Using two monoclonal antibodies, we found subtypes among pneumococcal isolates that are typed as serotype 6A by the quellung reaction. The prevalent subtype bound to both monoclonal antibodies and was labeled here 6A␣, whereas the minor subtype bound to only one monoclonal antibody and was labeled 6A␤. To determine the biochemical nature of the two serologically defined subtypes, we purified capsular polysaccharides (PSs) from the two subtypes and examined their chemical structures with gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The study results for 6A␣ PS are consistent with the previously published structure of 6A PS, which is 32) galactose (133) glucose (133) rhamnose (133) Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major human pathogen that is responsible for a large percentage of cases of pneumonia, meningitis, otitis media, and sepsis (6). All pathogenic pneumococci are known to display one of many structurally diverse carbohydrate capsules, which shield pneumococci from host phagocytes and increase their pathogenicity (2). Antisera to a capsule type can be used to treat patients infected with the pneumococci expressing that capsule type (4). Consequently, for the past century, the serological types of pneumococcal capsules have been extensively investigated with quellung reactions. These studies have culminated in identifying 90 different pneumococcal capsules with distinct serological patterns (9) and chemical structures (10).Not all 90 serotypes are equally pathogenic. For instance, serotypes 6A and 6B account for 4.7% and 7%, respectively, of cases of invasive pneumococcal disease in the U.S. population (19,20). Because of their medical importance, the molecular natures of serotype 6A and its related serotype, serotype 6B, have been studied extensively. Biochemical studies found that the capsular polysaccharides (PSs) of serotypes 6A and 6B are linear polymers with a repeating unit containing four monosaccharides/alditols: rhamnose, ribitol-phosphate (P), galactose, and glucose (10). The two PSs are identical except for a difference in the linkage between rhamnose and ribitol (see Fig. 6).Currently available pneumococcal vaccines are designed to elicit antibodies to the capsular PSs of the most common pneumococcal serotypes. Since vaccine-induced immunoprotection is serotype specific, serotyping pneumococcal isolates from patients is an important tool for monitoring the effectiveness of pneumococcal vaccines (3). Because the classical quellung reaction with rabbit antisera is tedious to perform (13), we have developed a new serotyping system based on mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and a multiplexed immunoassay (27). While validating the new system, we found that a minor fraction of the isolates determined to be serotype 6A by quellung reaction bound to one 6A-specific mAb (Hyp6AG1) but not to the other (Hyp6AM3), whereas the majority of the serotype 6A isolates bound to both mAbs (12). To distinguish between the isolates, we have labeled the isolates reacting with both mAbs as 6A␣ and those reacting wit...

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LysK is a staphylococcal bacteriophage endolysin composed of three domains: an N-terminal cysteine, histidine-dependent amidohydrolases/peptidases (CHAP) endopeptidase domain, a midprotein amidase 2 domain, and a C-terminal SH3b_5 (SH3b) cell wall-binding domain. Both catalytic domains are active on purified peptidoglycan by positive-ion electrospray ionization MS. The cut sites are identical to LytA (phi11 endolysin), with cleavage between d-alanine of the stem peptide and glycine of the cross-bridge peptide, and N-acetylmuramoyl-l-alanine amidase activity. Truncations of the LysK containing just the CHAP domain lyse Staphylococcus aureus cells in zymogram analysis, plate lysis, and turbidity reduction assays but have no detectable activity in a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay. In contrast, truncations harboring just the amidase lytic domain show faint activity in both the zymogram and turbidity reduction assays, but no detectable activity in either plate lysis or MIC assays. A fusion of the CHAP domain to the SH3b domain has near full-length LysK lytic activity, suggesting the need for a C-terminal binding domain. Both LysK and the CHAP-SH3b fusion were shown to lyse untreated S. aureus and the coagulase-negative strains. In the checkerboard assay, the CHAP-SH3b fusion achieves the same level of antimicrobial synergy with lysostaphin as the full-length LysK.

A group B streptococcal (GBS) bacteriophage lysin gene was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified recombinant enzyme, calculated to have a molecular mass of 49 677 Da, lysed GBS cells. The susceptibility of GBS cells to lysis by the enzyme depended upon the growth stage at which they were harvested, with early exponential phase cells most sensitive. Calcium ions enhanced the activity of the enzyme. The enzyme also lysed other b-haemolytic streptococci, including groups A, C, E and G streptococci, but not common oral streptococci, including Streptococcus mutans. The generation of both reducing activity and N-terminal alanine residues during lysis indicated that the lysin is a bifunctional enzyme, possessing both glycosidase and endopeptidase activities. This is consistent with the presence of two conserved sequence domains, an Acm (acetylmuramidase) domain associated with lysozyme activity, and a CHAP (cysteine, histidine-dependent amidohydrolases/peptidases) domain associated with endopeptidase activity. Site-directed mutagenesis of conserved cysteine and histidine residues in the CHAP domain and conserved aspartate and glutamate residues in the Acm domain confirmed their importance for lysozyme and endopeptidase activity respectively.