title: Immunization of mice with Lactobacillus casei expressing intimin fragments produces antibodies able to inhibit the adhesion of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli to cultivated epithelial cells.
abstract: Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) are frequently isolated as a cause of infantile diarrhea in developing countries. Its pathogenicity is distinguished by histopathological alterations at the site of infection, known as attaching and effacing (A/E) lesions, in which bacterial virulence factors and host proteins participate. Intimin, a bacterial adhesin expressed by all EPEC described to date, is responsible for the intimate adherence of the bacteria to host cells and is essential for the formation of A/E lesions. Mucosal vaccination may represent an efficacious intervention to prevent EPEC infection and lower morbidity and mortality rates. Strategies for mucosal vaccinations that use lactic acid bacteria for the delivery of heterologous antigens rely on their safety profile and ability to stimulate the immune system. In the present work, we have constructed Lactobacillus casei strains expressing different fragments of intimin beta, a subtype that is frequently expressed by EPEC strains. Mucosal immunization of mice with L. casei expressing intimin fragments induced specific systemic and mucosal antibodies. These antibodies were able to recognize native intimin on the surface of EPEC and to inhibit in vitro EPEC binding to epithelial cells.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Patrícia C D
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Ivana B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: Cecília M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Luiz R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Trabulsi
authors.forename: Waldir P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Elias
authors.forename: Paulo L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Maria Leonor S
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Oliveira
mesh_terms: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D054308:Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal; D007114:Immunization; D007780:Lacticaseibacillus casei / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C073819:eaeA protein, E coli