Immunological fingerprinting of group B streptococci: from circulating human antibodies to protective antigens.

Group B streptococcus is one of the most important pathogens in neonates, and causes invasive infections in non-pregnant adults with underlying diseases. Applying a genomic approach that relies on human antibodies we identified antigenic GBS proteins, among them most of the previously published protective antigens. In vitro analyses allowed the selection of conserved candidate antigens that were further evaluated in murine lethal sepsis models using several GBS strains. In active and passive immunization models, we identified four protective GBS antigens, FbsA and BibA, as well as two hypothetical proteins, all shown to contribute to virulence based on gene deletion mutants. These protective antigens have the potential to be components of novel vaccines or targets for passive immune prophylaxis against GBS disease.

Novel conserved group A streptococcal proteins identified by the antigenome technology as vaccine candidates for a non-M protein-based vaccine.

Group A streptococci (GAS) can cause a wide variety of human infections ranging from asymptomatic colonization to life-threatening invasive diseases. Although antibiotic treatment is very effective, when left untreated, Streptococcus pyogenes infections can lead to poststreptococcal sequelae and severe disease causing significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. To aid the development of a non-M protein-based prophylactic vaccine for the prevention of group A streptococcal infections, we identified novel immunogenic proteins using genomic surface display libraries and human serum antibodies from donors exposed to or infected by S. pyogenes. Vaccine candidate antigens were further selected based on animal protection in murine lethal-sepsis models with intranasal or intravenous challenge with two different M serotype strains. The nine protective antigens identified are highly conserved; eight of them show more than 97% sequence identity in 13 published genomes as well as in approximately 50 clinical isolates tested. Since the functions of the selected vaccine candidates are largely unknown, we generated deletion mutants for three of the protective antigens and observed that deletion of the gene encoding Spy1536 drastically reduced binding of GAS cells to host extracellular matrix proteins, due to reduced surface expression of GAS proteins such as Spy0269 and M protein. The protective, highly conserved antigens identified in this study are promising candidates for the development of an M-type-independent, protein-based vaccine to prevent infection by S. pyogenes.

Composition of the ANTIGENome of Helicobacter pylori defined by human serum antibodies.

Helicobacter pylori is the most prevalent human pathogen and although, it remains silent in most individuals for lifetime, colonization may develop into severe gastric and duodenal conditions. Rapidly developing resistance to antibiotic treatment urgently calls for the development of effective vaccines. We determined the ANTIGENome of two clinical isolates of H. pylori, KTH-Ca1 and KTH-Du, derived from patients with gastric cancer and duodenal ulcer, respectively. Using disease-relevant human sera from well-characterized donors we identified 124 annotated ORFs and 54 non-annotated peptides as antigens. Through in vitro validation assays we selected the 20 most promising vaccine candidates. Importantly, two candidates represent proteins that were previously shown to provide protection in models of H. pylori infection. One of the most frequently selected and conserved protein, the siderophore-dependent transporter HP1341, was confirmed to show high reactivity with human serum IgGs. These analyses provide the means to identify novel antigens for the selection of vaccine candidates, as well as disease associated biomarkers.

Antigenome technology: a novel approach for the selection of bacterial vaccine candidate antigens.

A novel approach for the identification of protein antigens from bacterial pathogens was previously developed in our laboratory that combines the advantages of full genome coverage and serological antigen identification. We have applied this technology to several bacterial pathogens of the genera Staphylococcus and Streptococcus and have, as a result, defined the "antigenome" of these pathogens. This catalogue defines the most relevant antigenic proteins that are targeted by the human immune system, including their antibody binding sites. The antigenome technology offers an integrated approach for antigen validation in order to select the most promising candidates for the development of subunit vaccines against the targeted bacterial diseases. Using this technology, novel protective antigens were discovered from several important human pathogens.

Identification of in vivo expressed vaccine candidate antigens from Staphylococcus aureus.

For the design of potent subunit vaccines, it is of paramount importance to identify all antigens immunologically recognized by a patient population infected with a pathogen. We have developed a rapid and efficient procedure to identify such commonly recognized antigens, and here we provide a comprehensive in vivo antigenic profile of Staphylococcus aureus, an important human pathogen. S. aureus peptides were displayed on the surface of Escherichia coli via fusion to one of two outer membrane proteins (LamB and FhuA) and probed with sera selected for high Ab titer and opsonic activity. A total of 60 antigenic proteins were identified, most of which are located or predicted to be located on the surface of the bacterium or secreted. The identification of these antigens and their reactivity with individual sera from patients and healthy individuals greatly facilitate the selection of promising vaccine candidates for further evaluation. This approach, which makes use of whole genome sequence information, has the potential to greatly accelerate and facilitate the formulation of novel vaccines and is applicable to any pathogen that induces Abs in humans and/or experimental animals.