Virulence factors of Moraxella catarrhalis outer membrane vesicles are major targets for cross-reactive antibodies and have adapted during evolution.

ABSTRACT: Moraxella catarrhalis is a common human respiratory tract pathogen. Its virulence factors associated with whole bacteria or outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) aid infection, colonization and may induce specific antibodies. To investigate pathogen-host interactions, we applied integrated bioinformatic and immunoproteomic (2D-electrophoresis, immunoblotting, LC-MS/MS) approaches. We showed that OMV proteins engaged exclusively in complement evasion and colonization strategies, but not those involved in iron transport and metabolism, are major targets for cross-reacting antibodies produced against phylogenetically divergent M. catarrhalis strains. The analysis of 31 complete genomes of M. catarrhalis and other Moraxella revealed that OMV protein-coding genes belong to 64 orthologous groups, five

SUBMITTER: Augustyniak D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5862889 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature