Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Express and Secrete Human Surfactant Proteins

Schicht M, Worlitzsch D, Bensel T, Sawers RG, Paulsen F, Bräuer L (2013)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2013

Journal

PLoS ONE Public Library of Science

Book Volume: 8

Article Number: e53705

Journal Issue: 1

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053705

Abstract

Surfactant proteins (SP), originally known from human lung surfactant, are essential to proper respiratory function in that they lower the surface tension of the alveoli. They are also important components of the innate immune system. The functional significance of these proteins is currently reflected by a very large and growing number of publications. The objective goal of this study was to elucidate whether Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa is able to express surfactant proteins. 10 different strains of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa were analyzed by means of RT-PCR, Western blot analysis, ELISA, immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoelectron microscopy. The unexpected and surprising finding revealed in this study is that different strains of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa express and secrete proteins that react with currently commercially available antibodies to known human surfactant proteins. Our results strongly suggest that the bacteria are either able to express 'human-like' surfactant proteins on their own or that commercially available primers and antibodies to human surfactant proteins detect identical bacterial proteins and genes. The results may reflect the existence of a new group of bacterial surfactant proteins and DNA currently lacking in the relevant sequence and structure databases. At any rate, our knowledge of human surfactant proteins obtained from immunological and molecular biological studies may have been falsified by the presence of bacterial proteins and DNA and therefore requires critical reassessment. © 2013 Bräuer et al.

Authors with CRIS profile

Martin Schicht Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle und Klinische Anatomie Friedrich Paulsen Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle und Klinische Anatomie Lars Bräuer Professur für Oberflächenaktive Proteine

Involved external institutions

Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Schicht, M., Worlitzsch, D., Bensel, T., Sawers, R.G., Paulsen, F., & Bräuer, L. (2013). Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Express and Secrete Human Surfactant Proteins. PLoS ONE, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0053705

MLA:

Schicht, Martin, et al. "Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Express and Secrete Human Surfactant Proteins." PLoS ONE 8.1 (2013).

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