Independent binding of native and aggregated IgG in group A streptococci

Irrespective of IgG Fc-receptor activity, earlier characterized, many group A streptococci were recently found to bind aggregated IgG Fab and/or light chains. In the present study, binding of glutaraldehyde-aggregated, radiolabelled, intact human IgG (a*IgG) to group A streptococci was tested, and strains representing several M-types were found reactive. In particular, high binding was observed among type M12 strains, earlier found devoid of Fc-receptors for monomeric IgG; accordingly, unlabelled, native IgG had little influence on the binding. The sites binding a*IgG were highly sensitive to trypsin and relatively resistant to heat treatment. The binding to M12 was inhibited by human fibrinogen and, to a lesser extent, by heat-aggregated serum albumin. Rabbit antiserum to M12 was more inhibitory than antiserum to a heterologous type of group A streptococci or normal rabbit serum. Our results indicate that streptococcal M-protein binds a*IgG by a multipoint requiring interaction of low specificity and that previously described Fc-receptors binding native IgG are not involved. For comparison, in Cowan I staphylococci and one strain of group G streptococci tested, high binding of a*IgG was also observed; however, this binding was inhibited by native IgG, indicating that protein A and group G streptococcal Fc-receptor, earlier known to bind untreated IgG, also bound a*IgG.