title: Passive immunization by lactobacilli expressing single-chain antibodies against Streptococcus mutans.
abstract: We compared the anticariogenic effect of lactobacilli expressing a single-chain antibody (scFv) against the SA I/II adhesin of Streptococcus mutans under the control of an inducible or a constitutive promoter. Both lactobacilli expressed equal amounts of scFv and agglutinated S. mutans bacteria expressing SA I/II to a similar level. In a rat caries model, transformed lactobacilli could be detected in the oral cavity throughout the duration of the study. Transformants containing the constitutive promoter were slightly more protective than those containing the inducible promoter suggesting that continuous in situ production of scFv in the oral cavity may be therapeutically superior to intermittent production.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Immunology, Karolinska Institutet at Karolinska Huddinge, SE-141 86, Huddinge, Sweden.
authors.forename: Carina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Krüger
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hultberg
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van Dollenweerd
authors.forename: Harold
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Marcotte
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hammarström
mesh_terms: D000371:Agglutination; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000628:therapy; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics; D007116:Immunization, Passive / Q000379:methods*; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000235:genetics*; D051381:Rats; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000276:immunology*; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial