Role of the Hypervariable Region in Streptococcal M Proteins: Binding of a Human Complement Inhibitor

• Published in: The Journal of immunology (1950) Vol. 161; no. 9; pp. 4894 - 4901
• Main Authors: Johnsson, Eskil, Berggard, Karin, Kotarsky, Heike, Hellwage, Jens, Zipfel, Peter F, Sjobring, Ulf, Lindahl, Gunnar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Am Assoc Immnol 01.11.1998
• Subjects: Antigenic Variation; Antigens, Bacterial; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; Bacterial Proteins - immunology; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; Binding, Competitive; Blood Proteins - immunology; Blood Proteins - metabolism; Carrier Proteins; Complement C3b - metabolism; Humans; Phagocytosis; Protein Binding; Streptococcus pyogenes - immunology; Streptococcus pyogenes - pathogenicity; Virulence
• ISSN: 0022-1767; 1550-6606
• DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.161.9.4894

Antigenic variation allows pathogenic microorganisms to evade the immune system of the infected host. The variable structure must play an important role in pathogenesis, but its function is in most cases unknown. Here, we identify a function for the surface-exposed hypervariable region of streptococcal M5 protein, a virulence factor that inhibits phagocytosis. The hypervariable region of M5 was found to bind the human complement inhibitor FHL-1 (factor H-like protein 1), a 42-kDa plasma protein. Plasma absorption experiments with M5-expressing bacteria showed that the interaction with FHL-1 occurs also under physiologic conditions. Studies of another extensively characterized M protein, M6, indicated that this protein also has a binding site for FHL-1 in the hypervariable region. The complement-inhibitory function of FHL-1 was retained after binding to streptococci, suggesting that bound FHL-1 protects bacteria against complement attack. All available data now indicate that FHL-1, or another human complement inhibitor, binds to the hypervariable region of M proteins. These findings provide insights into the forces that drive antigenic variation and may explain why the hypervariable region of M protein is essential for phagocytosis resistance. Moreover, these data add to a growing body of evidence that human complement inhibitors are major targets for pathogenic microorganisms.