Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1989 Oct;57(10):2998–3002. doi: 10.1128/iai.57.10.2998-3002.1989

Cloning and expression of Staphylococcus saprophyticus urease gene sequences in Staphylococcus carnosus and contribution of the enzyme to virulence.

S Gatermann 1, R Marre 1
PMCID: PMC260761  PMID: 2777370

Abstract

The urease gene of Staphylococcus saprophyticus CCM883 was cloned and expressed in Staphylococcus carnosus TM300. In vitro translation of the cloned DNA sequences revealed six polypeptides (of 70, 47, 29, 27, 20, and 17 kilodaltons) that were associated with enzyme activity. Introduction of the cloned genes into a urease-negative mutant of S. saprophyticus restored the virulence of this strain, confirming our previous suggestion (S. Gatermann, J. John, and R. Marre, Infect. Immun. 57:110-116, 1989) that this enzyme is a major virulence factor of the organism and contributes mainly to cystopathogenicity.

Full text

PDF
3000

Images in this article

3001Image
on p.3001

Selected References

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

  1. BRAUDE A. I., SIEMIENSKI J. Role of bacterial urease in experimental pyelonephritis. J Bacteriol. 1960 Aug;80:171–179. doi: 10.1128/jb.80.2.171-179.1960. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Breitenbach J. M., Hausinger R. P. Proteus mirabilis urease. Partial purification and inhibition by boric acid and boronic acids. Biochem J. 1988 Mar 15;250(3):917–920. doi: 10.1042/bj2500917. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Chang S., Cohen S. N. High frequency transformation of Bacillus subtilis protoplasts by plasmid DNA. Mol Gen Genet. 1979 Jan 5;168(1):111–115. doi: 10.1007/BF00267940. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Collins C. M., Falkow S. Genetic analysis of an Escherichia coli urease locus: evidence of DNA rearrangement. J Bacteriol. 1988 Mar;170(3):1041–1045. doi: 10.1128/jb.170.3.1041-1045.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dixon N. E., Hinds J. A., Fihelly A. K., Gazzola C., Winzor D. J., Blakeley R. L., Zerner B. Jack bean urease (EC 3.5.1.5). IV. The molecular size and the mechanism of inhibition by hydroxamic acids. Spectrophotometric titration of enzymes with reversible inhibitors. Can J Biochem. 1980 Dec;58(12):1323–1334. doi: 10.1139/o80-180. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gatermann S., John J., Marre R. Staphylococcus saprophyticus urease: characterization and contribution to uropathogenicity in unobstructed urinary tract infection of rats. Infect Immun. 1989 Jan;57(1):110–116. doi: 10.1128/iai.57.1.110-116.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gatermann S., Marre R., Heesemann J., Henkel W. Hemagglutinating and adherence properties of Staphylococcus saprophyticus: epidemiology and virulence in experimental urinary tract infection of rats. FEMS Microbiol Immunol. 1988 Dec;1(3):179–185. doi: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1988.tb02372.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Griffith D. P., Musher D. M., Itin C. Urease. The primary cause of infection-induced urinary stones. Invest Urol. 1976 Mar;13(5):346–350. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Götz F., Ahrné S., Lindberg M. Plasmid transfer and genetic recombination by protoplast fusion in staphylococci. J Bacteriol. 1981 Jan;145(1):74–81. doi: 10.1128/jb.145.1.74-81.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Götz F., Zabielski J., Philipson L., Lindberg M. DNA homology between the arsenate resistance plasmid pSX267 from Staphylococcus xylosus and the penicillinase plasmid pI258 from Staphylococcus aureus. Plasmid. 1983 Mar;9(2):126–137. doi: 10.1016/0147-619x(83)90015-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hovelius B., Mårdh P. A. Staphylococcus saprophyticus as a common cause of urinary tract infections. Rev Infect Dis. 1984 May-Jun;6(3):328–337. doi: 10.1093/clinids/6.3.328. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Jones B. D., Mobley H. L. Genetic and biochemical diversity of ureases of Proteus, Providencia, and Morganella species isolated from urinary tract infection. Infect Immun. 1987 Sep;55(9):2198–2203. doi: 10.1128/iai.55.9.2198-2203.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Jones B. D., Mobley H. L. Proteus mirabilis urease: genetic organization, regulation, and expression of structural genes. J Bacteriol. 1988 Aug;170(8):3342–3349. doi: 10.1128/jb.170.8.3342-3349.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Kreutz B., Götz F. Construction of Staphylococcus plasmid vector pCA43 conferring resistance to chloramphenicol, arsenate, arsenite and antimony. Gene. 1984 Nov;31(1-3):301–304. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(84)90226-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. 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]
  16. Laskey R. A., Mills A. D. Quantitative film detection of 3H and 14C in polyacrylamide gels by fluorography. Eur J Biochem. 1975 Aug 15;56(2):335–341. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1975.tb02238.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. MacLaren D. M. The significance of urease in proteus pyelonephritis: a histological and biochemical study. J Pathol. 1969 Jan;97(1):43–49. doi: 10.1002/path.1710970107. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Marre R., Hacker J., Henkel W., Goebel W. Contribution of cloned virulence factors from uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains to nephropathogenicity in an experimental rat pyelonephritis model. Infect Immun. 1986 Dec;54(3):761–767. doi: 10.1128/iai.54.3.761-767.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. McLean R. J., Nickel J. C., Cheng K. J., Costerton J. W. The ecology and pathogenicity of urease-producing bacteria in the urinary tract. Crit Rev Microbiol. 1988;16(1):37–79. doi: 10.3109/10408418809104467. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Mobley H. L., Hausinger R. P. Microbial ureases: significance, regulation, and molecular characterization. Microbiol Rev. 1989 Mar;53(1):85–108. doi: 10.1128/mr.53.1.85-108.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Mobley H. L., Jones B. D., Jerse A. E. Cloning of urease gene sequences from Providencia stuartii. Infect Immun. 1986 Oct;54(1):161–169. doi: 10.1128/iai.54.1.161-169.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Mulrooney S. B., Lynch M. J., Mobley H. L., Hausinger R. P. Purification, characterization, and genetic organization of recombinant Providencia stuartii urease expressed by Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1988 May;170(5):2202–2207. doi: 10.1128/jb.170.5.2202-2207.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Musher D. M., Griffith D. P., Yawn D., Rossen R. D. Role of urease in pyelonephritis resulting from urinary tract infection with Proteus. J Infect Dis. 1975 Feb;131(2):177–181. doi: 10.1093/infdis/131.2.177. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Rosenstein I. J., Hamilton-Miller J. M., Brumfitt W. Role of urease in the formation of infection stones: comparison of ureases from different sources. Infect Immun. 1981 Apr;32(1):32–37. doi: 10.1128/iai.32.1.32-37.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Senior B. W., Bradford N. C., Simpson D. S. The ureases of Proteus strains in relation to virulence for the urinary tract. J Med Microbiol. 1980 Nov;13(4):507–512. doi: 10.1099/00222615-13-4-507. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Walz S. E., Wray S. K., Hull S. I., Hull R. A. Multiple proteins encoded within the urease gene complex of Proteus mirabilis. J Bacteriol. 1988 Mar;170(3):1027–1033. doi: 10.1128/jb.170.3.1027-1033.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES