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Infection and Immunity, June 2000, p. 3200-3209, Vol. 68, No. 6
NeuTec Pharma plc1 and
Infectious Diseases Research Group, University of
Manchester,2 Central Manchester Healthcare
Trust, Manchester M13 9WL, United Kingdom
Received 25 December 1999/Returned for modification 15 February
2000/Accepted 10 March 2000
Immunoblotting sera from 26 patients with septicemia due to an
epidemic strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus (EMRSA-15), 6 of whom died, revealed an immunodominant
EMRSA-15 antigen at 61 kDa. There was a statistically significant
correlate (P < 0.001) between survival and
immunoglobulin G to the 61-kDa band. The antigen was identified by
sequencing positive clones obtained by screening a genomic expression
library of EMRSA-15 with pooled sera from patients taken after the
septicemic episode. Eluted antibody reacted with the 61-kDa antigen on
immunoblots. The amino terminus was obtained by searching the S. aureus NCTC 8325 and MRSA strain COL databases, and the whole
protein was expressed in Escherichia coli TOP 10F'. The
derived amino acid sequence showed homology with ABC transporters, with
paired Walker A and Walker B motifs and 73% homology to YkpA from
Bacillus subtilis. Epitope mapping of the derived amino
acid sequence with sera from patients who had recovered from EMRSA-15
septicemia delineated seven epitopes. Three of these epitopes,
represented by peptides 1 (KIKVYVGNYDFWYQS), 2 (TVIVVSHDRHFLYNNV),
and 3 (TETFLRGFLGRMLFS), were synthesized and used to isolate human
recombinant antibodies from a phage antibody display library.
Recombinant antibodies against peptides 1 and 2 gave logarithmic
reductions in organ colony counts, compared with control groups, in a
mouse model of the infection. This study suggests the potential role of
an ABC transporter as a target for immunotherapy.
0019-9567/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Identification of an Immunodominant ABC Transporter
in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Infections
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address:
NeuTec Pharma plc, 2nd Floor, Clinical Sciences Building,
Central Manchester Healthcare Trust, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9WL,
United Kingdom. Phone: 44161 276 4280. Fax: 44161 276 8826. E-mail:
dorene{at}labmed.cmht.nwest.nhs.uk.
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