title: Immunogenicity of the Shigella flexneri serotype Y (SFL 124) vaccine strain expressing cloned glucosyl transferase gene of converting bacteriophage SfX.
abstract: The glucosyl transferase gene (gtr) from bacteriophage phage X (SfX) caused partial conversion of serotype Y (group antigen 3, 4) to X (group antigen 7, 8) when introduced into a candidate vaccine strain of Shigella flexneri serotype Y (SFL124). The gtr gene caused conversion of O-antigens but did not eliminate the adsorption of the corresponding phage SfX. The hybrid strain expressing both group antigens 7, 8 and 3, 4 showed 75% protection when immunized guinea pigs were challenged with a wild-type S. flexneri serotype X strain. No protection was observed against serotype Y challenge, although group antigen 3, 4 was detected in the LPS of the hybrid strain. This suggests the importance of O-antigen immunity in the host defense against shigellosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, School of Life Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Huan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Lindberg
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Verma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000201:enzymology*; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004405:Dysentery, Bacillary / Q000517:prevention & control; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D005964:Glucosyltransferases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007114:Immunization; D007639:Keratoconjunctivitis, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012703:Serotyping; D012763:Shigella flexneri / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014162:Transfection; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D005964:Glucosyltransferases