title: YopE specific CD8+ T cells provide protection against systemic and mucosal Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infection.
abstract: Prior studies indicated that CD8+ T cells responding to a surrogate single antigen expressed by Y. pseudotuberculosis, ovalbumin, were insufficient to protect against yersiniosis. Herein we tested the hypothesis that CD8+ T cells reactive to the natural Yersinia antigen YopE would be more effective at providing mucosal protection. We first confirmed that immunization with the attenuated ksgA- strain of Y. pseudotuberculosis generated YopE-specific CD8+ T cells. These T cells were protective against challenge with virulent Listeria monocytogenes expressing secreted YopE. Mice immunized with an attenuated L. monocytogenes YopE+ strain generated large numbers of functional YopE-specific CD8+ T cells, and initially controlled a systemic challenge with virulent Y. pseudotuberculosis, yet eventually succumbed to yersiniosis. Mice vaccinated with a YopE peptide and cholera toxin vaccine generated robust T cell responses, providing protection to 60% of the mice challenged mucosally but failed to show complete protection against systemic infection with virulent Y. pseudotuberculosis. These studies demonstrate that vaccination with recombinant YopE vaccines can generate YopE-specific CD8+ T cells, that can provide significant mucosal protection but these cells are insufficient to provide sterilizing immunity against systemic Y. pseudotuberculosis infection. Our studies have implications for Yersinia vaccine development studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United states of America.
authors.forename: Norberto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: González-Juarbe
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology & Immunology, The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United states of America.
authors.forename: Haiqian
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology & Immunology, The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United states of America.
authors.forename: Molly A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bergman
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United states of America.
authors.forename: Carlos J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Orihuela
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology & Immunology, The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United states of America.
authors.forename: Peter H
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8755-3737
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Dube
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000818:Animals; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007114:Immunization; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015011:Yersinia pseudotuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D015012:Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; C063239:yopE protein, Yersinia