title: Protection against Escherichia coli infection by antibody to the Staphylococcus aureus poly-N-acetylglucosamine surface polysaccharide.
abstract: Poly-N-acetylglucosamine (PNAG) is a surface polysaccharide produced by Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis and is an effective target for opsonic and protective Ab for these two organisms. Recently, it has been found that Escherichia coli produces an exo-polysaccharide, designated polyglucosamine, that is biochemically indistinguishable from PNAG. We analyzed 30 E. coli strains isolated from urinary tract and neonatal bloodstream infections for the pga locus, PNAG antigen production, and susceptibility to opsonic killing and protection from lethal infection by Ab to PNAG. Twenty-six of 30 strains carried the pga locus, 25 of 30 expressed immunologically detectable PNAG, and 21 of 30 could be killed by rabbit IgG specific for the deacetylated form of the staphylococcal PNAG. Ab to staphylococcal PNAG protected mice against lethality from five different E. coli strains expressing PNAG. PNAG expression by both Gram-negative and Gram-positive organisms could make this antigen a conserved vaccine target for multiple pathogenic species of bacteria.
authors: Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors: Nuno
authors: N
authors: Cerca
authors: Tomás
authors: T
authors: Maira-Litrán
authors: Kimberly K
authors: KK
authors: Jefferson
authors: Martha
authors: M
authors: Grout
authors: Donald A
authors: DA
authors: Goldmann
authors: Gerald B
authors: GB
authors: Pier
mesh_terms: D000117:Acetylglucosamine / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051379:Mice; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D000117:Acetylglucosamine