Use of Lactococcus lactis Expressing Pili from Group B Streptococcus as a Broad-Coverage Vaccine against Streptococcal Disease

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases 2006-08, Vol.194 (3), p.331-340
• Main Authors: Buccato, Scilla, Maione, Domenico, Rinaudo, Cira Daniela, Volpini, Gianfranco, Taddei, Anna Rita, Rosini, Roberto, Telford, John L., Grandi, Guido, Margarit, Immaculada
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies; Antiserum; Applied microbiology; Bacteria; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Female; Fimbriae proteins; Fimbriae Proteins - biosynthesis; Fimbriae Proteins - genetics; Fimbriae Proteins - immunology; Fimbriae Proteins - isolation & purification; Fimbriae, Bacterial - genetics; Fimbriae, Bacterial - immunology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genomic Islands; Immunization; Infections; Infectious diseases; Lactococcus; Lactococcus lactis; Lactococcus lactis - genetics; Lactococcus lactis - immunology; Medical sciences; Mice; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Recombinant Proteins - biosynthesis; Recombinant Proteins - genetics; Recombinant Proteins - immunology; Recombinant Proteins - isolation & purification; Streptococcal Infections - immunology; Streptococcal Infections - microbiology; Streptococcal Infections - prevention & control; Streptococcal Vaccines - genetics; Streptococcal Vaccines - immunology; Streptococcal Vaccines - pharmacology; Streptococcus; Streptococcus agalactiae; Streptococcus agalactiae - genetics; Streptococcus agalactiae - immunology; Transformation, Bacterial - genetics; Transformation, Bacterial - immunology; Vaccination; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies (general aspects)
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/505433

Recent data indicate that the human pathogen group B Streptococcus (GBS) produces pilus-like structures encoded in genomic islands with similar organization to pathogenicity islands. On the basis of the amino acid sequence of their protein components, 3 different types of pili have been identified in GBS, at least 1 of which is present in all isolates. We recently demonstrated that recombinant pilus proteins protect mice from lethal challenge with GBS and are thus potential vaccine candidates. Here, we show that GBS pilin island 1, transferred into the nonpathogenic microorganism Lactococcus lactis leads to pilus assembly. We also show that systemically or mucosally delivered Lactococcus expressing pilin island 1 protects mice from challenge with GBS isolates carrying pilus 1. Furthermore, lactococci engineered to express hybrid pili containing GBS pilus 1 and pilus 2 components confer protection against strains expressing either of the 2 pilus types. These data pave the way to the design of pilus-based, multivalent live vaccines against streptococcal pathogens