Abstract
Sequence variation was studied in several target genes in 54 strains of group A Streptococcus (GAS) cultured from children with pharyngitis in Mexico City. Although 16 distinct emm alleles were identified, only 4 had not been previously described. Virtually all bacteria (31 of 33 [94%] with the streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin gene (speA) had emm1-related, emm3, or emm6 alleles. The gene (sic) encoding an extracellular GAS protein that inhibits complement function was unusually variable among isolates with the emm1 family of alleles, with a total of seven variants identified. The data suggest that many GAS strains infecting Mexican children are genetically similar to organisms commonly encountered in the United States and western Europe. Sequence variation in the sic gene is useful for rapid differentiation among GAS isolates with the emm1 family of alleles.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (149.9 KB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Akesson P., Sjöholm A. G., Björck L. Protein SIC, a novel extracellular protein of Streptococcus pyogenes interfering with complement function. J Biol Chem. 1996 Jan 12;271(2):1081–1088. doi: 10.1074/jbc.271.2.1081. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Beall B., Facklam R., Hoenes T., Schwartz B. Survey of emm gene sequences and T-antigen types from systemic Streptococcus pyogenes infection isolates collected in San Francisco, California; Atlanta, Georgia; and Connecticut in 1994 and 1995. J Clin Microbiol. 1997 May;35(5):1231–1235. doi: 10.1128/jcm.35.5.1231-1235.1997. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Beall B., Facklam R., Thompson T. Sequencing emm-specific PCR products for routine and accurate typing of group A streptococci. J Clin Microbiol. 1996 Apr;34(4):953–958. doi: 10.1128/jcm.34.4.953-958.1996. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Carapetis J., Robins-Browne R., Martin D., Shelby-James T., Hogg G. Increasing severity of invasive group A streptococcal disease in Australia: clinical and molecular epidemiological features and identification of a new virulent M-nontypeable clone. Clin Infect Dis. 1995 Nov;21(5):1220–1227. doi: 10.1093/clinids/21.5.1220. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cockerill F. R., 3rd, MacDonald K. L., Thompson R. L., Roberson F., Kohner P. C., Besser-Wiek J., Manahan J. M., Musser J. M., Schlievert P. M., Talbot J. An outbreak of invasive group A streptococcal disease associated with high carriage rates of the invasive clone among school-aged children. JAMA. 1997 Jan 1;277(1):38–43. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Dale J. B., Simmons M., Chiang E. C., Chiang E. Y. Recombinant, octavalent group A streptococcal M protein vaccine. Vaccine. 1996 Jul;14(10):944–948. doi: 10.1016/0264-410x(96)00050-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Fischetti V. A. Streptococcal M protein: molecular design and biological behavior. Clin Microbiol Rev. 1989 Jul;2(3):285–314. doi: 10.1128/cmr.2.3.285. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Harbaugh M. P., Podbielski A., Hügl S., Cleary P. P. Nucleotide substitutions and small-scale insertion produce size and antigenic variation in group A streptococcal M1 protein. Mol Microbiol. 1993 May;8(5):981–991. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1993.tb01642.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hauser A. R., Schlievert P. M. Nucleotide sequence of the streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin type B gene and relationship between the toxin and the streptococcal proteinase precursor. J Bacteriol. 1990 Aug;172(8):4536–4542. doi: 10.1128/jb.172.8.4536-4542.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Jamal F., Pit S., Johnson D. R., Kaplan E. L. Characterization of group A streptococci isolated in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. J Trop Med Hyg. 1995 Oct;98(5):343–346. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kaplan E. L., Johnson D. R., Nanthapisud P., Sirilertpanrana S., Chumdermpadetsuk S. A comparison of group A streptococcal serotypes isolated from the upper respiratory tract in the USA and Thailand: implications. Bull World Health Organ. 1992;70(4):433–437. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kapur V., Topouzis S., Majesky M. W., Li L. L., Hamrick M. R., Hamill R. J., Patti J. M., Musser J. M. A conserved Streptococcus pyogenes extracellular cysteine protease cleaves human fibronectin and degrades vitronectin. Microb Pathog. 1993 Nov;15(5):327–346. doi: 10.1006/mpat.1993.1083. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kehoe M. A., Kapur V., Whatmore A. M., Musser J. M. Horizontal gene transfer among group A streptococci: implications for pathogenesis and epidemiology. Trends Microbiol. 1996 Nov;4(11):436–443. doi: 10.1016/0966-842x(96)10058-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Levinson G., Gutman G. A. Slipped-strand mispairing: a major mechanism for DNA sequence evolution. Mol Biol Evol. 1987 May;4(3):203–221. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a040442. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Loredo-Abdala A., Sierra-G de Quevedo J. J., Carbajal-Rodríguez L. Fiebre reumática. Perfil clínico de una enfermedad persistente. Gac Med Mex. 1991 May-Jun;127(3):227–232. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lukomski S., Sreevatsan S., Amberg C., Reichardt W., Woischnik M., Podbielski A., Musser J. M. Inactivation of Streptococcus pyogenes extracellular cysteine protease significantly decreases mouse lethality of serotype M3 and M49 strains. J Clin Invest. 1997 Jun 1;99(11):2574–2580. doi: 10.1172/JCI119445. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Martin D. R., Single L. A. Molecular epidemiology of group A streptococcus M type 1 infections. J Infect Dis. 1993 May;167(5):1112–1117. doi: 10.1093/infdis/167.5.1112. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Muotiala A., Seppälä H., Huovinen P., Vuopio-Varkila J. Molecular comparison of group A streptococci of T1M1 serotype from invasive and noninvasive infections in Finland. J Infect Dis. 1997 Feb;175(2):392–399. doi: 10.1093/infdis/175.2.392. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Musser J. M., Hauser A. R., Kim M. H., Schlievert P. M., Nelson K., Selander R. K. Streptococcus pyogenes causing toxic-shock-like syndrome and other invasive diseases: clonal diversity and pyrogenic exotoxin expression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991 Apr 1;88(7):2668–2672. doi: 10.1073/pnas.88.7.2668. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Musser J. M., Kapur V., Kanjilal S., Shah U., Musher D. M., Barg N. L., Johnston K. H., Schlievert P. M., Henrichsen J., Gerlach D. Geographic and temporal distribution and molecular characterization of two highly pathogenic clones of Streptococcus pyogenes expressing allelic variants of pyrogenic exotoxin A (Scarlet fever toxin). J Infect Dis. 1993 Feb;167(2):337–346. doi: 10.1093/infdis/167.2.337. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Musser J. M., Kapur V., Peters J. E., Hendrix C. W., Drehner D., Gackstetter G. D., Skalka D. R., Fort P. L., Maffei J. T., Li L. L. Real-time molecular epidemiologic analysis of an outbreak of Streptococcus pyogenes invasive disease in US Air Force trainees. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 1994 Feb;118(2):128–133. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Musser J. M., Kapur V., Szeto J., Pan X., Swanson D. S., Martin D. R. Genetic diversity and relationships among Streptococcus pyogenes strains expressing serotype M1 protein: recent intercontinental spread of a subclone causing episodes of invasive disease. Infect Immun. 1995 Mar;63(3):994–1003. doi: 10.1128/iai.63.3.994-1003.1995. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mylvaganam H., Bjorvatn B., Hofstad T., Hjetland R., Hoiby E. A., Holm S. E. Small-fragment restriction endonuclease analysis in epidemiological mapping of group A streptococci. J Med Microbiol. 1994 Apr;40(4):256–260. doi: 10.1099/00222615-40-4-256. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Nelson K., Schlievert P. M., Selander R. K., Musser J. M. Characterization and clonal distribution of four alleles of the speA gene encoding pyrogenic exotoxin A (scarlet fever toxin) in Streptococcus pyogenes. J Exp Med. 1991 Nov 1;174(5):1271–1274. doi: 10.1084/jem.174.5.1271. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Norgren M., Norrby A., Holm S. E. Genetic diversity in T1M1 group A streptococci in relation to clinical outcome of infection. J Infect Dis. 1992 Nov;166(5):1014–1020. doi: 10.1093/infdis/166.5.1014. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Relf W. A., Martin D. R., Sriprakash K. S. Identification of sequence types among the M-nontypeable group A streptococci. J Clin Microbiol. 1992 Dec;30(12):3190–3194. doi: 10.1128/jcm.30.12.3190-3194.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rodríguez R. S., Loredo Abdalá A., Vizcaíno A. Evaluación de la parametasona en la etapa aguda de la carditis reumática. Bol Med Hosp Infant Mex. 1974 Nov-Dec;31(6):1149–1163. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Seppälä H., Vuopio-Varkila J., Osterblad M., Jahkola M., Rummukainen M., Holm S. E., Huovinen P. Evaluation of methods for epidemiologic typing of group A streptococci. J Infect Dis. 1994 Mar;169(3):519–525. doi: 10.1093/infdis/169.3.519. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Tran P. O., Johnson D. R., Kaplan E. L. The presence of M protein in nontypeable group A streptococcal upper respiratory tract isolates from Southeast Asia. J Infect Dis. 1994 Mar;169(3):658–661. doi: 10.1093/infdis/169.3.658. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Upton M., Carter P. E., Morgan M., Edwards G. F., Pennington T. H. Clonal structure of invasive Streptococcus pyogenes in Northern Scotland. Epidemiol Infect. 1995 Oct;115(2):231–241. doi: 10.1017/s0950268800058362. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Upton M., Carter P. E., Orange G., Pennington T. H. Genetic heterogeneity of M type 3 group A streptococci causing severe infections in Tayside, Scotland. J Clin Microbiol. 1996 Jan;34(1):196–198. doi: 10.1128/jcm.34.1.196-198.1996. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Whatmore A. M., Kapur V., Sullivan D. J., Musser J. M., Kehoe M. A. Non-congruent relationships between variation in emm gene sequences and the population genetic structure of group A streptococci. Mol Microbiol. 1994 Nov;14(4):619–631. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1994.tb01301.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]