Pneumolysin
Encyclopedia
Pneumolysin is a putative virulence factor
of the gram positive bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae
.
It is a 53 kDa pore forming toxin composed of 471 amino acids. It has a range of biological activities including the ability to lyse and interfere with the function of cells and soluble molecules of the immune system.
Released pneumolysin will aid the bacteria during colonization, by facilitating adherence to the host, during invasion by damaging host cells, and during infection by interfering with the host immune response .
The presence of pneumolysin in sputum
, urine
, CSF
and blood
can be indicative of an S. pneumoniae infection
.
Virulence factor
Virulence factors are molecules expressed and secreted by pathogens that enable them to achieve the following:* colonization of a niche in the host...
of the gram positive bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Streptococcus pneumoniae, or pneumococcus, is Gram-positive, alpha-hemolytic, aerotolerant anaerobic member of the genus Streptococcus. A significant human pathogenic bacterium, S...
.
It is a 53 kDa pore forming toxin composed of 471 amino acids. It has a range of biological activities including the ability to lyse and interfere with the function of cells and soluble molecules of the immune system.
Released pneumolysin will aid the bacteria during colonization, by facilitating adherence to the host, during invasion by damaging host cells, and during infection by interfering with the host immune response .
The presence of pneumolysin in sputum
Sputum
Sputum is mucus that is coughed up from the lower airways. It is usually used for microbiological investigations of respiratory infections....
, urine
Urine
Urine is a typically sterile liquid by-product of the body that is secreted by the kidneys through a process called urination and excreted through the urethra. Cellular metabolism generates numerous by-products, many rich in nitrogen, that require elimination from the bloodstream...
, CSF
Cerebrospinal fluid
Cerebrospinal fluid , Liquor cerebrospinalis, is a clear, colorless, bodily fluid, that occupies the subarachnoid space and the ventricular system around and inside the brain and spinal cord...
and blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
can be indicative of an S. pneumoniae infection
Pneumococcal infection
- Pathogenesis :S. pneumoniae is normally found in the nasopharynx of 5-10% of healthy adults, and 20-40% of healthy children. It can be found in higher amounts in certain environments, especially those where people are spending a great deal of time in close proximity to each other...
.