
Identification of a Protein That Inactivates the Competence-Stimulating Peptide of Streptococcus pneumoniae
Author(s) -
Mathieu Bergé,
Hanno Langen,
JeanPierre Claverys,
Bernard Martin
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of bacteriology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.652
H-Index - 246
eISSN - 1067-8832
pISSN - 0021-9193
DOI - 10.1128/jb.184.2.610-613.2002
Subject(s) - biology , streptococcus pneumoniae , peptide , cucurbita pepo , proteome , mutant , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , gene , bacteria , genetics , ecology
Competence for genetic transformation of Streptococcus pneumoniae is a transient physiological property inducible by a competence-stimulating peptide (CSP). A 68-kDa CSP-inactivating protein was previously obtained following lithium chloride (LiCl) extraction. By the same protocol, a CSP-inactivating protein was purified and identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry as an endopeptidase, PepO. Analysis of a pepO mutant provided no support for the hypothesis that PepO participates in competence regulation. To reconcile in vitro and in vivo data, we suggest that LiCl treatment results in the release of intracellular molecules, including PepO.