title: Vaccination with FimA from Streptococcus parasanguis protects rats from endocarditis caused by other viridans streptococci.
abstract: The FimA protein of Streptococcus parasanguis is a virulence factor in the rat model of endocarditis, and immunization with FimA protects rats against homologous bacterial challenge. Because FimA-like proteins are widespread among the oral streptococci, the leading cause of native valve endocarditis, we evaluated the ability of this vaccinogen to protect rats when challenged by other streptococcal species. Here we report that FimA vaccination produced antibodies that cross-reacted with and protected against challenge by the oral streptococci S. mitis, S. mutans, and S. salivarius. FimA thus has promise as a vaccinogen to control infective endocarditis caused by oral streptococci.
authors.affiliation: The Philips Institute of Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Department of Adult Health Nursing, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23298, USA. tkitten@vcu.edu
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitten
authors.forename: Cindy L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Munro
authors.forename: Aijuan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Francis L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Macrina
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000517:prevention & control*; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D022541:Streptococcal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000276:immunology*; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000276:immunology; D014611:Vaccination; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D022541:Streptococcal Vaccines; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; C063055:fimbrillin; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins