[Influence of Staphylococcus vaccine on functional activity of antigen-presenting cells].

AIM: Study the influence of staphylococcus vaccine on functional activity of antigen-presenting cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mice intraperitoneally received 500 µg of "Staphylovac" vaccine. Phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages against Staphylococcus aureus 1991 was determined in animals at various time intervals. Phagocytic index (PI) and phagocytic number (PN) in smears made at 30 and 60 minutes of incubation were calculated. Dendritic cells (DC) were obtained from bone marrow precursors during cultivation with 20 ng/ml GM-CSF and 20 ng/ml IL-4 (BioSource International Inc., Belgium). At day 6 of incubation staphylococcus vaccine (50 µg/ml) was added to immature cells for induction pf DC maturation. DC phenotype evaluation was carried out by flow cytometry using monoclonal antibodies against cell antigens (Beckman Culter, USA). RESULTS: PI at 30 and 60 minutes of incubation increased by 0.12 - 1.4 times and 1.11 - 1.52 times, respectively, compared with control. PN at 30 minutes of incubation of cells with microbial suspension increased from 8.6 to 11.4% against 5.9% in control, at 60 minutes of incubation--from 7.7 to 8.1% against 5.1% in control. In DC culture during their incubation with the vaccine, content of cells with expression of intercellular adhesion marker CD38, antigen presenting marker MHCII and DC terminal differentiation marker CD83 increased. Expression of CD34 and CD14 was also noted, that may give evidence on partial direction of cell differentiation to macrophages. CONCLUSION: "Staphylovac" vaccine during intraperitoneal administrationt to mice had activating influence on functional activity of antigen-presenting cells and peritoneal macrophages.

[Study of protective activivty of "Staphylovac-2" vaccine].

AIM: Study the protective properties of "Staphylovac-2" vaccinie. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Samples of the vaccine manufactured by SPA "Microgen" based on the developed technology were studied in balb/c mice during 3- and 6-fold immunization schemes. Protective activity of the preparation was determined in experiments with active and passive protection during intraperitoneal infection, seeding of the causative agent from spleen and kidneys during intravenous infection, of animals. RESULTS: In experiments with active protection of mice for both 3- and 6-fold immunization schemes, a significant protective activity of the studied series was determined, compared with the control group of mice. Sera obtained after animal immunization (rabbits, mice) by staphylococcus vaccine had protective properties. A reduction of spleen and kidneys seeding by Staphylococcus aureus in immunized mice compared with the control group was detected in the model of generalized staphylococci infection. CONCLUSION: The preclinical studies carried out with the "Staphylovac-2" vaccine, developed baed on the complex of protective staplylococci antigens, have confirmed the high protective activity of the preparation.

[Genetic characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus No 6. strain--producer of secreted protein-containing compounds possessing protective properties].

AIM: Genotype characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus No 6: strain that is a producer of a protective protein complex. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Features of structure of 9 genes, that code synthesis of pathogenicity factors, of S. aureus--spa, coa, sea, seB, sec, pvl, tst-h, mecA and scc-mecA, that are responsible for synthesis of protein A, coagulase, enterotoxins A, B and C, Panton-Valentine toxin (PVL), heat shock syndrome protein, resistance to methicillin and staphylococci chromosomal cassette, respectively, were studied by amplification in PCR of the respective gene fragments with subsequent conduction of direct sequencing. RESULTS: The S. aureus No 6 strain under study possesses pvl gene fragments, as well as Spa and coagenes, detected in all the studied strains, that belong to t12507 and EMRSA-16 types, respectively. Sea, seb, sec genes responsible for.the synthesis of enterotoxins A, B and C were not detected in it, tst-h, mecA and scc-mecA gene fragments were not present. CONCLUSION: The detection of pvl gene fragment in the strain under study, on the one hand, and protective properties of the secreted protein-containing compound, on the other hand, give evidence in favor of the necessity of further analysis of extracellular proteome of S. aureus No 6.

[Analysis of extracellular proteome of Staphylococcus aureus 6 at the end of exponential growth phase].

AIM: Determine protein specter that Staphylococcus aureus synthesizes and secretes at early growth phase--the exponential phase. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Proteins secreted by S. aureus strain 6 into cultivation medium at the end of exponential growth phase (4.5 hours) were studied. 11 proteins were identified by liquid chromatography--mass-spectrometry method. RESULTS: Only in 3 of these proteins the presence of signal peptides was predicted, which indicates their extracellular localization; the rest of the proteins were localized predominantly in bacterial cytoplasm. 5 of 11 proteins function as enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism. Other extracellular proteins that could indicate its contamination with proteins from disrupted bacterial cells were not detected in S. aureus cultural liquid filtrate. It has been suggested that enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism can provide bacterial cells with energy necessary for passage from lag-phase into exponential growth phase. Superoxide dismutase enzyme probably provides the course of oxidation-reduction processes. Synthesis of other proteolytic enzymes and toxins is carried out at later stages of development of bacterial population. Immunization of mice with a mixture of 11 identified proteins showed their protective properties after infection by S. aureus 6 strain. CONCLUSION: Based on the above-mentioned, the complex of isolated proteins may be perspective in development of a new strategy of prophylaxis and therapy of staphylococcus infections.

Growth-dependent release of carbohydrate metabolism-related and antioxidant enzymes from Staphylococcus aureus strain 6 as determined by proteomic analysis.

Proteins released into the culture medium by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) strain 6 were determined at the end of the exponential growth phase (4.5 h). Eleven proteins were identified by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Three proteins were predicted to have signal peptides indicating their extracellular localization. The other proteins were presumably located in the cytoplasm of the bacteria. Five out of the 11 proteins were involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Other intracellular proteins of S. aureus were not detected in the culture medium. This indicates that the release of these 11 proteins was specific and that unspecific protein release due to damaged or dying bacteria did not play a role. It is suggested that enzymes associated with carbohydrate metabolism may provide the energy necessary for the transition of bacteria from a resting to a proliferative state. Another enzyme released by S. aureus, superoxide dismutase, may catalyze redox reactions in this context. The production of other proteolytic enzymes and toxins may take place at later stages of bacterial growth. A cocktail of these 11 proteins was used for the immunization of mice. Indeed, vaccination with these proteins prolonged the survival times of mice upon infection with S. aureus strain 6. Therefore, these proteins may have implications for the development of novel strategies for the prevention and therapy of S. aureus infections.