Conserved moonlighting protein pyruvate dehydrogenase induces robust protection against Staphylococcus aureus infection.

ABSTRACT: Developing an effective Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) vaccine has been a challenging endeavor, as demonstrated by numerous failed clinical trials over the years. In this study, we formulated a vaccine containing a highly conserved moonlighting protein, the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex E2 subunit (PDHC), and showed that it induced strong protective immunity against epidemiologically relevant staphylococcal strains in various murine disease models. While antibody responses contributed to bacterial control, they were not essential for protective immunity in the bloodstream infection model. Conversely, vaccine-induced systemic immunity relied on γδ T cells. It has been suggested that prior S. aureus exposure may contribute to the reduction of vaccine efficacy. Howeve

SUBMITTER: Wang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11388329 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature