Construction of a new fusion anti-caries DNA vaccine

J Dent Res. 2009 May;88(5):455-60. doi: 10.1177/0022034509336727.

Abstract

Mutans streptococci (MS) are generally considered to be the principal etiological agent of dental caries. MS have two important virulence factors: cell- surface protein PAc and glucosyltransferases (GTFs). GTFs have two functional domains: an N-terminal catalytic sucrose-binding domain (CAT) and a C-terminal glucan-binding domain (GLU). A fusion anti-caries DNA vaccine, pGJA-P/VAX, encoding two important antigenic domains, PAc and GLU, of S. mutans, was successful in reducing the levels of dental caries caused by S. mutans in gnotobiotic animals. However, its protective effect against S. sobrinus infection proved to be weak. Does the DNA vaccine need an antigen of S. sobrinus to enhance its ability to inhibit infection? To answer this question, in this study, we cloned the catalytic (cat) fragment of S. sobrinus gtf-I, which demonstrated its ability to inhibit water-insoluble glucan synthesis by S. sobrinus, into pGJA-P/VAX to produce a new anti-caries DNA vaccine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
  • Antibody Formation / immunology
  • Antigens, Bacterial / immunology
  • Bacterial Proteins / immunology
  • CHO Cells
  • Catalytic Domain / immunology
  • Cricetinae
  • Cricetulus
  • Dental Caries / microbiology
  • Dental Caries / prevention & control*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Glucosyltransferases / immunology
  • Glycoproteins / immunology
  • Immunity, Mucosal / immunology
  • Immunization
  • Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / analysis
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Membrane Proteins / immunology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Streptococcal Vaccines / chemical synthesis*
  • Streptococcus mutans / immunology*
  • Streptococcus sobrinus / immunology*
  • Sucrose / immunology
  • Vaccines, DNA / chemical synthesis*
  • Virulence Factors / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Antigens, Bacterial
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Glycoproteins
  • IDG-60 protein, Streptococcus mutans
  • Immunoglobulin A, Secretory
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Streptococcal Vaccines
  • Vaccines, DNA
  • Virulence Factors
  • pGJA-P VAX vaccine
  • Sucrose
  • Glucosyltransferases