title: Identification of antigenic components of Staphylococcus epidermidis expressed during human infection.
abstract: A spectrum of in vivo-expressed Staphylococcus epidermidis antigens was identified by probing a bacteriophage lambda library of S. epidermidis genomic DNA with human serum from infected and uninfected individuals. This analysis resulted in identification of 53 antigen-encoding loci. Six antigenic polypeptides were expressed from these loci and purified. These polypeptides were the propeptide, mature amidase, and repeat sequence domains of the major autolysin AtlE, GehD (lipase), and two members of a conserved family of surface proteins (ScaA [AaE] and ScaB). AtlE, ScaA, and ScaB all exhibit human ligand binding capacity. Screening a bank of human serum samples revealed that there were significant increases in the amounts of reactive immunoglobulin G in infected individuals compared to the amounts in healthy individuals for the repeat sequence and mature amidase domains of AtlE, ScaB, and GehD. Vaccination of mice with recombinant antigens stimulated an immune response which in vitro opsonized S. epidermidis. In this study we identified prospective candidate antigens for prophylaxis or immunotherapy to control disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mohammad R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Pourmand
authors.forename: Simon R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: Richard F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Schuman
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mond
authors.forename: Simon J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Foster
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010582:Bacteriophage lambda; D005260:Female; D015723:Gene Library; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009895:Opsonin Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D009895:Opsonin Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins