Skip to main content
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1987 Dec;55(12):3017–3022. doi: 10.1128/iai.55.12.3017-3022.1987

A recombinant molecule from a disseminating strain of Neisseria gonorrhoeae that confers serum bactericidal resistance.

W M McShan 1, R P Williams 1, R A Hull 1
PMCID: PMC260022  PMID: 3119494

Abstract

A cosmid gene library was prepared from Neisseria gonorrhoeae JC1, a serum-resistant clinical isolate from a patient with disseminated gonococcal infection. From this library a recombinant molecule, pWM3, was isolated which had the ability to transform F62, a serum-sensitive strain of N. gonorrhoeae, to serum resistance. This plasmid contained 2.2 kilobases of insert gonococcal DNA that coded for two peptides, one of 29 kilodaltons (kDa) and one of 17.5 kDa. Deletion of the region coding for the 29-kDa peptide resulted in the loss of the ability of the plasmid to transform F62 to serum resistance. N. gonorrhoeae F62 acquired the ability to bind blocking antibody when transformed with pWM3 or subclones that code for only the 29-kDa protein. Although similar in size, the cloned 29-kDa protein and protein III are antigenically distinct.

Full text

PDF
3021

Images in this article

Selected References

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

  1. Black W. J., Cannon J. G. Cloning of the gene for the common pathogenic Neisseria H.8 antigen from Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Infect Immun. 1985 Jan;47(1):322–325. doi: 10.1128/iai.47.1.322-325.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Britigan B. E., Cohen M. S., Sparling P. F. Gonococcal infection: a model of molecular pathogenesis. N Engl J Med. 1985 Jun 27;312(26):1683–1694. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198506273122606. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. CURTIS S. R., 3rd CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH MUTATIONS TO BACTERIOPHAGE RESISTANCE IN ESCHERICHIA COLI. J Bacteriol. 1965 Jan;89:28–40. doi: 10.1128/jb.89.1.28-40.1965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cannon J. G., Buchanan T. M., Sparling P. F. Confirmation of association of protein I serotype of Neisseria gonorrhoeae with ability to cause disseminated infection. Infect Immun. 1983 May;40(2):816–819. doi: 10.1128/iai.40.2.816-819.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cannon J. G., Lee T. J., Guymon L. F., Sparling P. F. Genetics of serum resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae: the sac-1 genetic locus. Infect Immun. 1981 May;32(2):547–552. doi: 10.1128/iai.32.2.547-552.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cannon J. G., Sparling P. F. The genetics of the gonococcus. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1984;38:111–133. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.38.100184.000551. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Chang A. C., Cohen S. N. Construction and characterization of amplifiable multicopy DNA cloning vehicles derived from the P15A cryptic miniplasmid. J Bacteriol. 1978 Jun;134(3):1141–1156. doi: 10.1128/jb.134.3.1141-1156.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Dougan G., Saul M., Twigg A., Gill R., Sherratt D. Polypeptides expressed in Escherichia coli K-12 minicells by transposition elements Tn1 and Tn3. J Bacteriol. 1979 Apr;138(1):48–54. doi: 10.1128/jb.138.1.48-54.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Frazer A. C., Curtiss R., 3rd Production, properties and utility of bacterial minicells. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 1975;69:1–84. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-50112-8_1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Gotschlich E. C., Blake M. S., Koomey J. M., Seiff M., Derman A. Cloning of the structural genes of three H8 antigens and of protein III of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J Exp Med. 1986 Sep 1;164(3):868–881. doi: 10.1084/jem.164.3.868. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Guymon L. F., Esser M., Shafer W. M. Pyocin-resistant lipopolysaccharide mutans of Neisseria gonorrhoeae: alterations in sensitivity to normal human serum and polymyxin B. Infect Immun. 1982 May;36(2):541–547. doi: 10.1128/iai.36.2.541-547.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Harriman G. R., Podack E. R., Braude A. I., Corbeil L. C., Esser A. F., Curd J. G. Activation of complement by serum-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Assembly of the membrane attack complex without subsequent cell death. J Exp Med. 1982 Oct 1;156(4):1235–1249. doi: 10.1084/jem.156.4.1235. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hildebrandt J. F., Mayer L. W., Wang S. P., Buchanan T. M. Neisseria gonorrhoeae acquire a new principal outer-membrane protein when transformed to resistance to serum bactericidal activity. Infect Immun. 1978 Apr;20(1):267–272. doi: 10.1128/iai.20.1.267-272.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hull R. A., Gill R. E., Hsu P., Minshew B. H., Falkow S. Construction and expression of recombinant plasmids encoding type 1 or D-mannose-resistant pili from a urinary tract infection Escherichia coli isolate. Infect Immun. 1981 Sep;33(3):933–938. doi: 10.1128/iai.33.3.933-938.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Joiner K. A., Warren K. A., Brown E. J., Swanson J., Frank M. M. Studies on the mechanism of bacterial resistance to complement-mediated killing. IV. C5b-9 forms high molecular weight complexes with bacterial outer membrane constituents on serum-resistant but not on serum-sensitive Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J Immunol. 1983 Sep;131(3):1443–1451. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. KELLOGG D. S., Jr, PEACOCK W. L., Jr, DEACON W. E., BROWN L., PIRKLE D. I. NEISSERIA GONORRHOEAE. I. VIRULENCE GENETICALLY LINKED TO CLONAL VARIATION. J Bacteriol. 1963 Jun;85:1274–1279. doi: 10.1128/jb.85.6.1274-1279.1963. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Koomey J. M., Gill R. E., Falkow S. Genetic and biochemical analysis of gonococcal IgA1 protease: cloning in Escherichia coli and construction of mutants of gonococci that fail to produce the activity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1982 Dec;79(24):7881–7885. doi: 10.1073/pnas.79.24.7881. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. LENNOX E. S. Transduction of linked genetic characters of the host by bacteriophage P1. Virology. 1955 Jul;1(2):190–206. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(55)90016-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. 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]
  21. McCutchan J. A., Katzenstein D., Norquist D., Chikami G., Wunderlich A., Braude A. I. Role of blocking antibody in disseminated gonococcal infection. J Immunol. 1978 Nov;121(5):1884–1888. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Meyer T. F., Mlawer N., So M. Pilus expression in Neisseria gonorrhoeae involves chromosomal rearrangement. Cell. 1982 Aug;30(1):45–52. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(82)90010-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Petersen B. H., Lee T. J., Snyderman R., Brooks G. F. Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteremia associated with C6, C7, or C8 deficiency. Ann Intern Med. 1979 Jun;90(6):917–920. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-90-6-917. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Rice P. A., McCormack W. M., Kasper D. L. Natural serum bactericidal activity against Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from disseminated, locally invasive, and uncomplicated disease. J Immunol. 1980 May;124(5):2105–2109. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Rice P. A., Vayo H. E., Tam M. R., Blake M. S. Immunoglobulin G antibodies directed against protein III block killing of serum-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae by immune serum. J Exp Med. 1986 Nov 1;164(5):1735–1748. doi: 10.1084/jem.164.5.1735. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Schoolnik G. K., Buchanan T. M., Holmes K. K. Gonococci causing disseminated gonococcal infection are resistant to the bactericidal action of normal human sera. J Clin Invest. 1976 Nov;58(5):1163–1173. doi: 10.1172/JCI108569. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Shafer W. M., Guymon L. F., Sparling P. F. Identification of a new genetic site (sac-3+) in Neisseria gonorrhoeae that affects sensitivity to normal human serum. Infect Immun. 1982 Mar;35(3):764–769. doi: 10.1128/iai.35.3.764-769.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Shafer W. M., Joiner K., Guymon L. F., Cohen M. S., Sparling P. F. Serum sensitivity of Neisseria gonorrhoeae: the role of lipopolysaccharide. J Infect Dis. 1984 Feb;149(2):175–183. doi: 10.1093/infdis/149.2.175. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. So M., Dallas W. S., Falkow S. Characterization of an Escherichia coli plasmid encoding for synthesis of heat-labile toxin: molecular cloning of the toxin determinant. Infect Immun. 1978 Aug;21(2):405–411. doi: 10.1128/iai.21.2.405-411.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Sparling P. F. Genetic transformation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to streptomycin resistance. J Bacteriol. 1966 Nov;92(5):1364–1371. doi: 10.1128/jb.92.5.1364-1371.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Spratt S. K., Jones F., Shockley T. E., Jackson J. H. Cotransformation of a serum resistance phenotype with genes for arginine biosynthesis in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Infect Immun. 1980 Jul;29(1):287–289. doi: 10.1128/iai.29.1.287-289.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Stein D. C., Silver L. E., Clark V. L., Young F. E. Cloning genes for proline biosynthesis from Neisseria gonorrhoeae: identification by interspecific complementation of Escherichia coli mutants. J Bacteriol. 1984 May;158(2):696–700. doi: 10.1128/jb.158.2.696-700.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Stern A., Nickel P., Meyer T. F., So M. Opacity determinants of Neisseria gonorrhoeae: gene expression and chromosomal linkage to the gonococcal pilus gene. Cell. 1984 Jun;37(2):447–456. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90375-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Sternberg N., Tiemeier D., Enquist L. In vitro packaging of a lambda Dam vector containing EcoRI DNA fragments of Escherichia coli and phage P1. Gene. 1977 May;1(3-4):255–280. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(77)90049-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Swanson J. Studies on gonococcus infection. XII. Colony color and opacity varienats of gonococci. Infect Immun. 1978 Jan;19(1):320–331. doi: 10.1128/iai.19.1.320-331.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES