title: Immunogenicity and biophysical properties of a Nocardia brasiliensis protease involved in pathogenesis of mycetoma.
abstract: We isolated and purified to homogeneity a caseinolytic protease from a Nocardia brasiliensis cell extract. Preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and electroelution were employed for purification. This purified protease was injected in BALB/c mice and induced IgM and IgG anti-protease antibodies. Active immunization of mice with this protease prevented mycetoma development in experimentally infected animals. Passive immunization with hyperimmune sera containing a high anti-protease antibody titer conferred partial but transient protection when collected 30 days after donor's immunization. The protective effect of hyperimmune sera was lost when obtained from donors after 60 days from their immunization despite its higher anti-protease antibody concentration. Cytokines are good candidates to explain these findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey 64460, Mexico. alicon@uach.mx
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Licón-Trillo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Angeles Castro-Corona
authors.forename: Mario César
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Salinas-Carmona
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D002364:Caseins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007525:Isoelectric Focusing; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008271:Mycetoma / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009615:Nocardia / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D009617:Nocardia Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D002364:Caseins; D007106:Immune Sera; D010450:Endopeptidases