Engineering Mycobacteria for the Production of Self-Assembling Biopolyesters Displaying Mycobacterial Antigens for Use as a Tuberculosis Vaccine.

ABSTRACT: Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis or Mycobacterium bovis and still remains one of the world's biggest global health burdens. Recently, engineered polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biobeads that were produced in both Escherichia coli and Lactococcus lactis and displayed mycobacterial antigens were found to induce significant cell-mediated immune responses in mice. We observed that such PHA beads contained host cell proteins as impurities, which we hypothesized to have the potential to induce immunity. In this study, we aimed to develop PHA beads produced in mycobacteria (mycobacterial PHA biobeads [MBB]) and test their potential as a TB vaccine in a mouse model. As a model organism, nonpathogenic Mycobacterium smegmatis was engin

SUBMITTER: Lee JW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5311400 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature