title: Assessment of the potential utility of different regions of Streptococcus uberis adhesion molecule (SUAM) for mastitis subunit vaccine development.
abstract: Streptococcus uberis is one of the most prevalent pathogens causing clinical and subclinical mastitis worldwide. Among bacterial factors involved in intramammary infections caused by this organism, S. uberis adhesion molecule (SUAM) is one of the main virulence factors identified. This molecule is involved in S. uberis internalization to mammary epithelial cells through lactoferrin (Lf) binding. The objective of this study was to evaluate SUAM properties as a potential subunit vaccine component for prevention of S. uberis mastitis. B epitope prediction analysis of SUAM sequence was used to identify potentially immunogenic regions. Since these regions were detected all along the gene, this criterion did not allow selecting a specific region as a potential immunogen. Hence, four fractions of SUAM (-1fr, 2fr, 3fr and 4fr), comprising most of the protein, were cloned and expressed. Every fraction elicited a humoral immune response in mice as predicted by bioinformatics analysis. SUAM-1fr generated antibodies with the highest recognition ability towards SUAM native protein. Moreover, antibodies against SUAM-1fr produced the highest proportion of internalization inhibition of S. uberis to mammary epithelial cells. In conclusion, SUAM immunogenic and functionally relevant regions were identified and allowed to propose SUAM-1fr as a potential candidate for a subunit vaccine for S. uberis mastitis prevention.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Tecnología Inmunológica, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, RN168, Ciudad Universitaria, Santa Fe, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CONICET, Argentina.
authors.forename: Melina Soledad
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Perrig
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Tecnología Inmunológica, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, RN168, Ciudad Universitaria, Santa Fe, Argentina.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Veaute
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, R.P. Kreder 2805, Esperanza (3080), Santa Fe, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Sol
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Renna
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Tecnología Inmunológica, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, RN168, Ciudad Universitaria, Santa Fe, Argentina.
authors.forename: Nazarena
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pujato
authors.affiliation: Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Calvinho
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Tecnología Inmunológica, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, RN168, Ciudad Universitaria, Santa Fe, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CONICET, Argentina.
authors.forename: Iván
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marcipar
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Tecnología Inmunológica, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, RN168, Ciudad Universitaria, Santa Fe, Argentina. Electronic address: msolbar@yahoo.com.ar.
authors.forename: María Sol
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Barbagelata
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002417:Cattle; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000378:metabolism; D008413:Mastitis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051379:Mice; D023421:Models, Animal; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit; D037521:Virulence Factors; D007781:Lactoferrin
keywords: Mastitis; SUAM; Streptococcus uberis