstrated by subcellular fractionation and immunoblot analysis of proteins. These results suggest that S. pneumoniae ADH could be a highly feasible candidate for both diagnostic marker and vaccine.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.16 no.6
• /
• pp.889-895
• /
• 2006

To investigate the antibiotic-resistant patterns and the gene types of extended-spectrum $\beta$-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, we collected 226 Klebsiella pneumoniae strains from three general hospitals with more than 500 beds in Busan, Korea from September 2004 to October 2005, The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of antibiotics was measured using the Gram-negative susceptibility (GNS) cards of Vitek (Vitek system, Hazelwood Inc., MO, U.S.A.). Of the 226 K, pneumoniae isolates, 65 ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae strains were detected by the Vitek system and confirmed by the double-disk synergy test. TEM (Temoniera) type, SHV (sulfhydryl variable) type, and CTX-M (cefotaxime) type genes were detected by polymerase chain reaction. All 65 K. pneumoniae strains were resistant to ampicillin, cefazolin, cefepime, ceftriaxone, and aztreonam, and 83.0% of the organisms were resistant to ampicillin/sulbactam, 66.1% to tobramycin, 67.6% to piperacillin/tazobactam, 61.5% to ciprofloxacin, and 47.6% to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and 43.0% to gentamicin. TEM-type ESBLs (TEM-1 type, -52 type) were found in 64.6% (42 of 65) of the isolates, SHV-type ESBLs (SHV-2a type, -12 type, -28 type) in 70.7% (46 of 65) of isolates, and CTX-M-type ESBLS (CTX-M-15 type) in 45% (29 of 65) of isolates. Of the 65 ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae strains, two strains were found to harbor blaSHV-28, which were detected in Korea for the first time. Therefore, more investigation and research on SHV-28 are needed in order to prevent the ESBL type-producing K. pneumoniae from spreading resistance to oxyimino cephalosporin antibiotics.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.36 no.3 s.142
• /
• pp.252-256
• /
• 2005

The in visto inhibitory activities of essential oils of the Rosmarinus officinalis as well as its main constituents were evaluated against antibiotic-susceptible and -resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus pneumoniae, Salmonella enteritidis and S. typhimurium. The essential oil fraction of R. officinalis and its main components, 1,8-cineole and camphor, exhibited significant inhibitory activities against most of the tested strains in this study, with MICs(minimum inhibitory concentrations) racing from 0.5mg/ml to 16mg/ml. The total oil fraction showed higher activity than its main components, 1,8-cineole and camphor against S. aureus strains. No remarkable differences were evident between MICs of the susceptible and resistant strains of S. aureus. Among the tested strains, S. pneumoniae CCARM 3523, the resistant strain to norfloxacin, oxacillin and erythromycin exhibited significantly lower sensitivity to the tested oils than antibiotic-susceptible strain. The oils revealed mostly higher inhibitory activity against S. typhimurium than against S. enteritidis.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.39 no.6
• /
• pp.703-708
• /
• 2006

During infection, the common respiratory tract pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae encounters several environmental conditions, such as upper respiratory tract, lung tissue, and blood stream, etc. In this study, we examined the effects of blood on S. pneumoniae protein expression using a combination of highly sensitive 2-dimensional electrophoresis (DE) and MALDI-TOF MS and/or LC/ESI-MS/MS. A comparison of expression profiles between the growth in THY medium and THY supplemented with blood allowed us to identify 7 spots, which increased or decreased two times or more compared with the control group: tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase, lactate oxidase, glutamyl-aminopeptidase, L-lactate dehydrogenase, cysteine synthase, ribose-phosphate pyrophosphokinase, and orotate phosphoribosyltransferase. This global approach can provide a better understanding of S. pneumoniae adaptation to its human host and a clue for its pathogenicity.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.111-118
• /
• 2011

This study was performed to evaluate the toxicity of polysaccharide-based Streptococcus pneumoniae vaccine in Specific Pathogen Free (SPF), Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. S. pneumoniae vaccine was administrated subcutaneously each dose level of high (560 ${\mu}g$/rat), medium (280 ${\mu}g$/rat) and low (140 ${\mu}g$/rat) on days 0, 14, 28. The rats were observed for 2 weeks or 4 weeks after the final injection. During this test, there were no significant dose-dependent changes in body weight, water and food consumption. In urinalysis and serum chemistry, dose-related changes were not detected. In hematology, the percent of neutrophils and lymphocytes in white blood cells were changed significantly. According to the measurement of organ weight, only spleen weight was significantly increased in all groups of administration compared to the control group. In the histopathological examination, an antigen-deposit, vacuolated macrophages, infiltrated inflammatory cells and a formation of granulation tissue were observed at the site of an administration. These results are considered as an outcome by immune responses through a vaccination. Consequently, the results of this study demonstrated that S. pneumoniae vaccine has no toxicity when it was administrated subcutaneously three times in 2-week interval at a high dose of 560 ${\mu}g$/rat.