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Rapid screening for putative exported proteins from staphylococcus aureus using alkaline phosphatase as a reporter molecule

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Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus causes a wide range of infections in humans, ranging from superficial skin infections to the more serious toxin-mediated diseases such as toxic shock syndrome. Owing to the increasing resistance of this bacterium to a wide range of antibiotics, the need to determine the virulence factors involved in infection is becoming more important as these molecules are potential therapeutic targets. In this study, we have screened for putative exported proteins from S. aureus on the basis that these proteins are likely to be the first point of contact between the bacterium and host during infection. We have constructed gene fusions between S. aureus DNA and a truncated version of the Escherichia coli phoA gene, and we report on the characterization of the recombinants exhibiting alkaline phosphatase activity. As well as known S. aureus proteins, we have identified a number of putative open reading frames that encode proteins similar to those from nonstaphylococcal species and also unique proteins that do not have any homologues on the current databases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cellular Microbiology Research Group, Division of Surgical Sciences, University College London, UK

    R. J. Williams, B. Henderson & S. P. Nair

  2. Eastman Dental Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University College London, UK

    R. J. Williams & J. M. Ward

  3. Microbiology Department, University College London, UK

    M. Wilson

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  1. R. J. Williams
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  2. J. M. Ward
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  3. B. Henderson
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  4. M. Wilson
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  5. S. P. Nair
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Correspondence to S. P. Nair.

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Williams, R.J., Ward, J.M., Henderson, B. et al. Rapid screening for putative exported proteins from staphylococcus aureus using alkaline phosphatase as a reporter molecule. Mol Biotechnol 15, 11–20 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1385/MB:15:1:11

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