The Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 25, Issue 1 27-31, Copyright © 1988 by Society for General Microbiology

JOURNAL ARTICLE

A survey of IgA protease production among clinical isolates of Proteeae

B. W. Senior, M. Albrechtsen and M. A. Kerr
Department of Medical Microbiology, Dundee University Medical School, Ninewells Hospital.

A collection of 100 strains of Proteeae, in which all species within the tribe were represented, was examined for IgA protease production. The strains were isolated from various clinical specimens from sick and healthy persons in several countries. IgA protease-producing strains were not found amongst species of Providencia and Morganella but were common in Proteus spp. All the strains of P. mirabilis and P. penneri and many of the strains of P. vulgaris examined produced an EDTA-sensitive protease that cleaved the IgA heavy chain outside the hinge region. The proteus enzyme was different in this respect from the EDTA-sensitive, hinge-cutting proteases of other bacteria. The ability to produce IgA protease was unrelated to the O antigenicity, biotype or bacteriocin type of the strain. IgA protease production may be an important virulence mechanism for Proteus strains.

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