Sequence analysis of the gene for a novel superantigen produced by Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and expression of the recombinant protein.

We previously reported that the Gram-negative bacterium Yersinia pseudotuberculosis produces a superantigen (YPM, Y. pseudotuberculosis-derived mitogen) that expands T cells bearing V betas 3, 9, 13.1, and 13.2 in an MHC class II-dependent manner. Based on the previously determined N-terminal 23 amino acids of YPM (T-D-Y-D-N-T-L-N-S-I-P-S-L-R-I-P-N-I-A-T-Y-T-G- (one-letter code)), we cloned the ypm gene and analyzed the nucleotide sequence. The gene encodes a 151-amino acid protein with a 20-amino acid signal peptide at its N terminus. The recombinant YPM expressed by the cloned gene exerted a mitogenic activity on human PBMC at a concentration of approximately 1 pg/ml. T cells bearing V beta 13.3 were preferentially expanded as well as T cells bearing the same V beta repertoires stimulated by native YPM. T cells were stimulated by the recombinant YPM in the presence of either fixed or unfixed HLA class II-transfected mouse fibroblasts. Furthermore, sequence diversity in the junctional region of the TCR beta-chain containing the V beta 3 element could be observed after stimulation by the recombinant YPM. These results indicate that YPM belongs to the category of superantigens and should be included as a novel member. The amino acid sequence of the mature protein showed no significant homology to other superantigens derived from Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. This observation, together with the substantially smaller m.w. suggest that ypm must have evolved from a different ancestral gene.