title: Immunogenicity of conserved cork and β-barrel domains of baumannii acinetobactin utilization protein in an animal model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The uptake of the ferric-acinetobactin complex into the periplasmic space relies on the baumannii acinetobactin utilization (BauA) protein. BauA is composed of cork and the β-barrel domains. We constructed a recombinant protein from conserved antigenic domains of cork and the β-barrel of BauA to evaluate their immunogenic role in an animal model.
  
  
  METHODS
  The selected bauA domains were amplified from a purified genome of Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 19606. The domains were then cloned into pET28a and the proteins expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) were purified using nickel nitrilotriacetic acid chromatography. Mice and rabbits were immunized with an intraperitoneal injection of the recombinant BauA (rBauA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The highest immune response was achieved after the third booster injection while hyperimmunity was achieved after the second booster injection in rabbits. Immunized mice challenged with live A. baumannii survived, whereas all unimmunized mice in the control group died after 24 h. Mice injected with 10(9) colony forming units of A. baumannii preincubated with pure immune rabbit sera survived. Bacterial cultures from mice spleen and liver specimens revealed the absence of bacterial growth in the immunized groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The rBauA could be used as a prophylactic agent and further tests should be carried out to see if it may be useful in a clinical setting against A. baumannii infections.
authors.forename: Yaqub Hajiaghatabar
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Sangroodi
authors.forename: Iraj
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rasooli
authors.forename: Shahram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nazarian
authors.forename: Walead
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ebrahimizadeh
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sefid
mesh_terms: D040981:Acinetobacter baumannii / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D023421:Models, Animal; D011817:Rabbits; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins