Type-specific protective immunity evoked by synthetic peptide of Streptococcus pyogenes M protein

The M protein on the surface of Streptococcus pyogenes cells enables the organisms to resist ingestion and killing by phagocytic cells in the blood of the non-immune host. In the immune host, type-specific antibodies against the M protein neutralize the antiphagocytic effect and allow the rapid elim...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature (London) 1981-07, Vol.292 (5822), p.457-459
Main Authors: Beachey, Edwin H, Seyer, Jerome M, Dale, James B, Simpson, W. Andrew, Kang, Andrew H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino Acid Sequence
Animals
Antibody Formation
Antigens, Bacterial
Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins
Bacterial Proteins - immunology
Carrier Proteins
Epitopes
Humanities and Social Sciences
Immunity, Cellular
letter
Mice
multidisciplinary
Oligopeptides - chemical synthesis
Oligopeptides - immunology
Rabbits
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Vaccines
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Summary:The M protein on the surface of Streptococcus pyogenes cells enables the organisms to resist ingestion and killing by phagocytic cells in the blood of the non-immune host. In the immune host, type-specific antibodies against the M protein neutralize the antiphagocytic effect and allow the rapid elimination of any invading streptococcci having the same serotype of M protein. Recent studies 1 in our laboratories of the primary structure of one of these M proteins (type 24) have indicated that the molecule is composed of repeating covalent structures, each of which contains protective antigenic determinants. These results suggest that only a small portion of the M protein molecule may be required to produce primary protective immunity against S. pyogenes . We now report that this notion is well founded. Our findings may have a bearing on the development of M-protein vaccines to protect against streptococcal infections causing acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease 2 .
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/292457a0