Fragment of Streptococcal M Protein* (original) (raw)

Human immune response to immunization with a structurally defined polypeptide fragment of streptococcal M protein

Journal of Experimental Medicine, 1979

We tested the ability of pepsin-extracted, highly purified M protein to induce type-specific immunity in experimental animals and humans. M protein was prepared from limited peptic digests of whole group A type 24 streptococci and was purified to chemical homogeneity as judged by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, quantitative amino acid analysis, and Edman degradation. For vaccination, the lyophilized M24 protein preparation (pep M24) was precipitated in aluminum hydroxide. When injected into laboratory animals, alum-precipitated pep M24 produced type-specific protective antibodies and was free of non-type-specific immunoreactivity. In man, skin tests with 1-microgram doses of pep M24 were negative in all 37 adults tested. 12 adult human volunteers received two-four subcutaneous injections of 100-200 micrograms of alum-precipitated pep M24 at intervals of at least 2 wk. The immune response to pep M24 was measured by a variety of assays designed to detect (a)...

Immunogenicity in animals and man of a structurally defined polypeptide of streptococcal M protein

Transactions of the Association of American Physicians, 1979

Recombinant hybrid Streptococcal M protein antigens are provided which elicit protective antibodies against Group A Streptococci and prevent rheumatic fever. Recombinant hybrid genes which encode the antigen are provided. Vac cine compositions and methods of administering the com positions are provided to elicit immunity against Group A Streptococci.

Recombinant, octavalent group A streptococcal M protein vaccine

Vaccine, 1996

One of the major obstacles to the development of group A streptococcal M protein vaccines is the multiplicity of M serotypes expressed by these organisms. In this study, we have constructed a recombinant, hybrid M protein that contains type-spectjic aminoterminal fragments of eight dtJ&erent M proteins. We show that the pur$ed hybrid recombinant protein is immunogenic in rabbits and evokes antibodies that react with native M proteins from the respective streptococcal serotypes. In addition, the immune sera evoked by the octavalent protein opsonized six of the eight serotypes of streptococci, indicating that the majority of the Mprotein fragments containedprotective epitopes that retained their native conformations in the hybrid protein. None of the antisera raised against the octavalentprotein crossreacted with human heart tissue. These studies indicate that multivalent, hybrid M proteins may be used to elicit broadly protective immune responses against multiple serotypes of group A streptococci. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

Hybridoma antibodies against protective and nonprotective antigenic determinants of a structurally defined polypeptide fragment of streptococcal M protein

The Journal of experimental medicine, 1982

Hybridoma technology was used to produce a set of monoclonal antibodies against a purified polypeptide fragment of type 24 streptococcal M protein to delineate the protective determinants of M protein exposed on the surface of the virulent streptococci. Several hybridoma antibodies were found to be opsonic against the homologous type streptococci. At least two of these antibodies (IIC3.7 and IIC4.6) protected mice against challenge infections with the homologous, but not a heterologous, serotype of bacteria. One of the hybridoma antibodies that reacted in high dilution (1:204,800) with the isolated M protein failed to react with the M protein on the surface of type 24 streptococci, and thus did not opsonize the homologous organisms or protect mice against challenge infections. Because hybridoma antibodies are directed against a single distinct immunodeterminant, these results indicate that protective immunity may be directed at any one of several distinct antigenic determinants of M...

Expression of streptococcal M protein in mammalian cells

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 1988

The M protein encoded by group A streptococci is a cell-wall polypeptide that has the property of enabling these organisms to evade the phagocytic cells of the human host. Therefore, the M protein plays a major role in the pathogenesis of streptococcal diseases. As an initial step toward the use of this protein as a target antigen for the production of protective anti-streptococcal immunity, a live vaccinia virus recombinant containing the M-protein gene has been constructed (VV:M6 delta). The bacterial M-protein DNA sequence is stable within this genetic context and is actively transcribed by viral RNA polymerase. Furthermore, high levels of immunoreactive M protein were detected in vivo when the VV:M6 delta recombinant was used to infect mammalian cells in culture. Thus, in addition to providing a powerful approach for dissecting the immunodominant domains of the M protein, the VV:M6 delta recombinant appears to be an excellent candidate vaccine for animal trials.

Immune response against M protein-conserved region peptides from prevalent group A Streptococcus in a North Indian population

Journal of Microbiology, Immunology and Infection, 2014

Background: Group A streptococci (GAS) cause infections with a high prevalence in most developing countries. A GAS vaccine under trial that is based on the amino-terminus of the M protein provides type-specific immunity, and hence seems ineffective in India because of heterogeneous emm types. However, the conserved C-terminal region of the M protein protects against multiple serotypes. In this paper, the immune response generated against the conserved Crepeat region of the M protein was checked in an Indian population to establish their vaccine candidature. Methods: When screened for GAS, patients with pharyngitis, rheumatic fever/rheumatic heart disease (RF/RHD), and invasive disease showed heterogeneous emm types, out of which five prevalent types (1-2, 11, 49, 75 and 112) were selected for the study. The C-terminal region of their M proteins showed conserved C1-, C2-, and C3-repeats. The C1-repeat was more diverse and had two different J14-like sequences. Peptides to these C-terminal regions (J14.1 and J14-R6) were designed. Antibodies against these peptides were analyzed using the sera of 130 GAS-infected volunteers. Results: Serum antibodies were significantly higher in patients with acute rheumatic fever, RHD, and invasive disease than in patients with pharyngitis or the healthy controls. The serum antibodies to these peptides was higher in teenagers and adults than in children.

Multivalent Group A Streptococcal Vaccine Elicits Bactericidal Antibodies against Variant M Subtypes

Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, 2005

Group A streptococci cause a wide spectrum of clinical illness. One of several strategies for vaccine prevention of these infections is based on the type-specific M protein epitopes. A multivalent M protein-based vaccine containing type-specific determinants from 26 different M serotypes is now in clinical trials. Recent epidemiologic studies have shown that, within some serotypes, the amino-terminal M protein sequence may show natural variation, giving rise to subtypes. This raises the possibility that vaccine-induced antibodies against the parent type may not be as effective in promoting bactericidal killing of variant subtypes. In the present study we used rabbit antisera against the 26-valent M protein-based vaccine in bactericidal tests against M1, M3, and M5 streptococci, which were represented by multiple subtypes. We show that the vaccine antibodies effectively promoted in vitro bactericidal activity despite the fact that the M proteins contained naturally occurring variant sequences in the regions corresponding to the vaccine sequence. Our results show that the variant M proteins generally do not result in significant differences in opsonization promoted by rabbit antisera raised against the 26-valent vaccine, suggesting that a multivalent M protein vaccine may not permit variant subtypes of group A streptococci to escape in a highly immunized population.

Heterogeneity of type-specific and cross-reactive antigenic determinants within a single M protein of group A streptococci

Journal of Experimental Medicine, 1980

The heterogeneity of a pepsin extract of type-24 M protein (pep M24) was demonstrated by absorption of type-specific and cross-reactive human antisera with M protein fragments and heterologous serotypes of M proteins, pepsin extract of type-5 M protein (pep M5) and pepsin extract of type-6 M protein (pep M6). 2 of 12 individuals immunized with pep M24 developed significant rises in antibody titers against pep M5 and pep M6, as measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The sam individuals also developed opsonic antibodies against type-6, but not type-5, streptococci, which suggested the development of cross-protective immunity. Inhibition studies of one of these sera with the heterologous pep M proteins showed that the cross-reactive antibodies against pep M6 could not be blocked by high concentrations of pep M24, the immunizing antigen; these antibodies could be blocked, however, by cyanogen bromide-derived peptide fragments of pep M24, which suggested that the cross-reacti...

Preclinical immunogenicity and safety of a Group A streptococcal M protein-based vaccine candidate

Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics, 2016

Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus, GAS) causes a wide range of clinical manifestations ranging from mild self-limiting pyoderma to invasive diseases such as sepsis. Also of concern are the post-infectious immune-mediated diseases including rheumatic heart disease. The development of a vaccine against GAS would have a large health impact on populations at risk of these diseases. However, there is a lack of suitable models for the safety evaluation of vaccines with respect to post-infectious complications. We have utilized the Lewis Rat model for cardiac valvulitis to evaluate the safety of the J8-DT vaccine formulation in parallel with a rabbit toxicology study. These studies demonstrated that the vaccine did not induce abnormal pathology. We also show that in mice the vaccine is highly immunogenic but that 3 doses are required to induce protection from a GAS skin challenge even though 2 doses are sufficient to induce a high antibody titer.