A naturally occurring point mutation in the rocA gene of Streptococcus pyogenes confers the highly virulent phenotype

Abstract

IntroductionMucoid (MTB313) and nonmucoid (MTB314) strains of group A streptococcus (GAS) emm (antiphagocytic M protein) type 1 were simultaneously isolated from a single patient suffering from streptococcal meningitis. In a CD46-expressing transgenic (CD46 Tg) mouse model of subcutaneous infection into both hind footpads with MTB313 or MTB314, MTB313 showed considerably higher virulence than MTB314. MethodsThe comparative genomic analysis based on the whole-genome sequencing revealed that MTB313 possessed an amber codon within rocA (sensory transduction protein kinase), but MTB314 did not carry this stop codon. Thereafter, MAT101 was generated from MTB313 by introducing pRocA, which contained the full-length rocA from MTB314, into the cloning plasmid pLZ12-Km2. MAT100 was also generated by introducing pLZ12-Km2 into MTB313. ResultsAlthough MTB313 and MAT100 showed large quantities of cell-associated hyaluronic acid (HA) in the culture pellets, MTB314 and MAT101 showed small quantities of HA production. Finally, higher mortalities were observed in the MTB313- or MAT100-infected CD46 Tg mice than the MTB314- or MAT101-infected CD46 Tg mice. ConclusionsThese data indicate the possibility that a spontaneous point mutation in the rocA gene led to the highly virulent phenotype of M1 GAS.