The Streptococcus pyogenes proteome: maps, virulence factors and vaccine candidates

Abstract

Streptococcus pyogenes is an important cause of human morbidity and mortality worldwide. A wealth of genomic information related to this pathogen has facilitated exploration of the proteome, particularly in response to environmental conditions thought to mimic various aspects of pathogenesis. Proteomic approaches are also used to identify immunoreactive proteins for vaccine development and to identify proteins that may induce autoimmunity. These studies have revealed new mechanisms involved in regulating the S. pyogenes proteome, which has opened up new avenues in the study of S. pyogenes pathogenesis. This article describes the methods used, and progress being made towards characterizing the S. pyogenes proteome, including studies seeking to identify potential vaccine candidates.

Figure 1. Predicted 2-DE map of the Streptococcus pyogenes SF370 proteome

The mass and pI of the 1697 predicted open reading frames in strain SF370 were determined using ExPASy [101].

Figure 2. Comparison of protein abundance between the wild-type and rgg mutant strains in postexponential and exponential phases of growth, respectively

The amount of each protein spot identified in the wild-type strain during the postexponential growth was compared to the matched spot in an rgg mutant strain during the exponential phase of growth (r = 0.9).