Detection of LP2086 on the cell surface of Neisseria meningitidis and its accessibility in the presence of serogroup B capsular polysaccharide

Vaccine. 2009 May 26;27(25-26):3417-21. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.01.075. Epub 2009 Feb 5.

Abstract

The outer membrane protein LP2086, a human factor H binding protein, is undergoing clinical trials as a vaccine against invasive serogroup B meningococcal (MnB) disease. As LP2086 is a surface protein, expression of capsular polysaccharide could potentially limit accessibility of anti-LP2086 antibodies to LP2086 expressed on the surface of bacteria. To determine whether variability in expression levels of the serogroup B capsule (Cap B) might interfere with accessibility of anti-LP2086 antibody binding to LP2086, we evaluated the ability of anti-Cap B and anti-LP2086 antibodies to bind to the surface of 1263 invasive clinical MnB strains by flow cytometry. One of the anti-LP2086 monoclonal antibodies used recognizes virtually all LP2086 sequence variants. Our results show no correlation between the amount of Cap B expressed and the binding of anti-LP2086 antibodies. Furthermore, the susceptibility of MnB bacteria to lysis by anti-LP2086 immune sera was independent of the level of Cap B expressed. The data presented in this paper demonstrates that Cap B does not interfere with the binding of antibodies to LP2086 expressed on the outer membrane of MnB clinical isolates.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / immunology
  • Antigens, Bacterial / analysis*
  • Antigens, Bacterial / immunology
  • Bacterial Capsules / immunology*
  • Bacterial Proteins / analysis*
  • Bacterial Proteins / immunology
  • Blood Bactericidal Activity
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Neisseria meningitidis / chemistry
  • Neisseria meningitidis / immunology*
  • Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B / immunology*
  • Rabbits

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antigens, Bacterial
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • factor H-binding protein, Neisseria meningitidis