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Probing the Inter‐protein Interactions Between Two Leading Protein Vaccine Candidates from Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae
Author(s) -
Jackson Niaya,
Kasper Anna,
Farquharson Kara,
Jones Seth,
Gleghorn Michael,
Kaur Ravinder,
Michel Lea
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.2021.35.s1.04532
Subject(s) - moraxella catarrhalis , haemophilus influenzae , streptococcus pneumoniae , microbiology and biotechnology , antibody , otitis , immunology , haemophilus , biology , medicine , bacteria , antibiotics , genetics
Acute otitis media (AOM) is a middle ear infection, which is the most common ailment in infants and young children. In the United States, three bacteria (commensal organisms in the nasopharynx) are the most common causes of AOM: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi). This study focuses on NTHi, which also causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sinusitis, and other respiratory illnesses. OMP26 and Protein D are two leading candidates for a protein vaccine to prevent NTHi infections. Scientists have evaluated both of these NTHi proteins, with promising results. However, results from our preliminary study in mice showed that OMP26 and Protein D, when administered as a single vaccine formulation, leads to suppression of Protein D antibodies. We hypothesize that OMP26 physically interacts with Protein D, which results in the antibody suppression, but alternative mechanisms are also being explored. The aim of this work was to elucidate the inter‐protein interactions between OMP26 and Protein D, with the goal of understanding how and why Protein D antibody suppression occurs in mice. To study these interactions, we have begun to employ several biochemical and biophysical methods, including co‐immunoprecipitation experiments, size exclusion chromatography, and x‐ray crystallography.