Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Streptococcal M Protein: A Common Structural Motif Used by Gram-Positive Bacteria for Biologically Active Surface Molecules

  • Chapter
Molecular Recognition in Host-Parasite Interactions

Part of the book series: Federation of European Microbiological Societies Symposium Series ((FEMS,volume 61))

Abstract

In 1981 when the coiled-coil structure of the M6 protein was determined,1 it was unique for bacterial surface molecules. Since that time, several other M proteins have been se­quenced as well as a number of other surface molecules from streptococci and a variety of other Gram-positive bacteria. At this writing, 25 surface molecules from Gram-positive organisms have been cloned and sequenced, 22 of which have now been published.2–23 A de­tailed analysis of these sequences has revealed that they possess common features which appear to be unique to Gram-positive organisms. Sequence analysis of many of these proteins has indicated that they fall into two major groups: those with repeat sequence blocks and those without.24 Conformational analysis showed that most of the molecules containing repeat sequences were found to be α-helical in those regions composed of repeats.24 Mol­ecules without repeat blocks exhibited a high degree of β-sheet, β-turn and random coil and contained limited helix potential. However, to date, there is little information to indicate that, except for M6 protein, any of these surface proteins are also in a coiled-coil conformation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. G.N. Phillips, P.F. Flicker, C. Cohen, B.N. Manjula, and V.A. Fischetti, Streptococcal M protein: alpha-helical coiled-coil structure and arrangement on the cell surface, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.USA.78:4689 (1981).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. S.K. Hollingshead, V.A. Fischetti, and J.R. Scott, Complete nucleotide sequence of type 6 M protein of the group A streptococcus: repetitive structure and membrane anchor, J. Biol. Chem.261:1677 (1986).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. L. Miller, L.Gray, E.H. Beachey, and M.A. Kehoe, Antigenic variation among group A streptococcal M proteins: Nucleotide sequence of the serotype 5 M protein gene and its relationship with genes encoding types 6 and 24 M proteins, J. Biol. Chem.263:5668 (1988).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. J.C. Robbins, J.G. Spanier, S.J. Jones, W.J. Simpson, and P.P. Cleary, Streptococcus pyogenes type 12 M protein regulation by upstream sequences, J. Bacterio1.169:5633 (1987).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. A.E. Flores, D.R. Johnson, E.L. Kaplan, and L.W. Wannamaker, Factors influencing antibody responses to streptococcal M proteins in humans, J. Infect. Dis.147:1 (1983).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. E.J. Haanes and P.P. Cleary, Identification of a divergent M protein gene and an M protein related gene family in serotype 49 Streptococcus pyogenes, J. Bacteriol.171:6397 (1989).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. E. Frithz, L-O. Heden, and G. Lindahl, Extensive sequence homology between IgA receptor and M protein in Streptococcus pyogenes, Molec. Microbiol.3:1111 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. J.J. Ferretti, R.R.B. Russell, and M.L. Dao, Sequence analysis of the wall-associated protein precursor of Streptococcus mutans antigen A, Molec. Microbiol.3:469 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. D.G. Heath and P.P. Cleary, Fc-receptor and M protein genes of group A streptococci are products of gene duplication, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:4741 (1989).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. L.-O. Heden, E. Frithz, and G. Lindahl, Molecular characterization of an IgA receptor from Group B Streptococci: sequence of the gene, identification of a proline-rich region with unique structure and isolation of N-terminal fragments with IgA-binding capacity, Eur. J. Immunol.21:1481 (1991).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. A. Olsson, M. Eliasson, B. Guss, B. Nilsson, and U. Hellman, Structure and evolution of the repetitive gene encoding streptococcal protein G, Eur. J. Biochem.168:319 (1987).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. D. Galli, F. Lottspeich, and R. Wirth, Sequence analysis of Enterococcus faecalis aggregation substance encoded by the sex pheromone plasmid pAD1, Molec. Microbiol.4:895 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. N. Okahashi, C. Sasakawa, S. Yoshikawa, S. Hamada, and T. Koga, Molecular characterization of a surface protein antigen gene from serotype c Streptococcus mutans implicated in dental caries, Molec. Microbiol.3:673 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. B. Guss, M. Uhlen, B. Nilsson, M. Lindberg, and J. Sjoquist, Region X, the cell-wall-attachment part of staphylococcal protein A, Eur. J. Biochem.138:413 (1984).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. J. Kok, K.J. Leenhouts, A.J. Haandrikman, A.M. Ledeboer, and G. Venema, Nucleotide sequence of the cell wall proteinase gene of Streptococcus cremoris Wg2, Appl. Environ. Microbiol.54:231 (1988).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. C. Kelly, P. Evans, L. Bergmeier, and S.F. Lee, Sequence analysis of a cloned streptococcal surface antigen I/II, FEES Lett.258:127 (1990).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. C.C. Chen and P.P. Cleary, Complete nucleotide sequence of the streptococcal C5a peptidase gene of Streptococcus pyogenes, J. Biol. Chem.265:3161 (1990).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. H. Gomi, T. Hozumi, S. Hattori, C. Tagawa, and F. Kishimoto, The gene sequence and some properties of protein H, J. Immunol.144:4046 (1990).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. C. Signas, G. Raucci, K. Jonsson, P. Lindgren, and G.M. Anantharamaiah, Nucleotide sequence of the gene for fibronectin-binding protein from Staphylococcus aureus: use of this peptide sequence in the synthesis of biologically active peptides, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:699 (1989).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. O. Schneewind, K.F. Jones, and V.A. Fischetti, Sequence and structural characterization of the trypsin-resistant T6 surface protein of group A streptococci, J. Bacteriol.172:3310 (1990).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. J.L. Gaillard, P. Berche, C. Frehel, E. Gouin, and P. Cossart, Entry of L. monocytogenes into cells is mediated by a repeat protein analgous to surface antigens from Gram-positive, extracellular patho­gens, Cell 65:1 (1991).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. M.K. Yeung and J.O. Cisar, Cloning and nucleotide sequence of a gene for Actinomyces naeslundii type 2 fimbriae, J. Bacterial.170:3803 (1988).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. M.K. Yeung and J.O. Cisar, Sequence homology between the subunits of two immunologically and functionally distinct types of fimbriae of Actinomyces spp, J. Bacterial.172:2462 (1990).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. V.A. Fischetti, V. Pancholi, and O. Schneewind, Common characteristics of surface proteins from gram-positive cocci, in: “Streptococcal Genetics,” G. Dunney and P.P. Cleary, eds., American Society for Microbiology, Washington, DC, (1990), in press.

    Google Scholar 

  25. V.A. Fischetti, D.A.D. Parry, B.L. Trus, S.K. Hollingshead, and J.R. Scott, Conformational characteris­tics of the complete sequence of group A streptococcal M6 protein, Proteins Struct. Func. Genet.3:60 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. A.D. McLachlan and M. Stewart, Tropomyosin coiled coil interactions: Evidence for an unstaggered structure, J. Mol. Biol.98:393 (1975).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. B.N. Manjula, B.L. Trus, and V.A. Fischetti, Presence of two distinct regions in the coiled-coil structure of the streptococcal Pep M5 protein: relationship to mammalian coiled-coil proteins and imp­lications to its biological properties, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82:1064 (1985).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. D.A.D. Parry, Structure of rabbit skeletal myosin: An analysis of the amino acid sequences of two fragments from the rod region, J. Mol. Biol.153:459 (1981).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. D.A.D. Parry and R.D.B. Fraser, Intermediate filament structure: 1. Analysis of IF protein sequence data, Int. J. Biol. Macromol.7:203 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. A.D. McLachlan and J. Kam, Periodic features in the amino acid sequence of nematode myosin rod, J. Mol. Biol.164:605 (1983).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. V.A. Fischetti, Streptococcal M protein: Molecular design and biological behavior, Clin. Microbiol. Rev.2:285 (1989).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. J. Conway and D.A.D. Parry, Structural features in the heptad substructure and longer range repeats of two-stranded a-fibrous proteins, Int. J. Biol. Macromol.12:328 (1990).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. A. Lupas, M. Van Dyke, and J. Stock, Predicting coiled coils from protein sequences, Science 252:1162 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. C. Cohen and D.A.D. Parry, Alpha-helical coiled coils and bundles: How to design an alpha-helical protein, Proteins Struct. Funct. Genet. 7:1 (1990).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. V.A. Fischetti, V. Pancholi, O. Schneewind, Conservation of a hexapeptide sequence in the anchor region of surface proteins of gram-positive cocci, Molec. Microbiol.4:1603 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10021, USA

    V. A. Fischetti, V. Pancholi, P. Sellers & O. Schneewind

  2. Polytechnic University, 333 Jay Street, New York, NY, 10121, USA

    J. Schmidt, G. Landau & X. Xu

Authors
  1. V. A. Fischetti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. V. Pancholi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P. Sellers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. Schmidt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. G. Landau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. X. Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. O. Schneewind
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Timo K. Korhonen

  2. National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland

    Tapani Hovi  & P. Helena Mäkelä  & 

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Fischetti, V.A. et al. (1992). Streptococcal M Protein: A Common Structural Motif Used by Gram-Positive Bacteria for Biologically Active Surface Molecules. In: Korhonen, T.K., Hovi, T., Mäkelä, P.H. (eds) Molecular Recognition in Host-Parasite Interactions. Federation of European Microbiological Societies Symposium Series, vol 61. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3038-1_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3038-1_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-6325-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-3038-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation