Design of Broadly Cross-Reactive M Protein-Based Group A Streptococcal Vaccines.

ABSTRACT: Group A streptococcal infections are a significant cause of global morbidity and mortality. A leading vaccine candidate is the surface M protein, a major virulence determinant and protective Ag. One obstacle to the development of M protein-based vaccines is the >200 different M types defined by the N-terminal sequences that contain protective epitopes. Despite sequence variability, M proteins share coiled-coil structural motifs that bind host proteins required for virulence. In this study, we exploit this potential Achilles heel of conserved structure to predict cross-reactive M peptides that could serve as broadly protective vaccine Ags. Combining sequences with structural predictions, six heterologous M peptides in a sequence-related cluster were predicted to elicit cross-reactive Abs wi

SUBMITTER: Aranha MP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8355175 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature