Human serum bactericidal activity against Haemophilus influenzae type b

We examined bactericidal and opsonizing activity of pooled adult 'immune' serum against Haemophilus influenzae type b with and without the addition of phagocytes. Four type b strains from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and three such strains from the nasopharynx (NP) of healthy children were examined. Duplicate reaction mixtures contained organisms in exponential (E) or stationary phase (S) of growth, serum, a complement source (human agammaglobulinaemic serum), and culture medium (bactericidal assay); separate assays contained the above components and polymorphonuclear leucocytes (opsonization system). A decrease in bacterial density of greater than or equal to 1 log10 unit was considered significant. All four S-CSF strains, three of four E-CSF strains and one of three S-NP strains were sensitive to the bactericidal activity of pooled serum. The other E-CSF strain, two S-NP strains and all three E-NP strains were resistant to the bactericidal activity of pooled serum. Two of three E-NP strains were opsonized by pooled serum; the other strains resistant to the bactericidal activity of pooled serum were also resistant to opsonization. Bactericidal and opsonizing activity of serum from an immunized adult was greater than or equal to that of pooled serum against each strain. Assuming normal adults are immune to invasive H. influenzae type b infection, an experimental test reflecting this immunity is the bactericidal activity against CSF isolates tested in stationary phase. We conclude that protection against invasive disease due to H. influenzae type b appears more complex than the presence of bactericidal and opsonizing activity in serum.     

Tn916 insertion mutagenesis in Escherichia coli and Haemophilus influenzae type b following conjugative transfer.

Transposon Tn916 was shown to be capable of direct conjugative transfer in broth and membrane matings between strains of Escherichia coli K12 and between E. coli K12 and Haemophilus influenzae type b. Only Tn916 was transferred, but Tn916 donor ability was not itself inheritable by the recipients and seemed to be associated with the presence of Tn916 on a non-conjugative pBR322-derived vector in the original donor strain. Transfer of Tn916 by conjugation was found to be an efficient method for producing insertion mutations in the chromosome of recipient cells. Although such insertions were unstable when the cells were grown under non-selective conditions, it was possible to show that over 40% of the isolated Tn916 insertions in the chromosome of E. coli K12 were in gene(s) concerned with histidine biosynthesis, implying that there is a partial hot-spot for Tn916 insertion on the E. coli K12 chromosome. When a strain of H. influenzae type b was used as a recipient, out of approximately 1500 transconjugants tested, two mutants were isolated with insertions in genes controlling the expression of iron-regulated transferrin-binding proteins. These mutants constitutively produced major 76 kDa and minor 90 kDa proteins which bound transferrin, even when grown under iron-sufficient conditions. Tn916 insertion mutagenesis, following transfer by conjugation, is a convenient method for isolating mutations in genes concerned with iron acquisition by this important human pathogen.     

Lipoproteins of Haemophilus influenzae type b.

Haemophilus influenzae type b Minn A produced 12 lipoproteins with apparent molecular weights of between 14,000 and 67,000. The lipoproteins were identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fluorography of delipidated extracts of cells grown in [3H]palmitate. When the delipidated cell extracts were subjected to acid methanolysis, tritium was quantitatively recovered as palmitate and methyl palmitate, indicating that the [3H]palmitate had not been degraded and reincorporated into nonlipid material during cell growth. One of the lipoproteins comigrated with outer membrane protein (OMP) P6. OMP P6 was purified from [3H]palmitate-labeled cells. The purified protein preparation contained both amide- and ester-linked fatty acids. We conclude that (i) H. influenzae type b produces several lipoproteins, and (ii) one of these lipoproteins is OMP P6, a protein under consideration as a vaccine component.     

Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccine

An Haemophilus influenzae type b capsular polysaccharide-protein conjugate has been prepared. The polysaccharide was coupled to the serotype II protein of group B meningococcus through the spacer 6-aminocaproic acid using cyanogen bromide and water soluble carbodiimide. The conjugate can be shown to be reproducible and is stable and highly immunogenic in mice and African green monkeys. Clinical evaluation of this conjugate in children 3 months to 4 years of age showed that it elicited an antibody titer to the polysaccharide moiety greater than 1000 ng/ml in children 8 months of age or older.     

Siderophore-independent acquisition of transferrin-bound iron by Haemophilus influenzae type b

The specificity by which Haemophilus species acquired iron from transferrin (TF) was investigated. In a plate bioassay H. influenzae used iron bound to human, bovine and rabbit TFs but not mouse, rat, dog, horse, guinea-pig, pig or ovo- TFs or human and bovine lactoferrins. In contrast, H. pleuropneumoniae used iron only from pig TF whilst H. parainfluenzae was unable to utilize iron bound to any of the human or animal TFs tested. The inhibition of growth imposed on H. influenzae type b strain Eagan by the addition of the synthetic iron chelator EDDA to the culture medium was reversed by 30% iron-saturated human TF added directly to the medium but not when the TF was contained inside a dialysis bag. Dot-blotting of whole cells revealed that human TF bound to the surface of bacteria cultured in iron-restricted but not in iron-plentiful media. Incubation of whole bacterial cells in the presence of the proteolytic enzyme trypsin also abolished TF-binding activity, suggesting that the TF receptor was a protein. In competition dot blotting experiments, human and bovine but not rabbit, dog, mouse or guinea-pig TFs blocked the binding of a horseradish peroxidase--human TF conjugate. SDS-PAGE and Western blotting of outer membranes revealed the presence of a TF-binding protein of approximately 72 kDa. These results suggest that the acquisition of TF-bound iron by H. influenzae type b probably involves a direct interaction with an outer-membrane protein which shows some TF-species specificity.     

Haemophilus influenzae type b strain A2 has multiple sialyltransferases involved in lipooligosaccharide sialylation

The lipooligosaccharide (LOS) of Haemophilus influenzae contains sialylated glycoforms, and a sialyltransferase, Lic3A, has been previously identified. We report evidence for two additional sialyltransferases, SiaA, and LsgB, that affect N-acetyllactosamine containing glycoforms. Mutations in genes we have designated siaA and lsgB affected only the sialylated glycoforms containing N-acetylhexosamine. A mutation in siaA resulted in the loss of glycoforms terminating in sialyl-N-acetylhexosamine and the appearance of higher molecular weight glycoforms, containing the addition of phosphoethanolamine, N-acetylgalactosamine, and N-acetylneuraminic acid. Chromosomal complementation of the siaA mutant resulted in the expression of the original sialylated LOS phenotype. A mutation in lic3A resulted in the loss of sialylation only in glycoforms lacking N-acetylhexosamine and had no effect on sialylation of the terminal N-acetyllactosamine epitope. A double mutant in siaA and lic3A resulted in the complete loss of sialylation of the terminal N-acetyllactosamine epitope and expression of the higher molecular weight sialylated glycoforms seen in the siaA mutant. Mutation of lsgB resulted in persistence of sialylated glycoforms but a reduction in N-acetyllactosamine containing glycoforms. A triple mutant of siaA, lic3A, and lsgB contained no sialylated glycoforms. These results demonstrate that the sialylation of the LOS of H. influenzae is a complex process involving multiple sialyltransferases.     

A plasmid cloning vehicle for Haemophilus influenzae and Escherichia coli.

A new plasmid cloning vehicle (pDM2) was used to introduce a library of Haemophilus influenzae chromosomal fragments into H. influenzae. Transformants of the highly recombination-defective rec-1 mutant were more likely to contain exclusively recombinant plasmids after exposure to ligated DNA mixtures than was the wild type. pDM2 could replicate in Escherichia coli K-12.     

Determination of the structure of the Escherichia coli K100 capsular polysaccharide, cross-reactive with the capsule from type b Haemophilus influenzae

The structure of the Escherichia coli K100 capsular polysaccharide, cross-reactive with that from type b Haemophilus influenzae, was determined by using a combination of chemical and spectroscopic techniques. The structure of the K100 repeating unit was found to be----3)-beta-D-Ribf-(1----2)-D-ribitol-5-(PO4----. The K100 polysaccharide is thus identical in composition to, but different in linkage from, the H. influenzae type b capsular polysaccharide, which has beta-D-Ribf-(1----1)-D-ribitol linkages.     

Novel beta -hydroxyacid dehydrogenases in Escherichia coli and Haemophilus influenzae

Our laboratory has previously reported a structurally and mechanistically related family of beta-hydroxyacid dehydrogenases with significant homology to beta-hydroxyisobutyrate dehydrogenase. A large number of the members of this family are hypothetical proteins of bacterial origin with unknown identity in terms of their substrate specificities and metabolic roles. The Escherichia coli beta-hydroxyacid dehydrogenase homologue corresponding to the locus was cloned and expressed with a 6-histidine tag for specific purification. The purified recombinant protein very specifically catalyzed the NAD(+)-dependent oxidation of d-glycerate and the NADH-dependent reduction of tartronate semialdehyde, identifying this protein as a tartronate semialdehyde reductase. Further evidence for identification as tartronate semialdehyde reductase is the observation that the coding region for this protein is directly preceded by genes coding for hydroxypyruvate isomerase and glyoxylate carboligase, two enzymes that synthesize tartronate semialdehyde, producing an operon clearly designed for d-glycerate biosynthesis from tartronate semialdehyde. The single beta-hydroxyacid dehydrogenase homologue from Haemophilus influenzae was also cloned, expressed, and purified with a 6-histidine tag. This protein also catalyzed the NAD(+)-dependent oxidation of d-glycerate but was significantly more efficient in the oxidation of four-carbon beta-hydroxyacids like d-hydroxybutyrate and d-threonine. This enzyme differs from all the presently known beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenases which are well established members of the short chain dehydrogenase/reductase superfamily.     

A heme-binding protein produced by Haemophilus haemolyticus inhibits non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae

Commensal bacteria serve as an important line of defense against colonisation by opportunisitic pathogens, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly explored. Here, we show that strains of a commensal bacterium, Haemophilus haemolyticus, make hemophilin, a heme-binding protein that inhibits growth of the opportunistic pathogen, non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) in culture. We purified the NTHi-inhibitory protein from H. haemolyticus and identified the hemophilin gene using proteomics and a gene knockout. An x-ray crystal structure of recombinant hemophilin shows that the protein does not belong to any of the known heme-binding protein folds, suggesting that it evolved independently. Biochemical characterisation shows that heme can be captured in the ferrous or ferric state, and with a variety of small heme-ligands bound, suggesting that hemophilin could function under a range of physiological conditions. Hemophilin knockout bacteria show a limited capacity to utilise free heme for growth. Our data suggest that hemophilin is a hemophore and that inhibition of NTHi occurs by heme starvation, raising the possibility that competition from hemophilin-producing H. haemolyticus could antagonise NTHi colonisation in the respiratory tract.     

Mobilization of Haemophilus influenzae chromosomal markers by an Escherichia coli F'' factor.

Filter matings between E. coli K-12 strains carrying an F'::Tn5,Tn9 factor with H. influenzae Rd strains gave rise to kanamycin-chloramphenicol-resistant H. influenzae strains at a frequency of approximately 10(-6). Transfer of the F' factor to H. influenzae was verified by expression of unselected markers in H. influenzae (lac+ or cotransfer of the nonselected antibiotic resistance), physical presence of a high-molecular-weight plasmid in recipient H. influenzae cells, and detection by Southern hybridization analysis of DNA sequences specific for the F' factor replication and partition functions in recipient H. influenzae cells. H. influenzae (F' Tn5,Tn9) strains were capable of transferring kanamycin and chloramphenicol resistances to other H. influenzae strains and were capable of mobilizing H. influenzae chromosomal markers at a low frequency. Insertion of a Tn5 element in the H. influenzae genome near the novobiocin resistance gene increased the frequency of transfer of novobiocin resistance about 30-fold. Transfer of other chromosomal markers also increased, although to a lesser extent, and ordered transfer of chromosomal markers could be demonstrated. Gene transfer was insensitive to DNase I, and transfer of chromosomal (but not F' factor) markers was dependent on the H. influenzae rec-1 and rec-2 gene functions.     

Detection of mucosal and serum antibodies specific for the capsular polysaccharide of Haemophilus influenzae type b by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

A sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with rough-surfaced glass beads used as the solid phase was developed for detection of IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies to Haemophilus influenzae type b capsular polysaccharide (HITB-CP). A successful method for indirect coating of glass bead surfaces with HITB-CP, and parameters affecting the specificity and sensitivity of the assay are described. This ELISA system proved to be 100 times as sensitive as the standard indirect fluorescent-antibody assay. The assay was applied to the measurement of antibodies to HITB-CP in serum and nasal secretions and proved to be a useful tool in the evaluation of immunological response to HITB infection.     

Multilocus sequence-typing for characterization of Moscow strains of Haemophilus influenzae type b

Haemophilius influenzae, type b (Hib) bacteria, were genotyped by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) using 5 loci (adk, fucK, mdh, pgi, recA). 42 Moscow Hib strains (including 38 isolates form cerebrospinal fluid of children, who had purulent meningitis in 1999-2001, and 4 strains isolated from healthy carriers of Hib), as well as 2 strains from Yekaterinburg were studied. In MLST a strain is characterized, by alleles and their combinations (an allele profile) referred to also as sequence-type (ST). 9 Sts were identified within the Russian Hib bacteria: ST-1 was found in 25 strains (57%), ST-12 was found in 8 strains (18%), ST-11 was found in 4 strains (9%) and ST-15 was found in 2 strains (4.5%); all other STs strains (13, 14, 16, 17, 51) were found in isolated cases (2.3%). A comparison of allelic profiles and of nucleotide sequences showed that 93% of Russian isolates, i.e. strain with ST-1, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 17, belong to one and the same clonal complex. 2 isolates from Norway and Sweden from among 7 foreign Hib strains studied up to now can be described as belonging to the same clonal complex; 5 Hib strains were different from the Russian ones.