An Entry-Triggering Protein of Ehrlichia Is a New Vaccine Candidate against Tick-Borne Human Monocytic Ehrlichiosis.

ABSTRACT: Ehrlichia chaffeensis is an obligatory intracellular bacterium that causes human monocytic ehrlichiosis, an emerging disease transmitted by the Lone Star tick, Amblyomma americanum. E. chaffeensis outer membrane protein entry triggering protein of Ehrlichia (EtpE) is necessary for bacterial entry into human cells. We investigated the role of EtpE in transmission of the bacteria from tick to human cells and whether or not vaccination with EtpE can prevent transmission of ehrlichiae from ticks to mammals. An antiserum against the recombinant C terminus of EtpE (rEtpE-C), which binds a mammalian cell-surface receptor and triggers bacterial entry, significantly inhibited E. chaffeensis transmission from infected tick cells to human monocytes in culture. Each of five specific-pathogen-free dogs

SUBMITTER: Budachetri K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7387794 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature