Immunization with the iron uptake ABC transporter proteins PiaA and PiuA prevents respiratory infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Previous studies show that vaccination with the recombinant Streptococcus pneumoniae lipoproteins PiuA and PiaA protects mice against systemic S. pneumoniae disease. The aim of this study was to assess the level of conservation of PiaA and PiuA and a third iron uptake ABC transporter lipoprotein, PitA, between common S. pneumoniae capsular serotypes by sequencing the corresponding genes, and to investigate whether these antigens can protect against respiratory infection. The nucleotide sequences of piuA and piaA were highly conserved in all strains, whereas pitA had significant variation in its nucleotide sequence making PitA an unattractive vaccine candidate. Mucosal vaccination of mice with PiuA and PiaA elicited specific antibody responses in serum and respiratory secretions, and protected against intranasal challenge with S. pneumoniae. These results provide further data indicating that PiuA and PiaA would be suitable candidates for a S. pneumoniae protein antigen vaccine.
Jomaa
Maha
M
Centre for Biological Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom.
Terry
Stephen
S
Hale
Chris
C
Jones
Christopher
C
Dougan
Gordon
G
Brown
Jeremy
J
D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000276:immunology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D005260:Female; D007114:Immunization; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000517:prevention & control*
D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D015848:Interleukin-5; D008074:Lipoproteins; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D007371:Interferon-gamma