Characterization and identification of vaccine candidate proteins through analysis of the group A Streptococcus surface proteome.

We describe a proteomic approach for identifying bacterial surface-exposed proteins quickly and reliably for their use as vaccine candidates. Whole cells are treated with proteases to selectively digest protruding proteins that are subsequently identified by mass spectrometry analysis of the released peptides. When applied to the sequenced M1_SF370 group A Streptococcus strain, 68 PSORT-predicted surface-associated proteins were identified, including most of the protective antigens described in the literature. The number of surface-exposed proteins varied from strain to strain, most likely as a consequence of different capsule content. The surface-exposed proteins of the highly virulent M23_DSM2071 strain included 17 proteins, 15 in common with M1_SF370. When 14 of the 17 proteins were expressed in E. coli and tested in the mouse for their capacity to confer protection against a lethal dose of M23_DSM2071, one new protective antigen (Spy0416) was identified. This strategy overcomes the difficulties so far encountered in surface protein characterization and has great potential in vaccine discovery.

Selection and characterization of a promoter for expression of single-copy recombinant genes in Gram-positive bacteria.

BACKGROUND: In the past ten years there has been a growing interest in engineering Gram-positive bacteria for biotechnological applications, including vaccine delivery and production of recombinant proteins. Usually, bacteria are manipulated using plasmid expression vectors. The major limitation of this approach is due to the fact that recombinant plasmids are often lost from the bacterial culture upon removal of antibiotic selection. We have developed a genetic system based on suicide vectors on conjugative transposons allowing stable integration of recombinant DNA into the chromosome of transformable and non-transformable Gram-positive bacteria. RESULTS: The aim of this work was to select a strong chromosomal promoter from Streptococcus gordonii to improve this genetic system making it suitable for expression of single-copy recombinant genes. To achieve this task, a promoterless gene encoding a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (cat), was randomly integrated into the S. gordonii chromosome and transformants were selected for chloramphenicol resistance. Three out of eighteen chloramphenicol resistant transformants selected exhibited 100% stability of the phenotype and only one of them, GP215, carried the cat gene integrated as a single copy. A DNA fragment of 600 base pairs exhibiting promoter activity was isolated from GP215 and sequenced. The 5' end of its corresponding mRNA was determined by primer extention analysis and the putative -10 and a -35 regions were identified. To study the possibility of using this promoter (PP) for single copy heterologous gene expression, we created transcriptional fusions of PP with genes encoding surface recombinant proteins in a vector capable of integrating into the conjugative transposon Tn916. Surface recombinant proteins whose expression was controlled by the PP promoter were detected in Tn916-containing strains of S. gordonii and Bacillus subtilis after single copy chromosomal integration of the recombinant insertion vectors into the resident Tn916. The surface recombinant protein synthesized under the control of PP was also detected in Enterococcus faecalis after conjugal transfer of a recombinant Tn916 containing the transcriptional fusion. CONCLUSION: We isolated and characterized a S. gordonii chromosomal promoter. We demonstrated that this promoter can be used to direct expression of heterologous genes in different Gram-positive bacteria, when integrated in a single copy into the chromosome.

The microbicide cyanovirin-N expressed on the surface of commensal bacterium Streptococcus gordonii captures HIV-1.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility of expressing the potent HIV-inactivating protein, cyanovirin-N (CV-N), in the human commensal bacterium Streptococcus gordonii, as a possible approach for local delivery of CV-N to prevent sexual transmission of HIV-1. DESIGN AND METHODS: To express CV-N in S. gordonii, we used the host-vector system we had previously developed. CV-N was expressed as a fusion protein both attached to the bacterial surface and secreted in soluble form in the supernatant of liquid cultures. The soluble form of recombinant CV-N was tested for gp120-binding activity in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, whereas S. gordonii strain expressing CV-N on the surface was analyzed in an in vitro HIV capturing assay. RESULTS: Two recombinant S. gordonii strains secreting or displaying CV-N on the bacterial surface were constructed and the expression of CV-N was confirmed by immunoblot and flow-cytometric analysis. The secreted form of recombinant CV-N exhibited a concentration-dependent binding to the envelope glycoprotein gp120 of HIV-1, whereas CV-N displayed on the bacterial surface was able to capture HIV virions efficiently. CONCLUSION: The anti-HIV protein CV-N in S. gordonii was expressed in a biologically active form. This represents a first step in the development of a system to deliver and maintain an effective concentration of a microbicide in the vaginal mucosa.

In vivo mucosal delivery of bioactive human interleukin 1 receptor antagonist produced by Streptococcus gordonii.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a cytokine involved in the initiation and amplification of the defence response in infectious and inflammatory diseases. IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) is an inactive member of the IL-1 family and represents one of the most potent mechanisms for controlling IL-1-dependent inflammation. IL-1ra has proven effective in the therapy of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases in experimental animal models and also in preliminary clinical trials. However, optimisation of therapeutic schedules is still needed. For instance, the use of drug delivery systems targeting specific mucosal sites may be useful to improve topical bioavailability and avoid side effects associated with systemic administration. RESULTS: In order to develop systems for the delivery of IL-1ra to mucosal target sites, a Streptococcus gordonii strain secreting human IL-1ra was constructed. The recombinant IL-1ra produced by S. gordonii was composed of the four amino acid residues RVFP of the fusion partner at the N-terminus, followed by the mature human IL-1ra protein. RFVP/IL-1ra displayed full biological activity in vitro in assays of inhibition of IL-1beta-induced lymphocyte proliferation and was released by recombinant S. gordonii in vivo both at the vaginal and the gastrointestinal mucosa of mice. RFVP/IL-1ra appeared beneficial in the model of ulcerative colitis represented by IL-2-/- mice (knock-out for the interleukin-2 gene), as shown by the body weight increase of IL-2-/- mice locally treated with S. gordonii producing RFVP/IL-1ra. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that recombinant S. gordonii can be successfully used as a delivery system for the selective targeting of mucosal surfaces with therapeutic proteins.

The three extra-cellular zinc metalloproteinases of Streptococcus pneumoniae have a different impact on virulence in mice.

BACKGROUND: Streptococcus pneumoniae possesses large zinc metalloproteinases on its surface. To analyse the importance in virulence of three of these metalloproteinases, intranasal challenge of MF1 outbred mice was carried out using a range of infecting doses of wild type and knock-out pneumococcal mutant strains, in order to compare mice survival. RESULTS: Observation of survival percentages over time and detection of LD50s of knock out mutants in the proteinase genes in comparison to the type 4 TIGR4 wild type strain revealed two major aspects: i) Iga and ZmpB, present in all strains of S. pneumoniae, strongly contribute to virulence in mice; (ii) ZmpC, only present in about 25% of pneumococcal strains, has a lower influence on virulence in mice. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest Iga, ZmpB and ZmpC as candidate surface proteins responsible for pneumococcal infection and potentially involved in distinct stages of pneumococcal disease.

Genetic engineering of Streptococcus gordonii for the simultaneous display of two heterologous proteins at the bacterial surface.

The Gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus gordonii has been genetically engineered to allow the simultaneous expression of two heterologous proteins at the cell surface. A family of recombinant streptococci displaying two different antigens was constructed. All the strains were genetically stable and expressed both proteins at the surface of the same bacterial cell. S. gordonii co-expressing the immunomodulating molecule LTB (B monomer of Escherichia coli heat-labile toxin) and the V3 domain of HIV-1 gp120 were inoculated subcutaneously to BALB/c mice. Animals were capable of responding to both antigens, producing LTB- and V3-specific serum IgG. The V3-specific IgG titer was four-fold higher in mice immunised with the double protein-expressing bacteria, as compared to control animals inoculated either with S. gordonii expressing the V3 domain alone or with a mixture of the two strains expressing LTB and V3, separately. Therefore, LTB was able to potentiate the antibody response towards the V3 domain, and this effect was observed only when LTB was co-expressed on the same bacterial cell.

Expression of a functional single-chain Fv antibody on the surface of Streptococcus gordonii.

Gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus gordonii, a human oral commensal, was engineered to display a single-chain Fv (scFv) antibody fragment at the cell surface. The previously developed host-vector system allowed expression of the Guy's 13 scFv as a fusion with the streptococcal surface protein M6. Surface expression of the 515-amino acid M6/scFv fusion protein was confirmed by Western blot analysis on cellular fractions and flow cytometric analysis. Guy's 13 scFv was derived from the Guy's 13 monoclonal antibody, which was raised against streptococcal antigen I/II (SA I/II), the major adhesin of the caries-producing bacterium Streptococcus mutans. Surface plasmon resonance was used to test binding of scFv-expressing S. gordonii to SA I/II. Whole cells of recombinant S. gordonii were found to specifically bind to immobilised SA I/II and binding was inhibited by fluid-phase SA I/II in a dose-dependent manner. Production of a functional scFv in S. gordonii is the first step towards the development of genetically engineered commensal bacteria that, by colonizing mucosal surfaces, may provide the host with sustained delivery of recombinant antibodies.

Group A Streptococcus produce pilus-like structures containing protective antigens and Lancefield T antigens.

Although pili have long been recognized in Gram-negative pathogens as important virulence factors involved in adhesion and invasion, very little is known about extended surface organelles in Gram-positive pathogens. Here we report that Group A Streptococcus (GAS), a Gram-positive human-specific pathogen that causes pharyngitis, impetigo, invasive disease, necrotizing fasciitis, and autoimmune sequelae has long, surface-exposed, pilus-like structures composed of members of a family of extracellular matrix-binding proteins. We describe four variant pili and show that each is recognized by a specific serum of the Lancefield T-typing system, which has been used for over five decades to characterize GAS isolates. Furthermore, we show that immunization of mice with a combination of recombinant pilus proteins confers protection against mucosal challenge with virulent GAS bacteria. The data indicate that induction of a protective immune response against these structures may be a useful strategy for development of a vaccine against disease caused by GAS infection.

Pneumococcal zinc metalloproteinase ZmpC cleaves human matrix metalloproteinase 9 and is a virulence factor in experimental pneumonia.

The ZmpC zinc metalloproteinase of Streptococcus pneumoniae, annotated in the type 4 genome as SP0071, was found to cleave human matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9). The previously described IgA protease activity was confirmed to be specifically linked to the IgA1-protease/SP1154 zinc metalloproteinase. MMP-9 is a protease cleaving extracellular matrix gelatin and collagen and is activated by proteolytic cleavage like most proteases. MMP-9 is a human protease and is involved in a variety of physiological and pathological matrix degrading processes, including tissue invasion of metastases and opening of the blood-brain barrier. While TIGR4 (serotype 4) and G54 (serotype 19) pneumococcal genome strains have a highly conserved copy of zmpC, the genome of R6 (a derivative of serotype 2 D39 strain) lacks zmpC. Both the analysis for zmpC presence and MMP-9 cleavage activity in various pneumococcal strains showed correlation of ZmpC with MMP-9 cleavage activity. When assaying clinical isolates of S. pneumoniae, the zmpC gene was not found in any of the nasal and conjunctival swab isolates, but it was present in 1 out of 13 meningitis isolates and in 6 out of 11 pneumonia isolates. In a murine pneumonia model, infection with a zmpC-mutant reduced mortality at 3-4 days post-infection by 75%, when compared with infection with wild-type strains. These data indicate that the ZmpC pneumococcal protease may play a role in pneumococcal virulence and pathogenicity in the lung.