Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1991 Jun;59(6):1978–1983. doi: 10.1128/iai.59.6.1978-1983.1991

Deposition and degradation of C3 on type III group B streptococci.

J R Campbell 1, C J Baker 1, M S Edwards 1
PMCID: PMC257953  PMID: 2037359

Abstract

Antibody to the polysaccharide capsule of type III group B streptococci (GBS) and complement are essential to host defense against systemic infection in neonates. Interactions between C3 degradation products and specific neutrophil receptors mediate the attachment and ingestion of these organisms. To evaluate the influence of capsule on C3 disposition, we compared the C3 fragments released from a highly encapsulated clinical isolate (M861) with those from an unencapsulated mutant (COH 31-15) and an asialo mutant (COH 31-21) of type III GBS after opsonization with hypogammaglobulinemic serum. Upon sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blot (immunoblot) analysis, the three strains displayed similar patterns of C3 degradation; both C3b and iC3b were detectable. However, as the duration of opsonization increased, C3 fragment bands became more prominent on the encapsulated strain. The capsule, and specifically sialylation of the capsular polysaccharide of type III GBS, promotes C3 fragment deposition. However, C3 was deposited and degraded to iC3b in the absence of capsule. Opsonization of strain M861 with serum containing antibody specific for the polysaccharide capsule facilitated C3 fragment deposition in the early phases of opsonization. Because iC3b is one of the C3 fragments on an encapsulated strain of type III GBS, the relative deficiency of neonatal neutrophil receptors for this ligand may contribute to the virulence of this organism. Sufficient concentrations of antibody may enhance opsonization by facilitating C3 deposition as well as by interacting with Fc receptors on neutrophils.

Full text

PDF
1979

Images in this article

1979Image
on p.1979
1980Image
on p.1980
1980Image
on p.1980
1980Image
on p.1980
1981Image
on p.1981
1981Image
on p.1981

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Baker C. J., Edwards M. S., Kasper D. L. Role of antibody to native type III polysaccharide of group B Streptococcus in infant infection. Pediatrics. 1981 Oct;68(4):544–549. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Baker C. J., Kasper D. L. Correlation of maternal antibody deficiency with susceptibility to neonatal group B streptococcal infection. N Engl J Med. 1976 Apr 1;294(14):753–756. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197604012941404. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Baker C. J., Kasper D. L. Immunological investigation of infants with septicemia or meningitis due to group B Streptococcus. J Infect Dis. 1977 Aug;136 (Suppl):S98–104. doi: 10.1093/infdis/136.supplement.s98. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Baltimore R. S., Kasper D. L., Vecchitto J. Mouse protection test for group B Streptococcus type III. J Infect Dis. 1979 Jul;140(1):81–88. doi: 10.1093/infdis/140.1.81. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bruce M. C., Baley J. E., Medvik K. A., Berger M. Impaired surface membrane expression of C3bi but not C3b receptors on neonatal neutrophils. Pediatr Res. 1987 Mar;21(3):306–311. doi: 10.1203/00006450-198703000-00022. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Edwards M. S., Baker C. J., Kasper D. L. Opsonic specificity of human antibody to the type III polysaccharide of group B Streptococcus. J Infect Dis. 1979 Dec;140(6):1004–1008. doi: 10.1093/infdis/140.6.1004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Edwards M. S., Fuselier P. A., Rench M. A., Kasper D. L., Baker C. J. Class specificity of naturally acquired and vaccine-induced antibody to type III group B streptococcal capsular polysaccharide: determination with a radioimmunoprecipitin assay. Infect Immun. 1984 May;44(2):257–261. doi: 10.1128/iai.44.2.257-261.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Edwards M. S., Kasper D. L., Jennings H. J., Baker C. J., Nicholson-Weller A. Capsular sialic acid prevents activation of the alternative complement pathway by type III, group B streptococci. J Immunol. 1982 Mar;128(3):1278–1283. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Edwards M. S., Nicholson-Weller A., Baker C. J., Kasper D. L. The role of specific antibody in alternative complement pathway-mediated opsonophagocytosis of type III, group B Streptococcus. J Exp Med. 1980 May 1;151(5):1275–1287. doi: 10.1084/jem.151.5.1275. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Fleming D. O. Mouse protection assay for group B streptococcus type III. Infect Immun. 1982 Jan;35(1):240–247. doi: 10.1128/iai.35.1.240-247.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Gordon D. L., Rice J., Finlay-Jones J. J., McDonald P. J., Hostetter M. K. Analysis of C3 deposition and degradation on bacterial surfaces after opsonization. J Infect Dis. 1988 Apr;157(4):697–704. doi: 10.1093/infdis/157.4.697. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hostetter M. K., Krueger R. A., Schmeling D. J. The biochemistry of opsonization: central role of the reactive thiolester of the third component of complement. J Infect Dis. 1984 Nov;150(5):653–661. doi: 10.1093/infdis/150.5.653. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hostetter M. K. Serotypic variations among virulent pneumococci in deposition and degradation of covalently bound C3b: implications for phagocytosis and antibody production. J Infect Dis. 1986 Apr;153(4):682–693. doi: 10.1093/infdis/153.4.682. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Kozel T. R., Brown R. R., Pfrommer G. S. Activation and binding of C3 by Candida albicans. Infect Immun. 1987 Aug;55(8):1890–1894. doi: 10.1128/iai.55.8.1890-1894.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kozel T. R., Wilson M. A., Farrell T. P., Levitz S. M. Activation of C3 and binding to Aspergillus fumigatus conidia and hyphae. Infect Immun. 1989 Nov;57(11):3412–3417. doi: 10.1128/iai.57.11.3412-3417.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Laemmli U. K. Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature. 1970 Aug 15;227(5259):680–685. doi: 10.1038/227680a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Law S. K., Levine R. P. Interaction between the third complement protein and cell surface macromolecules. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Jul;74(7):2701–2705. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.7.2701. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Law S. K., Lichtenberg N. A., Levine R. P. Covalent binding and hemolytic activity of complement proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Dec;77(12):7194–7198. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.12.7194. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Law S. K., Lichtenberg N. A., Levine R. P. Evidence for an ester linkage between the labile binding site of C3b and receptive surfaces. J Immunol. 1979 Sep;123(3):1388–1394. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Milligan T. W., Baker C. J., Straus D. C., Mattingly S. J. Association of elevated levels of extracellular neuraminidase with clinical isolates of type III group B streptococci. Infect Immun. 1978 Sep;21(3):738–746. doi: 10.1128/iai.21.3.738-746.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Ross G. D., Medof M. E. Membrane complement receptors specific for bound fragments of C3. Adv Immunol. 1985;37:217–267. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2776(08)60341-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Rubens C. E., Wessels M. R., Heggen L. M., Kasper D. L. Transposon mutagenesis of type III group B Streptococcus: correlation of capsule expression with virulence. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987 Oct;84(20):7208–7212. doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.20.7208. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Shigeoka A. O., Hall R. T., Hemming V. G., Allred C. D., Hill H. R. Role of antibody and complement in opsonization of group B streptococci. Infect Immun. 1978 Jul;21(1):34–40. doi: 10.1128/iai.21.1.34-40.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Shigeoka A. O., Rote N. S., Santos J. I., Hill H. R. Assessment of the virulence factors of group B streptococci: correlation with sialic acid content. J Infect Dis. 1983 May;147(5):857–863. doi: 10.1093/infdis/147.5.857. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Smith C. L., Baker C. J., Anderson D. C., Edwards M. S. Role of complement receptors in opsonophagocytosis of group B streptococci by adult and neonatal neutrophils. J Infect Dis. 1990 Aug;162(2):489–495. doi: 10.1093/infdis/162.2.489. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Smith J. B., Campbell D. E., Ludomirsky A., Polin R. A., Douglas S. D., Garty B. Z., Harris M. C. Expression of the complement receptors CR1 and CR3 and the type III Fc gamma receptor on neutrophils from newborn infants and from fetuses with Rh disease. Pediatr Res. 1990 Aug;28(2):120–126. doi: 10.1203/00006450-199008000-00009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Wessels M. R., Pozsgay V., Kasper D. L., Jennings H. J. Structure and immunochemistry of an oligosaccharide repeating unit of the capsular polysaccharide of type III group B Streptococcus. A revised structure for the type III group B streptococcal polysaccharide antigen. J Biol Chem. 1987 Jun 15;262(17):8262–8267. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Wessels M. R., Rubens C. E., Benedí V. J., Kasper D. L. Definition of a bacterial virulence factor: sialylation of the group B streptococcal capsule. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Nov;86(22):8983–8987. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.22.8983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES