title: Identification and characterization of a Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus immunogenic GroEL protein involved in biofilm formation.
abstract: Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus (S. equi spp. zooepidemicus) is an opportunistic pathogen that causes major economic losses in the swine industry in China and is also a threat for human health. Biofilm formation by this bacterium has been previously reported. In this study, we used an immunoproteomic approach to search for immunogenic proteins expressed by biofilm-grown S. equi spp. zooepidemicus. Seventeen immunoreactive proteins were found, of which nine common immunoreactive proteins were identified in planktonic and biofilm-grown bacteria. The immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the S. equi spp. zooepidemicus immunoreactive GroEL chaperone protein was further investigated in mice. The protein was expressed in vivo and elicited high antibody titers following S. equi spp. zooepidemicus infections of mice. An animal challenge experiment with S. equi spp. zooepidemicus showed that 75% of mice immunized with the GroEL protein were protected. Using in vitro biofilm inhibition assays, evidence was obtained that the chaperonin GroEL may represent a promising target for the prevention and treatment of persistent S. equi spp. zooepidemicus biofilm infections. In summary, our results suggest that the recombinant GroEL protein, which is involved in biofilm formation, may efficiently stimulate an immune response, which protects against S. equi spp. zooepidemicus infections. It may therefore be a candidate of interest to be included in vaccines against S. equi spp. zooepidemicus infections.
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.|College of Life Science, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.|College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Hui-Xing
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Groupe de Recherche En Écologie Buccale (GREB), Faculté de Médecine Dentaire, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grenier
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China. fhj@njau.edu.cn.|Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, China. fhj@njau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hong-Jie
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Cheng-Ping
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D018441:Biofilms; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D007114:Immunization; D007162:Immunoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D018502:Streptococcus equi / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D018834:Chaperonin 60; D007162:Immunoproteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins