Production of Fibronectin Binding Protein A at the surface of Lactococcus lactis increases plasmid transfer in vitro and in vivo

PLoS One. 2012;7(9):e44892. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044892. Epub 2012 Sep 27.

Abstract

Lactococci are noninvasive lactic acid bacteria frequently used as protein delivery vectors and, more recently, as DNA delivery vehicles. We previously showed that Lactococcus lactis (LL) expressing the Fibronectin-Binding Protein A of Staphylococcus aureus (LL-FnBPA+) showed higher internalization rates in vitro in Caco-2 cells than the native (wt) lactococci and were able to deliver a eukaryotic Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) expression plasmid in 1% of human Caco-2 cells. Here, using the bovine beta-lactoglobulin (BLG), one of the major cow's milk allergen, and GFP we characterized the potential of LL-FnBPA+ as an in vivo DNA vaccine delivery vehicle. We first showed that the invasive strain LL-FnBPA+ carrying the plasmid pValac:BLG (LL-FnBPA+ BLG) was more invasive than LL-BLG and showed the same invasivity as LL-FnBPA+. Then we demonstrated that the Caco-2 cells, co-incubated with LL-FnBPA+ BLG produced up to 30 times more BLG than the Caco-2 cells co-incubated with the non invasive LL-BLG. Using two different gene reporters, BLG and GFP, and two different methods of detection, EIA and fluorescence microscopy, we showed in vivo that: i) in order to be effective, LL-FnBPA+ required a pre-coating with Fetal Calf Serum before oral administration; ii) plasmid transfer occurred in enterocytes without regard to the strains used (invasive or not); iii) the use of LL-FnBPA+ increased the number of mice producing BLG, but not the level of BLG produced. We thus confirmed the good potential of invasive recombinant lactic acid bacteria as DNA delivery vector in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adhesins, Bacterial / biosynthesis*
  • Adhesins, Bacterial / genetics
  • Animals
  • Biological Transport
  • Caco-2 Cells
  • Cattle
  • DNA, Complementary / genetics
  • Enterocytes / metabolism
  • Enterocytes / microbiology
  • Female
  • Genetic Vectors / genetics
  • Genetic Vectors / metabolism*
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Humans
  • Lactococcus lactis / genetics
  • Lactococcus lactis / metabolism*
  • Lactoglobulins / genetics
  • Mice
  • Plasmids / metabolism*
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics
  • Species Specificity
  • Staphylococcus aureus / genetics
  • Vaccines, DNA / metabolism

Substances

  • Adhesins, Bacterial
  • DNA, Complementary
  • Lactoglobulins
  • Vaccines, DNA
  • fibronectin-binding proteins, bacterial
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins

Grants and funding

Silvia Innocentin is a recipient of a European Marie Curie Ph.D grant from the LABHEALTH program (MEST-CT-2004-514428). Daniela Pontes is a recipient of grants from the French-Brazilian CAPES COFECUB project n°539/06 and from Region Ile de France DIM ASTREA. Juliana Franco Almeida is a recipient of a grant from the French-Brazilian CAPES COFECUB project n°720/11. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.