Plasminogen activator/coagulase gene of Yersinia pestis is responsible for degradation of plasmid-encoded outer membrane proteins

Abstract

The related family of virulence plasmids found in the three major pathogens of the gent-Yersinia all have the ability to encode a set of outer membrane proteins. In Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudouberculosis, these proteins are major constituents of the outer membrane when their synthesis is fully induced. In contrast, they have been difficult to detect in Y. pestis. It has recently been established that Y. pestis does synthesize these proteins, but that they are rapidly degraded due to some activity determined by the 9.5-kilobase plasmid commonly found in Y. pestis strains. We show that mutations in the pla gene of this plasmid, which encodes both the plasminogen activator and coagulase activities, blocked this degradation. A cloned 1.4-kilobase DNA fragment carrying pla was also sufficient to cause degradation in the absence of the 9.5-kilobase plasmid.

Fibrinolytic and procoagulant activities of Yersinia pestis and Salmonella enterica

“…YapG and YapE are surface-bound autotransporters of the genus Yersinia with an array of putative virulence-associated functions, and they are proteolytically processed by Pla and thus released from bacterial surface [35,36]. Pla also cleaves and promotes translocation to eukaryotic cells of Yops (Yersinia outer membrane proteins) encoded on the 70-kb low-calcium-response plasmid present in Y. pestis, Y. pseudotuberculosis, and Y. eneterocolitica [37,38].…”

Relative immunogenicity and protection potential of candidate Yersinia Pestis antigens against lethal mucosal plague challenge in Balb/C mice

“…pestis genes (yopB, yopD, yopO, pla and yscF) were first amplified with pfu polymerase (Strategene, CA) from plasmids pCD1 or pPCP1. The yopB, yopD and yopO/ypkA are encoded by the 70 kb plasmid, pCD1 [13] and the pla is encoded by the 9.5 kb plasmid, pPCP1 [34][35]. Primer pairs are shown in Table 1.…”

Binding of plasminogen to Escherichia coli adhesion proteins

“…Similarly to invasive animal cells, pathogenic bacteria must evidently also break down extracellular matrix components in order to invade host tissues through basement membranes. The ability of streptokinase to activate plasminogen [13] and the presence of a plasmid-encoded plasminogen activator in Yersinia pestis [14] suggest that bacteria might utilize plasmin for this purpose. To investigate further this possibility, we have studied here the interaction of plasminogen with fimbriae found on Escherichia coli strains causing invasive infections.…”