Pneumolysin will be used as a model for host-mediated pathogenesis in ocular infections involving cytolytic toxins. Toxin-target cell interactions will be studied at the molecular and cellular levels, including: an examination of pneumolysin-stimulated secretion of collagenase by corneal explants, fibroblasts and epithelial cells; of the effects of potential inhibitors on these systems; of a possible role for plasminogen in the pneumolysin stimulation. The function of pneumolysin in the physiology of the pneumococcus will also be studied and the gene encoding pneumolysin will be cloned, permitting evaluation of the role of pneumolysin in virulence, determination of its amino acid sequence, and identification of possible genetic regulatory elements.
| Johnson, M K; Callegan, M C; Engel, L S et al. (1995) Growth and virulence of a complement-activation-negative mutant of Streptococcus pneumoniae in the rabbit cornea. Curr Eye Res 14:281-4 |
| Johnson, M K; Hobden, J A; O'Callaghan, R J et al. (1992) Confirmation of the role of pneumolysin in ocular infections with Streptococcus pneumoniae. Curr Eye Res 11:1221-5 |
| Johnson, M K; Hobden, J A; Hagenah, M et al. (1990) The role of pneumolysin in ocular infections with Streptococcus pneumoniae. Curr Eye Res 9:1107-14 |
| Johnson, M K; Gebhardt, B M; Berman, M B (1988) Appearance of collagenase in pneumolysin-treated corneal fibroblast cultures. Curr Eye Res 7:951-3 |
| Walker, J A; Allen, R L; Falmagne, P et al. (1987) Molecular cloning, characterization, and complete nucleotide sequence of the gene for pneumolysin, the sulfhydryl-activated toxin of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Infect Immun 55:1184-9 |
