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Chang CM, Awanye AM, Marsay L, Dold C, Pollard AJ, Rollier CS, Feavers IM, Maiden MC, Derrick JP. Application of a Neisseria meningitidis antigen microarray to identify candidate vaccine proteins from a human Phase I clinical trial. Vaccine 2022; 40:3835-3842. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.05.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Awanye AM, Chang CM, Wheeler JX, Chan H, Marsay L, Dold C, Rollier CS, Bird LE, Nettleship JE, Owens RJ, Pollard AJ, Derrick JP. Immunogenicity profiling of protein antigens from capsular group B Neisseria meningitidis. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6843. [PMID: 31048732 PMCID: PMC6497663 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43139-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Outer membrane vesicle (OMV)- based vaccines have been used to provide strain-specific protection against capsular group B Neisseria meningitidis infections, but the full breadth of the immune response against the components of the OMV has not been established. Sera from adults vaccinated with an OMV vaccine were used to screen 91 outer membrane proteins (OMPs) incorporated in an antigen microarray panel. Antigen-specific IgG levels were quantified pre-vaccination, and after 12 and 18 weeks. These results were compared with IgG levels from mice vaccinated with the same OMV vaccine. The repertoires of highly responding antigens in humans and mice overlapped, but were not identical. The highest responding antigens to human IgG comprised four integral OMPs (PorA, PorB, OpcA and PilQ), a protein which promotes the stability of PorA and PorB (RmpM) and two lipoproteins (BamC and GNA1162). These observations will assist in evaluating the role of minor antigen components within OMVs in providing protection against meningococcal infection. In addition, the relative dominance of responses to integral OMPs in humans emphasizes the importance of this subclass and points to the value of maintaining conformational epitopes from integral membrane proteins in vaccine formulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amaka M Awanye
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Chun-Mien Chang
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Jun X Wheeler
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Hertfordshire, EN6 3QG, UK
| | - Hannah Chan
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Hertfordshire, EN6 3QG, UK
| | - Leanne Marsay
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, OX3 7LE, UK
| | - Christina Dold
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, OX3 7LE, UK
| | - Christine S Rollier
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, OX3 7LE, UK
| | - Louise E Bird
- Oxford Protein Production Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Didcot, OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Joanne E Nettleship
- Oxford Protein Production Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Didcot, OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Raymond J Owens
- Oxford Protein Production Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Didcot, OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Andrew J Pollard
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, OX3 7LE, UK
| | - Jeremy P Derrick
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
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Moura ARSS, Kretz CB, Ferreira ÍE, Nunes AMPB, de Filippis I, de Moraes JC, Reis MG, McBride AJA, Wang X, Campos LC. Epidemiology and molecular characterization of Neisseria lactamica carried in 11-19 years old students in Salvador, Brazil. Int J Med Microbiol 2018; 308:454-458. [PMID: 29605532 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2018.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Revised: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria lactamica is a nonpathogenic commensal bacterium that is potentially associated with the development of natural immunity against N. meningitidis. However, the genetic variation present in natural populations of N. lactamica has not been fully investigated. To better understand its epidemiology and genetic variation, we studied N. lactamica carriage in 1200 students aged 11-19 years old in Salvador, Brazil. The carriage prevalence was 4.5% (54/1200), with no statistical difference among sex and age, although we observed a trend towards higher carriage prevalence among 11-year-old individuals. Whole genome sequence analysis revealed a high genetic diversity among the isolates, with the presence of 32 different STs, 28 (87.5%) of which were new. A total of 21/50 (42%) isolates belonged to three different clonal complexes. While none of the isolates contained nadA or fHpb alleles, we detected 21 FetA variants, 20 NhbA variants and two variants of PorB. The data provide detailed information on circulating N. lactamica isolates in adolescents in Brazil and are complementary to studies in other countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Rafaela Silva Simões Moura
- Laboratório de Patologia e Biologia Molecular, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, FIOCRUZ-BAHIA, Rua Waldemar Falcão 121, 40296-710, Salvador BA, Brazil
| | - Cécilia Batmalle Kretz
- Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta GA 30333, USA
| | - Ítalo Eustáquio Ferreira
- Laboratório de Patologia e Biologia Molecular, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, FIOCRUZ-BAHIA, Rua Waldemar Falcão 121, 40296-710, Salvador BA, Brazil
| | - Amélia Maria Pithon Borges Nunes
- Laboratório de Patologia e Biologia Molecular, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, FIOCRUZ-BAHIA, Rua Waldemar Falcão 121, 40296-710, Salvador BA, Brazil
| | - Ivano de Filippis
- Instituto Nacional de Controle de Qualidade em Saúde - INCQS, FIOCRUZ, 21040-900, Rio de Janeiro RJ, Brazil
| | - José Cássio de Moraes
- Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo, 01220200, São Paulo SP, Brazil
| | - Mitermayer Galvão Reis
- Laboratório de Patologia e Biologia Molecular, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, FIOCRUZ-BAHIA, Rua Waldemar Falcão 121, 40296-710, Salvador BA, Brazil
| | - Alan John Alexander McBride
- Laboratório de Patologia e Biologia Molecular, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, FIOCRUZ-BAHIA, Rua Waldemar Falcão 121, 40296-710, Salvador BA, Brazil; Núcleo de Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Campus Universitário s/n, 96160-000, Pelotas RS, Brazil
| | - Xin Wang
- Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta GA 30333, USA
| | - Leila Carvalho Campos
- Laboratório de Patologia e Biologia Molecular, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, FIOCRUZ-BAHIA, Rua Waldemar Falcão 121, 40296-710, Salvador BA, Brazil.
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Madico G, Gursky O, Fairman J, Massari P. Structural and Immunological Characterization of Novel Recombinant MOMP-Based Chlamydial Antigens. Vaccines (Basel) 2017; 6:vaccines6010002. [PMID: 29295593 PMCID: PMC5874643 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines6010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Revised: 12/02/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia is the most common cause of bacterial sexually transmitted infections worldwide. While infections resolve with antibiotic treatment, this is often neglected in women due to frequent asymptomatic infections, leading to disease progression and severe sequelae (pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, infertility). Development of a vaccine against Chlamydia is crucial. Whole organism-based vaccines have short-lived activity, serovar/subgroup-specific immunity and can cause adverse reactions in vaccinated subjects. The Chlamydia major outer membrane protein (MOMP) is a prime candidate for a subunit vaccine. MOMP contains four regions of sequence variability (variable domains, VDs) with B-cell and T-cell epitopes that elicit protective immunity. However, barriers for developing a MOMP-based vaccine include solubility, yield and refolding. We have engineered novel recombinant antigens in which the VDs are expressed into a carrier protein structurally similar to MOMP and suitable for recombinant expression at a high yield in a correctly folded and detergent-free form. Using a carrier such as the PorB porin from the human commensal organism N. lactamica, we show that PorB/VD chimeric proteins are immunogenic, antigenic and cross-reactive with MOMP. VDs are unique for each serovar but if combined in a single vaccine, a broad coverage against the major Chlamydia serovars can be ensured.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Madico
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
| | - Olga Gursky
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics and the Amyloidosis Treatment and Research Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
| | | | - Paola Massari
- Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
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Sheikhi R, Amin M, Rostami S, Shoja S, Ebrahimi N. Oropharyngeal Colonization With Neisseria lactamica, Other Nonpathogenic Neisseria Species and Moraxella catarrhalis Among Young Healthy Children in Ahvaz, Iran. Jundishapur J Microbiol 2015; 8:e14813. [PMID: 25964847 PMCID: PMC4418171 DOI: 10.5812/jjm.14813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2013] [Revised: 12/20/2013] [Accepted: 01/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neisseria lactamica as one of the main commensal in oropharynx during the childhood is related to the induction of a natural immunity against meningococcal meningitis. Also Moraxella catarrhalis in oropharynx of children is a predisposing factor for otitis media infection. OBJECTIVES The current study aimed to investigate the frequency of the N. lactamica, other nonpathogenic Neisseria spp. and M. catarrhalis in the oropharynx of young healthy children in Ahvaz, Iran by the two phenotypic tests and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 192 oropharyngeal swab samples of the young healthy children were studied during four months. Swabs were plated onto enriched selective media and non-selective media. Gram-negative and oxidase-positive diplococci were identified by several conventional biochemical tests. The PCR and sequencing were used to confirm the accuracy of laboratory diagnosis to identify N. lactamica and M. catarrhalis. RESULTS Among 192 young healthy children with the mean age of 5.93 ± 2.5903 years, authors identified: N. lactamica (21.9%) in the age group of one to nine years; N. mucosa (6.3%); N. sicca (7.8%); N. cinerea (1.6%); N. subflava (biovar subflava) (4.2%); N. subflava (biovar perflava) (28.1%); N. subflava (biovar flava) (7.3%) and M. catarrhalis (42.7%). CONCLUSIONS The young healthy children screening by colonization of N. lactamica and other nonpathogenic Neisseria spp. in oropharynx was the first report in Ahvaz, Iran. The study results demonstrated the high frequency of colonization of M. catarrhalis in the studied young healthy children other than Neisseria spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raheleh Sheikhi
- Health Research Institute, Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IR Iran
- Department of Microbiology, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IR Iran
| | - Mansour Amin
- Health Research Institute, Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IR Iran
- Department of Microbiology, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IR Iran
- Corresponding author: Mansoor Amin, Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IR Iran. Tel: +98-6113367543, Fax: +98-6113332036, E-mail:
| | - Soodabeh Rostami
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, IR Iran
| | - Saeed Shoja
- Department of Microbiology, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IR Iran
| | - Nasim Ebrahimi
- Department of Microbiology, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IR Iran
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Crystallographic analysis of Neisseria meningitidis PorB extracellular loops potentially implicated in TLR2 recognition. J Struct Biol 2014; 185:440-7. [PMID: 24361688 PMCID: PMC3943661 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2013.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2013] [Revised: 12/13/2013] [Accepted: 12/14/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Among all Neisseriae species, Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae are the only human pathogens, causative agents of bacterial meningitis and gonorrhoea, respectively. PorB, a pan-Neisseriae trimeric porin that mediates diffusive transport of essential molecules across the bacterial outer membrane, is also known to activate host innate immunity via Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2)-mediated signaling. The molecular mechanism of PorB binding to TLR2 is not known, but it has been hypothesized that electrostatic interactions contribute to ligand/receptor binding. Strain-specific sequence variability in the surface-exposed loops of PorB which are potentially implicated in TLR2 binding, may explain the difference in TLR2-mediated cell activation in vitro by PorB homologs from the commensal Neisseriae lactamica and the pathogen N. meningitidis. Here, we report a comparative structural analysis of PorB from N. meningitidis serogroup B strain 8765 (63% sequence homology with PorB from N. meningitidis serogroup W135) and a mutant in which amino acid substitutions in the extracellular loop 7 lead to significantly reduced TLR2-dependent activity in vitro. We observe that this mutation both alters the loop conformation and causes dramatic changes of electrostatic surface charge, both of which may affect TLR2 recognition and signaling.
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Hung MC, Christodoulides M. The biology of Neisseria adhesins. BIOLOGY 2013; 2:1054-109. [PMID: 24833056 PMCID: PMC3960869 DOI: 10.3390/biology2031054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2013] [Revised: 07/01/2013] [Accepted: 07/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Members of the genus Neisseria include pathogens causing important human diseases such as meningitis, septicaemia, gonorrhoea and pelvic inflammatory disease syndrome. Neisseriae are found on the exposed epithelia of the upper respiratory tract and the urogenital tract. Colonisation of these exposed epithelia is dependent on a repertoire of diverse bacterial molecules, extending not only from the surface of the bacteria but also found within the outer membrane. During invasive disease, pathogenic Neisseriae also interact with immune effector cells, vascular endothelia and the meninges. Neisseria adhesion involves the interplay of these multiple surface factors and in this review we discuss the structure and function of these important molecules and the nature of the host cell receptors and mechanisms involved in their recognition. We also describe the current status for recently identified Neisseria adhesins. Understanding the biology of Neisseria adhesins has an impact not only on the development of new vaccines but also in revealing fundamental knowledge about human biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao-Chiu Hung
- Neisseria Research, Molecular Microbiology, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Sir Henry Wellcome Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK.
| | - Myron Christodoulides
- Neisseria Research, Molecular Microbiology, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Sir Henry Wellcome Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK.
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Characterization of TEM-1 β-Lactamase-Producing Kingella kingae Clinical Isolates. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2013; 57:4300-4306. [PMID: 23796935 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00318-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2013] [Accepted: 06/17/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Kingella kingae is a human pathogen that causes pediatric osteoarticular infections and infective endocarditis in children and adults. The bacterium is usually susceptible to β-lactam antibiotics, although β-lactam resistance has been reported in rare isolates. This study was conducted to identify β-lactam-resistant strains and to characterize the resistance mechanism. Screening of a set of 90 K. kingae clinical isolates obtained from different geographic locations revealed high-level resistance to penicillins among 25% of the strains isolated from Minnesota and Iceland. These strains produced TEM-1 β-lactamase and were shown to contain additional ≥50-kb plasmids. Ion Torrent sequencing of extrachromosomal DNA from a β-lactamase-producing strain confirmed the plasmid location of the blaTEM gene. An identical plasmid pattern was demonstrated by multiplex PCR in all β-lactamase producers. The porin gene's fragments were analyzed to investigate the relatedness of bacterial strains. Phylogenetic analysis revealed 27 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the por gene fragment, resulting in two major clusters with 11 allele types forming bacterial-strain subclusters. β-Lactamase producers were grouped together based on por genotyping. Our results suggest that the β-lactamase-producing strains likely originate from a single plasmid-bearing K. kingae isolate that traveled from Europe to the United States, or vice versa. This study highlights the prevalence of penicillin resistance among K. kingae strains in some regions and emphasizes the importance of surveillance for antibiotic resistance of the pathogen.
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Carriage of Neisseria lactamica in 1- to 29-year-old people in Burkina Faso: epidemiology and molecular characterization. J Clin Microbiol 2012; 50:4020-7. [PMID: 23035186 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01717-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Neisseria lactamica is a true commensal bacterium occupying the same ecological niche as the pathogenic Neisseria meningitidis, which is responsible for outbreaks and large epidemics, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. To better understand the epidemiology of N. lactamica in Africa and its relationship to N. meningitidis, we studied N. lactamica carriage in 1- to 29-year-old people living in three districts of Burkina Faso from 2009 to 2011. N. lactamica was detected in 18.2% of 45,847 oropharyngeal samples. Carriage prevalence was highest among the 2-year-olds (40.1%) and decreased with age. Overall prevalence was higher for males (19.1%) than females (17.5%) (odds ratio [OR], 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04 to 1.18), while among the 18- to 29-year-olds, carriage prevalence was significantly higher in women (9.1%) than in men (3.9%) (OR, 2.49; 95% CI, 1.94 to 3.19). Carriage prevalence of N. lactamica was remarkably homogeneous in the three districts of Burkina Faso and stable over time, in comparison with carriage of N. meningitidis (P. A. Kristiansen et al., Clin. Vaccine Immunol. 18:435-443, 2011). There was no significant seasonal variation of N. lactamica carriage and no significant change in carriage prevalence after introduction of the serogroup A meningococcal conjugate vaccine, MenAfriVac. Multilocus sequence typing was performed on a selection of 142 isolates. The genetic diversity was high, as we identified 62 different genotypes, of which 56 were new. The epidemiology of N. lactamica carriage and the molecular characteristics of carried isolates were similar to those reported from industrialized countries, in contrast to the particularities of N. meningitidis carriage and disease epidemiology in Burkina Faso.
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Distribution and genetic variability of three vaccine components in a panel of strains representative of the diversity of serogroup B meningococcus. Vaccine 2009; 27:2794-803. [PMID: 19428890 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.02.098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2008] [Revised: 02/21/2009] [Accepted: 02/26/2009] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
With the aim of studying the molecular diversity of the antigens of a new recombinant vaccine against meningococcus serogroup B, the three genes coding for the main vaccine components GNA (Genome-derived Neisseria Antigen) 1870 (fHbp, factor H Binding Protein), GNA1994 (NadA, Neisseria adhesin A) and GNA2132 were sequenced in a panel of 85 strains collected worldwide and selected as representative of the serogroup B meningococcal diversity. No correlations were found between vaccine antigen variability and serogroup, geographic area and year of isolation. Although a relevant clustering was found with MLST clonal complexes, each showing an almost specific antigen variant repertoire, the prediction of the antigen assortment was not possible on the basis of MLST alone. Therefore, classification of meningococcus on the basis of MLST only is not sufficient to predict vaccine antigens diversity. Sequencing each gene in the different strains will be important to evaluate antigen conservation and assortment and to allow a future prediction of potential vaccine coverage.
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Vaughan AT, Gorringe A, Davenport V, Williams NA, Heyderman RS. Absence of mucosal immunity in the human upper respiratory tract to the commensal bacteria Neisseria lactamica but not pathogenic Neisseria meningitidis during the peak age of nasopharyngeal carriage. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2009; 182:2231-40. [PMID: 19201877 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.0802531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The normal flora that colonizes the mucosal epithelia has evolved diverse strategies to evade, modulate, or suppress the immune system and avoid clearance. Neisseria lactamica and Neisseria meningitidis are closely related obligate inhabitants of the human upper respiratory tract. N. lactamica is a commensal but N. meningitidis is an opportunistic pathogen that occasionally causes invasive disease such as meningitis and septicemia. We demonstrate that unlike N. meningitidis, N. lactamica does not prime the development of mucosal T or B cell memory during the peak period of colonization. This cannot be explained by the induction of peripheral tolerance or regulatory CD4(+)CD25(+) T cell activity. Instead, N. lactamica mediates a B cell-dependent mitogenic proliferative response that is absent to N. meningitidis. This mitogenic response is associated with the production of T cell-independent polyclonal IgM that we propose functions by shielding colonizing N. lactamica from the adaptive immune system, maintaining immunological ignorance in the host. We conclude that, in contrast to N. meningitidis, N. lactamica maintains a commensal relationship with the host in the absence of an adaptive immune response. This may prolong the period of susceptibility to colonization by both pathogenic and nonpathogenic Neisseria species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T Vaughan
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, School of Medical Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
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De Gaspari EN. The Use of Monoclonal Antibodies toNeisseria lactamicain an Antigen Selection toNeisseria meningitidisB Vaccine. Hybridoma (Larchmt) 2008; 27:387-93. [PMID: 18803504 DOI: 10.1089/hyb.2008.0022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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