Intranasal administration of chlamydial outer protein N (CopN) induces protection against pulmonary Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in a mouse model.
Chlamydia pneumoniae is an intracellular pathogen that grows inside a vacuole, referred to as an inclusion. C. pneumoniae possess a type III secretion system (TTSS), which allows them to secrete effector molecules into the inclusion membrane and to the host cell cytosol. Proteins such as chlamydial outer protein N (CopN) that associate with the inclusion membrane are potential targets for the host's MHC-dependent antigen presentation, thereby representing ideal antigen candidates for T cell-based vaccination. The results of this study showed that intranasal immunization of BALB/c mice with heat-aggregated CopN protein and an Escherichia coli heat-labile toxin (LT) induced a strong immune response, detected as antigen-specific antibody production, lymphocyte proliferation and IFN-gamma production. Furthermore, the immunization induced statistically significant protection against intranasal C. pneumoniae challenge, the level of which correlated with the magnitude of CopN-specific lymphocyte proliferation. Both heat-aggregation of the antigen and the presence of LT adjuvant were required for maximal protective effect.
Tammiruusu
A
A
Department of Viral Diseases and Immunology, Infection Pathogenesis Laboratory, National Public Health Institute, Mannerheimintie 166, 00300 Helsinki, Finland. anne.tammiruusu@ktl.fi
Penttilä
T
T
Lahesmaa
R
R
Sarvas
M
M
Puolakkainen
M
M
Vuola
J M
JM
D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000276:immunology; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000276:immunology; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D007114:Immunization; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000517:prevention & control*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D004768:Enterotoxins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C027538:heat-labile enterotoxin, E coli