Interference of peptides and specific antibodies with the function of the Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae transferrin-binding protein

Insights into the bacterial transferrin receptor: the structure of transferrin-binding protein B from Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae

Pathogenic bacteria from the Neisseriaceae and Pasteurellacea families acquire iron directly from the host iron-binding glycoprotein, transferrin (Tf), in a process mediated by surface receptor proteins that directly bind host Tf, extract the iron, and transport it across the outer membrane. The bacterial Tf receptor is comprised of a surface exposed lipoprotein, Tf-binding protein B (TbpB), and an integral outer-membrane protein, Tf-binding protein A (TbpA), both of which are essential for survival in the host. In this study, we report the 1.98 A resolution structure of TbpB from the porcine pathogen Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, providing insights into the mechanism of Tf binding and the role of TbpB. A model for the complex of TbpB bound to Tf is proposed. Mutation of a single surface-exposed Phe residue on TbpB within the predicted interface completely abolishes binding to Tf, suggesting that the TbpB N lobe comprises the sole high-affinity binding region for Tf.

Specific ligand binding attributable to individual epitopes of gonococcal transferrin binding protein A

The gonococcal transferrin receptor complex comprises two iron-regulated proteins, TbpA and TbpB. TbpA is essential for transferrin-iron uptake and is a TonB-dependent integral outer membrane protein. TbpB is thought to increase the efficiency of iron uptake from transferrin and is lipid modified and surface exposed. To evaluate the structure-function relationships in one of the components of the receptor, TbpA, we created constructs that fused individual putative loops of TbpA with amino-terminal affinity tags. The recombinant proteins were then overexpressed in Escherichia coli, and the fusions were recovered predominately from inclusion bodies. Inclusion body proteins were solubilized, and the epitope fusions were renatured by slow dialysis. To assess transferrin binding capabilities, the constructs were tested in a solid-phase dot blot assay followed by confirmatory quantitative chemiluminescent enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The constructs with only loop 5 and with loops 4 and 5 demonstrated dose-dependent specific ligand binding in spite of being out of the context of the intact receptor. The immunogenicities of individual TbpA-specific epitopes were investigated by generating rabbit polyclonal antisera against the fusion proteins. Most of the fusion proteins were immunogenic under these conditions, and the resulting sera recognized full-length TbpA in immunoblots. These results suggest that individual epitopes of TbpA are both immunogenic and functional with respect to ligand binding capabilities, and the vaccine implications of these findings are discussed.