T(H)17-Mediated Protection against Pneumococcal Carriage by a Whole-Cell Vaccine Is Dependent on Toll-Like Receptor 2 and Surface Lipoproteins.

ABSTRACT: A pneumococcal whole-cell vaccine (WCV) confers T(H)17-mediated immunogenicity and reduces nasopharyngeal (NP) carriage in mice. Activation of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) has been shown to be important for generating T(H)17 responses, and several lipidated pneumococcal proteins have TLR2-activating properties. Here we investigated the roles of TLR2 and lipidation of proteins in WCV-induced interleukin-17A (IL-17A) responses and protection against NP carriage. Immunization of Tlr2(-/-) mice with WCV conferred significantly lower IL-17A levels and reduced protection against NP carriage, compared to wild-type (WT) mice, suggesting that host TLR2 engagement is required for effective immunity and protection elicited by WCV immunization. Using a WCV with deletion of lgt, the gene encoding the en

SUBMITTER: Moffitt K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4519727 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature