Selection of Potential Virulence Factors Contributing to Streptococcus suis Serotype 2 Penetration into the Blood-Brain Barrier in an In Vitro Co-Culture Model

Hongtao Liu, Seng Zhu, Yingying Sun, Na Li, Jingmin Gu, Changjiang Sun, Xin Feng, Wenyu Han, Jian Xia Jiang, Liancheng Lei
2017 Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology  
Meningitis caused by Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (S. suis 2) is a great threat to the pig industry and human health. Virulence factors associated with the pathogenesis of meningitis have yet to be clearly defined, even though many potential S. suis 2 virulence factors have been identified. This greatly hinders the progress of S. suis 2 meningitis pathogenesis research. In this study, a co-culture blood-brain barrier (BBB) model was established using primary porcine brain microvascular
more » ... ial cells and astrocytes, and the whole genome library of S. suis 2 was constructed using phage display technology. Finally, a total of 14 potential virulence factors contributing to S. suis 2 adherence to and invasion of the BBB were selected by analyzing the interactions between the phage library and the co-culture model. Twelve of these factors have not been previously reported in meningitis-related research. The data provide valuable insight into the pathogenesis of S. suis 2 meningitis and potential targets for the development of drug therapies.
doi:10.4014/jmb.1606.06018 pmid:27666982 fatcat:xd7dwki6tnb6fbdlatijbz6kk4