Targeting pili in enterococcal pathogenesis

Infect Immun. 2014 Apr;82(4):1540-7. doi: 10.1128/IAI.01403-13. Epub 2014 Jan 22.

Abstract

Passive protection, the administration of antibodies to prevent infection, has garnered significant interest in recent years as a potential prophylactic countermeasure to decrease the prevalence of hospital-acquired infections. Pili, polymerized protein structures covalently anchored to the peptidoglycan wall of many Gram-positive pathogens, are ideal targets for antibody intervention, given their importance in establishing infection and their accessibility to antibody interactions. In this work, we demonstrated that a monoclonal antibody to the major component of Enterococcus faecalis pili, EbpC, labels polymerized pilus structures, diminishes biofilm formation, and significantly prevents the establishment of a rat endocarditis infection. The effectiveness of this anti-EbpC monoclonal provides strong evidence in support of its potential as a preventative. In addition, after radiolabeling, this monoclonal identified the site of enterococcal infection, providing a rare example of molecularly specific imaging of an established bacterial infection and demonstrating the versatility of this agent for use in future diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / administration & dosage
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / immunology*
  • Biofilms / growth & development
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Endocarditis, Bacterial / immunology
  • Endocarditis, Bacterial / microbiology
  • Endocarditis, Bacterial / prevention & control
  • Enterococcus faecalis / immunology*
  • Fimbriae Proteins / immunology
  • Fimbriae, Bacterial / immunology*
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / immunology
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / prevention & control*
  • Immunization, Passive / methods*
  • Rats

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Fimbriae Proteins