Identification of domains involved in superantigenicity of streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin F (SpeF)

• Published in: Microbial pathogenesis 1998-11, Vol.25 (5), p.279-290
• Main Authors: Eriksson, Anna, Holm, Stig E, Norgren, Mari
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adjuvants, Immunologic - chemistry; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Antibodies, Bacterial - biosynthesis; Bacterial Proteins; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Blotting, Western; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Exotoxins - chemistry; Exotoxins - immunology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Group A streptococci, superantigen, SpeF, mitogenic epitopes, synthetic peptides; Hemocyanins - chemistry; Lymphocyte Activation; Membrane Proteins; Microbiology; Molecular Sequence Data; Pathogenicity, virulence, toxins, bacteriocins, pyrogens, host-bacteria relations, miscellaneous strains; Peptides - chemical synthesis; Protein Structure, Secondary; Pyrogens - chemistry; Pyrogens - immunology; Rabbits; Streptococcal Infections - immunology; Streptococcus; Streptococcus pyogenes - chemistry; Streptococcus pyogenes - immunology; Superantigens - chemistry; Superantigens - immunology
• ISSN: 0882-4010; 1096-1208
• DOI: 10.1006/mpat.1998.0234

A series of 11 synthetic peptides of 30 amino acids, each with 10 amino acids overlap which spanned the entire sequence of streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin F (SpeF), were employed in proliferation studies on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Regions 41–70, 141–170 and 181–210 were identified as important for SpeF-induced lymphocyte activation. Secondary structure predictions of these peptides showed similarities to regions in other superantigens known to be important for T cell mitogenicity. Furthermore, antisera specific to peptides covering amino acids 1–70 and 181–228 were able to inhibit SpeF-induced mitogenicity by 25% when pre-incubated with SpeF prior to PBMC activation.