title: Oral colonization and immune responses to Streptococcus gordonii expressing a pertussis toxin S1 fragment in mice.
abstract: The ability of a recombinant Streptococcus gordonii RJM4 expressing the N-terminal 179-amino acid fragment of S1 subunit of pertussis toxin (PT) as a SpaP/S1 fusion protein was tested for oral colonization and immunogenicity in BALB/c mice. Following two consecutive oral inoculations, 100% of the mice were colonized by the recombinant strains for up to 9 weeks and >60% of the animals still retained the strains after 19 weeks. RJM4 recovered from the animals continued to express the SpaP/S1 fusion protein indicating the stability of the fusion gene in vivo. Secretory (S) IgA antibody against PT could be detected in saliva from RJM4-colonized mice but not from the control groups of mice. SIgA against SpaP was also detected in saliva from the RJM4-inoculated and the S. gordonii SL3 (control)-inoculated mice. Serum antibodies against PT and SpaP were not detected in these animals. In conclusion, long-term oral colonization of BALB/c mice with our recombinant S. gordonii was established and the colonization elicited mucosal antibodies against PT and SpaP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Oral Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 3J5. song.lee@dal.ca
authors.forename: Song F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Halperin
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: MacArthur
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D037342:Pertussis Toxin; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000276:immunology*; D010566:Virulence Factors, Bordetella / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C055764:S-layer proteins; D010566:Virulence Factors, Bordetella; C083388:pertussis toxin, S1 subunit; D037342:Pertussis Toxin