Analysis of the roles of the transcriptonal regulators VicRK and CovR in the susceptibility of Streptococcus mutans to opsonization by the complement system

Author(s)

Lívia Araujo Alves

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Piracicaba, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba
• Defense date: 2014-02-26

Examining board members

Renata de Oliveira Mattos Graner; Eliane Namie Miyaji; Rafael Nobrega Stipp

• Advisor: Renata de Oliveira Mattos Graner

Abstract

Streptococcus mutans (SM) is an oral pathogen of dental caries and infective endocarditis. To get established in host sites, SM needs to adapt to biophysical conditions and host defense factors. To this purpose, SM applies transcriptional regulatory systems of two components (SDC). Two SDCs, VicRK and CovR, have been implicated in SM virulence. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of VicRK and CovR on SM evasion from complement system and phagocytosis by neutrophils (PMN). Thus, complement deposition was compared between vicK- and covR- mutants obtained strain UA159 (UAvic and UAcov, respectively) and the parent UA159 exposed to 20% human serum or human serum depleted of C1q (30 min, 37ºC, 10% CO2). Deposition of C3b on SM surfaces was also analyzed in strains cultivates in the presence of 0.1% sucrose. The amount of C3b on the bacterial surface was determined by reactivity with goat IgG antibody anti-C3 conjugated FITC and flow cytometry analysis. Bacteria incubated with PBS were used as negative control. The reactiveness of SM strains with human serum antibodies was quantified by flow citometry with anti- human IgG- FITC and anti- human IgM-APC antibodies. For analysis of phagocytosis, the strains stained with FITC were incubated with PMN during 5 and 30 min. in the presence or absence of 20% human serum; the number of internalized bacteria by PMN was determined by flow cytometry. The deposition of C3b on UAcov (10.86 %) and UAvic (7.6%) was lower, compared to UA159 (23.5%) (ANOVA p<0,001). In the presence of sucrose, C3b deposition decreased to 10.86 % in UA159, and to 6.6 and 3.96% in UAcov and UAvic , respectively (ANOVA p < 0.001). The UAcov and UAvic mutants were less reactive with IgG and IgM antibodies. The phagocytosis by PMN was 50 to 60% reduced in UAcov and UAvic compared to UA159, respectively at times 5 and 30 min. (ANOVA p < 0.005). Thus, inactivation of CovR and VicRK TCS systems significantly reduces deposition of complement C3b and phagocytosis by PMN in a serum-dependent way, indicating that these SDC regulate genes involved in the evasion of complement to opsonization (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/04222-5 - Analysis of the roles of the transcriptional regulators VicRK and CovR in the susceptibility of Streptococcus mutans to opsonization by the complement system.
• Grantee: Lívia Araújo Alves
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master