title: Novel epitopic region of glucosyltransferase B from Streptococcus mutans.
abstract: In the development of a component vaccine against caries, the catalytic region (CAT) and glucan-binding domain (GBD) of glucosyltransferase B (GtfB) from Streptococcus mutans have been employed as target antigens. These regions were adopted as primary targets because they theoretically include epitopes associated with enzyme function. However, their antigenicities have not been fully evaluated. Although there are many reports about successful vaccination using these components, the principle has not yet been put to practical use. For these reasons, we came to doubt the effectiveness of the epitopes in vaccine production and reevaluated the antigenic region of GtfB by using in silico analyses combined with in vitro and in vivo experiments. The results suggested that the ca. 360-amino-acid variable region (VR) in the N terminus of GtfB is more reactive than CAT and GBD. This region is S. mutans and/or GtfB specific, nonconserved among other streptococcal Gtfs, and of unknown function. Immunization using an adenovirus vector-borne DNA vaccine confirmed that VR is an epitope that shows promise for the development of a caries vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8588, Japan. thoshino@nagasaki-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tomonori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hoshino
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Kan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Terao
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okahashi
authors.forename: Shigetada
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawabata
authors.forename: Taku
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D020134:Catalytic Domain / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D005936:Glucans / Q000378:metabolism; D005964:Glucosyltransferases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D051379:Mice; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000939:Epitopes; D005936:Glucans; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; C036655:1,3-alpha-D-glucan synthase; D005964:Glucosyltransferases