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Infection and Immunity, November 2006, p. 6348-6355, Vol. 74, No. 11
0019-9567/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.01062-06
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Immunization with Live Neisseria lactamica Protects Mice against Meningococcal Challenge and Can Elicit Serum Bactericidal Antibodies

Centre for Molecular Microbiology and Infection, Department of Infectious Diseases, Flowers Building, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom,¹ Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response, Health Protection Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, United Kingdom²

Received 6 July 2006/ Returned for modification 18 August 2006/ Accepted 29 August 2006

Natural immunity against Neisseria meningitidis is thought to develop following nasopharyngeal colonization with this bacterium or other microbes expressing cross-reactive antigens. Neisseria lactamica is a commensal of the upper respiratory tract which is often carried by infants and young children; epidemiological evidence indicates that colonization with this bacterium can elicit serum bactericidal activity (SBA) against Neisseria meningitidis, the most validated correlate of protective immunity. Here we demonstrate experimentally that immunization of mice with live N. lactamica protects animals against lethal meningococcal challenge and that some, but not all, strains of N. lactamica elicit detectable SBA in immunized animals regardless of the serogroup of N. meningitidis. While it is unlikely that immunization with live N. lactamica will be implemented as a vaccine against meningococcal disease, understanding the basis for the induction of cross-protective immunity and SBA should be valuable in the design of subunit vaccines for the prevention of this important human infection.

Published ahead of print on 11 September 2006.

Editor: D. L. Burns

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