Open AccessProteins of the Rpf Family: Immune Cell Reactivity and Vaccination Efficacy against Tuberculosis in Mice
Author(s) -
Vladimir Yeremeev,
Tatiana Kondratieva,
Elvira I. Rubakova,
Svetlana Petrovskaya,
Konstantin Kazarian,
M. V. Telkov,
С. Ф. Бикетов,
Arseny S. Kaprelyants,
Alexander S. Apt
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
infection and immunity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.508
H-Index - 220
eISSN - 1070-6313
pISSN - 0019-9567
DOI - 10.1128/iai.71.8.4789-4794.2003
Subject(s) - biology , micrococcus luteus , immune system , mycobacterium tuberculosis , microbiology and biotechnology , antigen , immunology , interferon gamma , vaccination , antibody , humoral immunity , tuberculosis , bacteria , staphylococcus aureus , medicine , pathology , genetics
It was shown recently that Mycobacterium tuberculosis expresses five proteins that are homologous to Rpf (resuscitation promoting factor), which is secreted by growing cells of Micrococcus luteus. Rpf is required to resuscitate the growth of dormant Micrococcus luteus organisms, and its homologues may be involved in mycobacterial reactivation. Mycobacterial Rpf-like products are secreted proteins, which makes them candidates for recognition by the host immune system and anti-Rpf immune responses potentially protective against reactivated tuberculosis. Here we report that the Rpf protein itself and four out of five of its mycobacterial homologues, which were administered as subunit vaccines to C57BL/6 mice, are highly immunogenic. Rpf-like proteins elicit immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) and IgG2a responses and T-cell proliferation and stimulate production of gamma interferon, interleukin-10 (IL-10), and IL-12 but not IL-4 or IL-5. Both humoral and T-cell responses against these antigens show a high degree of cross-reactivity. Vaccination of mice with Rpf-like proteins results in a significant level of protection against a subsequent high-dose challenge with virulent M. tuberculosis H37Rv, both in terms of survival times and mycobacterial multiplication in lungs and spleens.