title: Immunoprotective activities of a Streptococcus suis pilus subunit in murine models of infection.
abstract: Pili of gram-positive bacteria are key virulence factors and their subunits are considered excellent vaccine candidates. Streptococcus suis is an emerging zoonotic agent that can cause epidemics of life-threatening infections in humans, but the functional role or immunoprotective potential of its pilus components have not been studied yet. Using a selective proteomics approach, we have identified a surface protein of serotype 2 S. suis showing features of an ancillary pilus subunit, as evidenced by bioinformatics analysis, immunoblot and immunoelectron microscopy. Immunization with recombinant fragments of this protein, designated herein as PAPI-2b, markedly protected mice from systemic S. suis infection.
authors.affiliation: The Elie Metchnikoff Department, University of Messina, Messina I-98125, Italy.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garibaldi
authors.forename: Manuel J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Ortega
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mandanici
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cardaci
authors.forename: Angelina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Midiri
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Papasergi
authors.forename: Orazio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gambadoro
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cavallari
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Teti
authors.forename: Concetta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beninati
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D019295:Computational Biology; D005260:Female; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D040901:Proteomics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022541:Streptococcal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D017011:Streptococcus suis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D022541:Streptococcal Vaccines; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins