HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lalonde, M. Articles by Gottschalk, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lalonde, M. Articles by Gottschalk, M. Agricola Articles by Lalonde, M. Articles by Gottschalk, M.

Interactions between Streptococcus suis serotype 2 and different epithelial cell lines

Groupe de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses du Porc, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, CP 5000, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada J2S 7C6¹

Author for correspondence: Marcelo Gottschalk. Tel: +1 450 773 8521 ext. 8374. Fax: +1 450 778 8108. e-mail: gottschm{at}medvet.umontreal.ca

Streptococcus suis is an important swine pathogen responsible for cases of sudden death, septicaemia, meningitis, endocarditis and pneumonia. It is also recognized as a zoonotic agent in people occupationally exposed to pigs or pig products. Knowledge on virulence factors of S. suis serotype 2 is limited and the pathogenesis of the infection is poorly understood. It has been suggested that the disease due to S. suis serotype 2 begins with colonization of the nasopharyngeal epithelium, followed by either spread within the respiratory tract or invasion of the bloodstream. The mechanisms involved in the access of bacteria from the bloodstream to the central nervous system are unknown. It is possible that epithelial cells of the choroid plexus also play an important role in the pathogenesis of the meningitis. Different interactions (adhesion, invasion and toxic effects) of S. suis serotype 2 with epithelial cell lines [LLC-PK1, PK(15), A549, HeLa and MDCK] were studied and compared to those of a human pathogen which also causes meningitis, group B Streptococcus (GBS). The results showed that S. suis serotype 2, in contrast to GBS, is able to adhere to but not to invade epithelial cells. The adhesin(s) involved seem(s) to be partially masked by the capsule and are a part of the cell wall. The haemolysin produced by S. suis serotype 2 is responsible for a toxic effect observed on epithelial cells. The results described give additional evidence that pathogenesis of the infection differs between S. suis and GBS. In particular, it is possible that suilysin-positive S. suis strains use adherence and cell injury, as opposed to direct cellular invasion, as part of a complicated multistep process which leads to bacteraemia and meningitis in pigs.

Keywords: Streptococcus suis, epithelial cells, adhesion, cytotoxicity, haemolysin (suilysin)

Abbreviations: BBB, blood–brain barrier; CNS, central nervous system; CPS, polysaccharidic capsule; GbO₃, trihexosylceramide; GBS, group B Streptococcus; LDH, lactate dehydrogenase; MEM, Minimal Essential Medium; SEM, scanning electron microscopy; TEM, transmission electron microscopy; THB, Todd–Hewitt broth

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Esgleas, Y. Li, M. A. Hancock, J. Harel, J. D. Dubreuil, and M. Gottschalk Isolation and characterization of {alpha}-enolase, a novel fibronectin-binding protein from Streptococcus suis Microbiology, September 1, 2008; 154(9): 2668 - 2679. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C.-A. D. Burnham, S. E. Shokoples, and G. J. Tyrrell Invasion of HeLa cells by group B streptococcus requires the phosphoinositide-3-kinase signalling pathway and modulates phosphorylation of host-cell Akt and glycogen synthase kinase-3 Microbiology, December 1, 2007; 153(12): 4240 - 4252. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Vanier, M. Segura, P. Friedl, S. Lacouture, and M. Gottschalk Invasion of Porcine Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells by Streptococcus suis Serotype 2 Infect. Immun., March 1, 2004; 72(3): 1441 - 1449. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. J. Tyrrell, A. Kennedy, S. E. Shokoples, and R. K. Sherburne Binding and invasion of HeLa and MRC-5 cells by Streptococcus agalactiae Microbiology, December 1, 2002; 148(12): 3921 - 3931. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Segura and M. Gottschalk Streptococcus suis Interactions with the Murine Macrophage Cell Line J774: Adhesion and Cytotoxicity Infect. Immun., August 1, 2002; 70(8): 4312 - 4322. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]