This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Tanaka, M. Articles by Ohta, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Tanaka, M. Articles by Ohta, M.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, January 2005, p. 88-96, Vol. 49, No. 1
0066-4804/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.49.1.88-96.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Effect of Antibiotics on Group A Streptococcus Exoprotein Production Analyzed by Two-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis

Megumi Tanaka, Tadao Hasegawa,^* Akira Okamoto, Keizo Torii, and Michio Ohta

Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan

Received 15 March 2004/ Returned for modification 27 July 2004/ Accepted 15 September 2004

High-dose clindamycin (CLDM) and benzylpenicillin (PCG) are the recommended chemotherapeutic remedies for toxic shock-like syndrome caused by group A streptococci. One reason for this is that it has been shown that CLDM suppresses the expression of some exoproteins, e.g., SpeB, SpeA, and streptolysin O (Slo). We analyzed the effects of antibiotics on the production of whole exoproteins by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Unexpectedly, we found that the levels of several exoproteins, Slo, NAD⁺-glycohydrolase (Nga), M protein, and Sic, were increased by CLDM treatment, although we also confirmed previous findings that the levels of various exoproteins, including SpeB, were decreased. The increases in exoprotein levels were also detected by using other protein synthesis inhibitor antibiotics: erythromycin, kanamycin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and linezolid. Peptidoglycan synthesis inhibitors (such as PCG, cefazolin, and imipenem), DNA replication inhibitors (such as gatifloxacin), and an RNA polymerase inhibitor (rifampin) did not have significant effects on exoprotein production. The combination of CLDM and PCG had no advantageous effects with regard to exoprotein production compared to the effect achieved with CLDM alone. We also analyzed the transcriptional levels of slo and nga by reverse transcription-PCR and found that this change was also detected at the transcriptional level. Furthermore, the phenomenon was seen not only in strains of the M1 serotype but also in strains of the other M serotypes. Our study suggests that the clinical effectiveness of CLDM might be due to the inhibition of the production of a limited number of exoproteins.

---

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan. Phone: 81-52-7442101. Fax: 81-52-7442107. E-mail: hasegawa{at}med.nagoya-u.ac.jp.

---

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, January 2005, p. 88-96, Vol. 49, No. 1
0066-4804/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.49.1.88-96.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Yim, G., Huimi Wang, H., Davies FRS, J. (2007). Antibiotics as signalling molecules. Phil Trans R Soc B 362: 1195-1200 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Sawai, J., Hasegawa, T., Kamimura, T., Okamoto, A., Ohmori, D., Nosaka, N., Yamada, K., Torii, K., Ohta, M. (2007). Growth Phase-Dependent Effect of Clindamycin on Production of Exoproteins by Streptococcus pyogenes. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 51: 461-467 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Sherer, K., Li, Y., Cui, X., Eichacker, P. Q. (2007). Lethal and Edema Toxins in the Pathogenesis of Bacillus anthracis Septic Shock: Implications for Therapy. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 175: 211-221 [Abstract] [Full Text]