Identification of a fibronectin-binding protein as adhesin of Streptococcus pyogenes

The role of streptococcal fibronectin-binding protein (Sfb protein) in the adherence of Streptococcus pyogenes to epithelial cells was analyzed by using a recombinant Sfb fusion protein which was constructed by fusion of the binding domain of Sfb protein to MS2 polymerase. Sfb fusion protein was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified from E. coli lysates by FPLC and analysed in binding experiments with 125I-labelled fibronectin and adherence studies with HEp2 epithelial cells. Lysates from E. coli expressing the fusion protein as well as purified Sfb protein competitively inhibited fibronectin binding and epithelial cell adherence of S. pyogenes, whereas streptococcal lipoteichoic acid (LTA), previously suggested to be the adhesin of S. pyogenes, had no effects. Southern blot analysis of chromosomal DNA from various streptococci revealed that the gene coding for the binding domain of Sfb protein was also present in other S. pyogenes strains. These results indicate that fibronectin-binding protein is the major adhesin of S. pyogenes.