
Discovery of novel Streptococcus pneumoniae antigens by screening a whole‐genome λ‐display library
Author(s) -
Beghetto Elisa,
Gargano Nicola,
Ricci Susanna,
Garufi Gabriella,
Peppoloni Samuele,
Montagnani Francesca,
Oggioni Marco,
Pozzi Gianni,
Felici Franco
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2006.00360.x
Subject(s) - biology , streptococcus pneumoniae , microbiology and biotechnology , epitope , antigen , pneumolysin , virology , phage display , antibody , genetics , antibiotics
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a causative agent of otitis media, pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis in humans. For the development of effective vaccines able to prevent pneumococcal infection, characterization of bacterial antigens involved in host immune response is crucial. In order to identify pneumococcal proteins recognized by host antibody response, we created an S. pneumoniae D39 genome library, displayed on λ bacteriophage. The screening of such a library, with sera either from infected individuals or mice immunized with the S. pneumoniae D39 strain, allowed identification of phage clones carrying S. pneumoniae B‐cell epitopes. Epitope‐containing fragments within the families of the histidine‐triad proteins (PhtE, PhtD), the choline‐binding proteins (PspA, CbpD) and zinc metalloproteinase B (ZmpB) were identified. Moreover, library screening also allowed the isolation of phage clones carrying three distinct antigenic regions of a hypothetical pneumococcal protein, encoded by the ORF spr 0075 in the R6 strain genome sequence. In this work, Spr0075 is first identified as an expressed S. pneumoniae gene product, having an antigenic function during infection.