Summary
Thirty-eight clinical isolates ofHaemophilus influenzae and ten clinical isolates ofStreptococcus pneumoniae were examined for IgA1 protease production. A suspension of surface material of each individual strain was incubated with human secretory IgA; IgA1 cleavage products were detected by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting. The high incidence of IgA1 protease-positive strains (68.4% of the examinedH. influenzae and 100% of the examinedS. pneumoniae strains) confirms that IgA1 protease activity is a frequent characteristic of these two species. Yet the presence of this enzyme is, if at all, only a minor decisive factor for the induction of symptomatic infections of the upper respiratory tract by IgA1 protease-positive bacteria.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Kilian, M., Mestecky, J., Russell, M.: Defense mechanisms involving Fc-dependent functions of immunoglobulin A and their subversion by bacterial immunoglobulin A proteases. Microbiol. Rev. 6 (1988) 296–303.
Mulks, M. H., Kornfeld, S. J., Plaut, A. G.: Specific proteolysis of human IgA byStreptococcus pneumoniae andHaemophilus influenzae. J. Infect. Dis. 4 (1980) 450–456.
Kilian, M., Thomsen, B., Petersen, T. E., Bleeg, H. S.: Molecular biology ofHaemophilus influenzae IgA1-proteases. Mol. Immunol. 9 (1983) 1051–1058.
Mansa, B., Kilian M.: Retained antigen-binding activity of Fabα fragments of human monoclonal immunglobulin A1 (IgA1) cleaved by IgA1-protease. Infect. Immun. 4 (1986) 171–174.
Kilian, M., Poulsen, K.: Enzymatic, serologic, and genetic polymorphism ofHaemophilus influenzae IgA1-proteases. J. Infect. Dis. 6 (1992) 192–193.
Kornfeld, S. J., Plaut, A. G.: Secretory immunity and the bacterial IgA proteases. Rev. Infect. Dis. 5–6 (1981) 521–534.
Kilian, M., Reinholdt, J.: Interference with IgA defense mechanisms by extracellular bacterial enzymes. In:Easmon, C. S. F., Jeljaszewicz, J. (eds.): Medical microbiology. Academic Press, London 1986, pp. 173–208.
Gilbert, J. V., Plaut, A. G., Longmaid, B.: Inhibition of bacterial IgA proteases by human secretory IgA and serum. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 409 (1983) 625–636.
Laemmli, U. K.: Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature 227 (1970) 680–685.
Kilian, M., Thomsen, B., Petersen, T. E., Bleeg, H. S.: Occurrence and nature of bacterial IgA proteases. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 409 (1983) 612–624.
Mulks, M. H.: Microbial IgA proteases. In:Holder, I. A. (ed.): Bacterial enzymes and virulence. CRC Press, Boca Raton 1985, pp. 81–104.
Plaut, A. G.: The IgA1-proteases of pathogenic bacteria. Ann. Rev. Microbiol. 37 (1983) 603–622.
Male, C. J.: Immunoglobulin A1 protease production byHaemophilus influenzae andStreptococcus pneumoniae. Infect. Immun. 10 (1979) 254–261.
Kilian, M., Reinholdt, J.: A hypothetical model for the development of invasive infection due to IgA protease producing bacteria. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 216 B (1987) 1261–1269.
Lindemann, J.: Allgemeine Immunologie. In:Kayser F. H., Bienz, K. A., Eckert, J., Lindenmann, J. (eds.): Medizinische Mikrobiologie. Thieme Verlag, Stuttgart 1992, p. 44.
Wahn, U., Wahn, V.: Erkrankungen des Immunsystems. In:Harnack, G. A. von (ed.): Kinderheilkunde. Springer-Verlag, Berlin 1994, p. 243.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zakrzewski, J., Bechert, T. & Guggenbichler, J.P. IgA1 protease production by bacteria colonizing the upper respiratory tract. Infection 26, 116–119 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02767773
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02767773