Exploring metal availability in the natural niche of Streptococcus pneumoniae to discover potential vaccine antigens. Issue 1 (31st December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: van Beek, Lucille F.; Surmann, Kristin; van den Berg van Saparoea, H. Bart; Houben, Diane; Jong, Wouter S. P.; Hentschker, Christian; Ederveen, Thomas H. A.; Mitsi, Elena; Ferreira, Daniela M.; van Opzeeland, Fred; van der Gaast – de Jongh, Christa E.; Joosten, Irma; Völker, Uwe; Schmidt, Frank; Luirink, Joen; Diavatopoulos, Dimitri A.; de Jonge, Marien I.
• Is Part Of: Virulence. Volume 11:Issue 1(2020)
• Page Start: 1310
• Page End: 1328
• Publication Date: 2020-12-31
• Subjects: Streptococcus pneumoniae -- transition metals -- nasal fluid -- protein antigens -- colonization -- in vivo-mimicking; Virulence (Microbiology) -- Periodicals; Bacterial diseases -- Periodicals; Molecular microbiology -- Periodicals; 579.05
• DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2020.1825908
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2150-5608

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Nasopharyngeal colonization by Streptococcus pneumoniae is a prerequisite for pneumococcal transmission and disease. Current vaccines protect only against disease and colonization caused by a limited number of serotypes, consequently allowing serotype replacement and transmission. Therefore, the development of a broadly protective vaccine against colonization, transmission and disease is desired but requires a better understanding of pneumococcal adaptation to its natural niche. Hence, we measured the levels of free and protein-bound transition metals in human nasal fluid, to determine the effect of metal concentrations on the growth and proteome of S. pneumoniae . Pneumococci cultured in medium containing metal levels comparable to nasal fluid showed a highly distinct proteomic profile compared to standard culture conditions, including the increased abundance of nine conserved, putative surface-exposed proteins. AliA, an oligopeptide binding protein, was identified as the strongest protective antigen, demonstrated by the significantly reduced bacterial load in a murine colonization and a lethal mouse pneumonia model, highlighting its potential as vaccine antigen.