title: The genetic background of Streptococcus pneumoniae affects protection in mice immunized with PspA.
abstract: Anti-PspA antibodies are less efficient at protecting mice against certain pneumococcal strains. Immunization with PspA from EF5668 provided better protection against WU2 (a different capsular serotype and PspA family) than against EF5668. To understand the role of the pneumococcal genetic background in anti-PspA-mediated protection, we constructed a mutant of WU2 expressing pspA from EF5668. Both passive and active immunization demonstrated that the genetic background impacted the protection mediated by anti-PspA antibodies. We localized the protection-eliciting region to the first 122 amino acid residues of the N-terminus of the alpha-helical domain of PspA/EF5668.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA.
authors.forename: Xiangyun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Larry S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: McDaniel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C051592:pneumococcal surface protein A