Induction of Transmucosal Protection by Oral Vaccination with an Attenuated Chlamydia.

ABSTRACT: Chlamydia muridarum has been used to study chlamydial pathogenesis because it induces mice to develop hydrosalpinx, a pathology observed in C. trachomatis-infected women. We identified a C. muridarum mutant that is no longer able to induce hydrosalpinx. In the current study, we evaluated the mutant as an attenuated vaccine. Following an intravaginal immunization with the mutant, mice were protected from hydrosalpinx induced by wild-type C. muridarum. However, the mutant itself productively colonized the mouse genital tract and produced infectious organisms in vaginal swabs. Nevertheless, the mutant failed to produce infectious shedding in the rectal swabs following an oral inoculation. Importantly, mice orally inoculated with the mutant mounted transmucosal immunity against challenge infec

SUBMITTER: Wang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10187116 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature