Linked Life Data

11756648

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/11756648

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1
pubmed:dateCreated
2001-12-28
pubmed:abstractText
The C protein alpha- and beta-antigens are immunodominant components of the surface of Streptococcus agalactiae, the most frequent cause of neonatal sepsis. Both proteins are thought to contribute significantly to virulence of S. agalactiae. They are mainly expressed by serotypes Ia, Ib, and II. The C protein beta-antigen (Cbeta-protein) binds to the Fc portion of human IgA and seems to be of importance in bacterial resistance to mucosal immune defense mechanisms. In this study, PCR analysis of S. agalactiae isolates obtained from 189 neonates and 112 pregnant women revealed the presence of the Cbeta-protein gene in 19% and 22% of the isolates, respectively. Size polymorphisms of the PCR products within the gene region encoding the cell wall-spanning domain indicated a high degree of genetic variability. Thirteen different variants of the amplified region were differentiated among the 60 Cbeta-protein-positive isolates by sequence analysis. In all variants, the polymorphisms were caused by insertions and deletions of repetitive DNA elements that did not alter the open reading frame. Comparison of the Cbeta-protein gene polymorphisms showed a significantly higher rate of isolates carrying deletions >50 bp in serotype Ib than in serotype II isolates (p = 0.001); this was also true for neonatal isolates analyzed separately (p = 0.01). Neonatal isolates carried a higher rate of large deletions when compared with maternal isolates; this difference, however, did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.08). We hypothesize that polymorphisms in the cell wall-spanning domain of the Cbeta-protein are of functional relevance with regard to maternofetal transmission of the pathogen.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jan
pubmed:issn
0031-3998
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
51
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
106-11
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2002
pubmed:articleTitle
Polymorphisms in the cell wall-spanning domain of the C protein beta-antigen in clinical Streptococcus agalactiae isolates are caused by genetic instability of repeating DNA sequences.
pubmed:affiliation
University Children's Hospital, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany. berner@kikli.ukl.uni-freiburg.de
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't