title: Immunospecific responses to bacterial elongation factor Tu during Burkholderia infection and immunization.
abstract: Burkholderia pseudomallei is the etiological agent of melioidosis, a disease endemic in parts of Southeast Asia and Northern Australia. Currently there is no licensed vaccine against infection with this biological threat agent. In this study, we employed an immunoproteomic approach and identified bacterial Elongation factor-Tu (EF-Tu) as a potential vaccine antigen. EF-Tu is membrane-associated, secreted in outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), and immunogenic during Burkholderia infection in the murine model of melioidosis. Active immunization with EF-Tu induced antigen-specific antibody and cell-mediated immune responses in mice. Mucosal immunization with EF-Tu also reduced lung bacterial loads in mice challenged with aerosolized B. thailandensis. Our data support the utility of EF-Tu as a novel vaccine immunogen against bacterial infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America.
authors.forename: Wildaliz
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Nieves
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heang
authors.forename: Saja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asakrah
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Höner zu Bentrup
authors.forename: Chad J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Morici
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry; D019121:Burkholderia Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D016957:Burkholderia pseudomallei / Q000378:metabolism*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D007107:Immune System; D008554:Melioidosis / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010444:Peptide Elongation Factor Tu / Q000378:metabolism*; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000379:methods; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D010444:Peptide Elongation Factor Tu