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Streptococcus suis serotype 2 is a Gram-positive bacterium that causes sepsis and meningitis in piglets and humans. The mechanisms ofS. suis serotype 2 invasive disease are not well understood. The surface proteins of pathogens usually play important roles in infection and bacterium-host interactions. Here, we identified a novel surface protein that contributed significantly to the virulence ofS. suis serotype 2 in a piglet infection model. This protein showed little similarity to other reported proteins and exhibited strong binding activity to human factor H (hFH). It was designated Fhb (factor H-binding protein). Thefhb genes found inS. suis serotypes 1, 2, 4, 7, and 9 exhibited molecular polymorphism. Fhb possessed two proline-rich repeat sequences and XPZ domains, and one repeat sequence exhibited a high homology to Bac, an IgA-binding protein ofStreptococcus agalactiae . Evidence strongly indicated thatfhb -deficient mutants had diminished phagocytosis resistance in bactericidal assays. In addition, Fhb plays important roles in complement-mediated immunity by interacting with hFH. These findings indicated that Fhb is a crucial surface protein contributing to the virulence ofS. suis , with important functions in evading innate immune defenses by interaction with host complement regulatory factor hFH.

Fhb, a Novel Factor H-Binding Surface Protein, Contributes to the Antiphagocytic Ability and Virulence of Streptococcus suis