Campylobacter jejuni-specific antibody gives hope to vaccine development
By targeting multiprotein molecule, antibody inhibits bacteria's growth, pathogenicity
- Date:
- September 25, 2024
- Source:
- Osaka Metropolitan University
- Summary:
- A team has discovered an antibody that specifically binds to the food poisoning bacteria Campylobacter jejuni. It was also found that this antibody inhibits the activity of proteins involved in bacterial energy production.
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Bacterial infections resulting in enteritis, sometimes extra-intestinal infections such as sepsis, continue to be a global health concern. A leading cause of diarrheal and extra-intestinal infectious mortality among children under 5 and elderly persons is infection with Campylobacter bacteria, against which there is no effective vaccine or medication. An Osaka Metropolitan University-led team has recently uncovered what could be an important step toward preventing, diagnosing, and treating a species of Campylobacter bacteria.
Researchers including Professor Shinji Yamasaki and Associate Professor Noritoshi Hatanaka of the Graduate School of Veterinary Science and the Osaka International Research Center for Infectious Diseases at OMU focused on Campylobacter jejuni, the species of the bacteria that commonly causes gastroenteritis and sometimes extra-intestinal infections. Together they developed an antibody that can identify C. jejuni and inhibit the bacteria's growth.
This monoclonal antibody reacts to a multiprotein complex known as QcrC, the expression of which is essential for the pathogenicity of C. jejuni. The QcrC molecule was found in multiple C. jejuni strains, lending high reliability to the antibody's use in identifying the species. This molecule is also involved in energy production for C. jejuni, and the antibody acts to suppress this function, slowing the bacteria's growth and decreasing pathogenicity.
"Our findings can lead to the development of preventive approaches so that Campylobacter infections do not become more severe, while also formulating a simple way to detect C. jejuni," Associate Professor Hatanaka stated.
"The development of a simple detection system," Professor Yamasaki explained, "will be useful for the rapid identification of contaminated food, which will be beneficial for the control of C. jejuni infections and food poisoning, along with vaccine development."
Story Source:
Materials provided by Osaka Metropolitan University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- Koji Hosomi, Noritoshi Hatanaka, Atsushi Hinenoya, Jun Adachi, Yoko Tojima, Mari Furuta, Keita Uchiyama, Makiko Morita, Takahiro Nagatake, Azusa Saika, Soichiro Kawai, Ken Yoshii, Saki Kondo, Shinji Yamasaki, Jun Kunisawa. QcrC is a potential target for antibody therapy and vaccination to control Campylobacter jejuni infection by suppressing its energy metabolism. Frontiers in Microbiology, 2024; 15 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1415893
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