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Proteolysis and its regulation at the surface of Streptococcus pyogenes.

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Author

Summary, in English

Pathogenic bacteria often produce proteinases that are believed to be involved in virulence. Moreover, several host defence systems depend on proteolysis, demonstrating that proteolysis and its regulation play an important role during bacterial infections. Here, we discuss how proteolytical events are regulated at the surface of Streptococcus pyogenes during infection with this important human pathogen. Streptococcus pyogenes produces proteinases, and host proteinases are produced and released as a result of the infection. Streptococcus pyogenes also recruits host proteinase inhibitors to its surface, suggesting that proteolysis is tightly regulated at the bacterial surface. We propose that the initial phase of a S. pyogenes infection is characterized by inhibition of proteolysis and complement activity at the bacterial surface. This is achieved mainly through binding of host proteinase inhibitors and complement regulatory proteins to bacterial surface proteins. In a later phase of the infection, massive proteolytic activity will release bacterial surface proteins and degrade human tissues, thus facilitating bacterial spread. These proteolytic events are regulated both temporally and spatially, and should influence virulence and the outcome of S. pyogenes infections.

Publishing year

2002

Language

English

Pages

537-544

Publication/Series

Molecular Microbiology

Volume

43

Issue

3

Document type

Journal article review

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell

Topic

  • Infectious Medicine

Keywords

  • Complement Activation
  • Cell Membrane : metabolism
  • Enzymes : metabolism
  • Human
  • Streptococcal Infections : metabolism
  • Plasmin : metabolism
  • Streptococcal Infections : microbiology
  • Streptococcus pyogenes : metabolism
  • Streptococcus pyogenes : pathogenicity
  • Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Bacterial Proteins : metabolism

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1365-2958