Die Bedeutung des Virulenzfaktors PavB und des Matrixproteins Fibronektin für die Pathogenität von Streptococcus pneumoniae Streptococcus pneumoniae Fibronektinbindungsprotein Virulenzfaktor S. pneumoniae PavB Plasminogenbindungsprotein Vitronektinbindungsprotein Fibronectin binding protein virulence factor S. pneumoniae PavB Plasminogen binding protein Vitronectin binding protein Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococci) are human specific commensals of the upper respiratory tract. During their lifetime most human are asymptomaticaly and probably frequently colonized by these bacteria. Under certain conditions e.g. a host immune deficiency pneumococci can spread in the host tissue and cause local infections such as otitis media sinusitis or pneumonia. In some cases these infections lead to the development of severe invasive diseases like sepsis and meningitis. Several virulence determinants facilitate the colonization process but also contribute to the invasion of deeper tissue and the bacterial escape of the human immune system. These virulence factors are of high interest for the development of novel vaccines. The genomic analysis of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains identified the Pneumococcal adherence and virulence factor B (PavB) with an LPXTG membrane anchorage motif. The core of PavB consists of several repetitive sequences referred to as SSURE (Streptococcal Surface Repeats) which interact with human fibronectin ...