Directed evaluation of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli autotransporter proteins as putative vaccine candidates.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a major diarrheal pathogen in developing countries, where it accounts for millions of infections and hundreds of thousands of deaths annually. While vaccine development to prevent diarrheal illness due to ETEC is feasible, extensive effort is needed to identify conserved antigenic targets. Pathogenic Escherichia coli, including ETEC, use the autotransporter (AT) secretion mechanism to export virulence factors. AT proteins are comprised of a highly conserved carboxy terminal outer membrane beta barrel and a surface-exposed amino terminal passenger domain. Recent immunoproteomic studies suggesting that multiple autotransporter passenger domains are recognized during ETEC infection prompted the present studies.

Methodology

A

SUBMITTER: Harris JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3232201 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature