Skip to main content
PMC home page
Emerging Infectious Diseases logoLink to Emerging Infectious Diseases
. 1999 May-Jun;5(3):395–403. doi: 10.3201/eid0503.990310

Adhesins as targets for vaccine development.

T M Wizemann 1, J E Adamou 1, S Langermann 1
PMCID: PMC2640765  PMID: 10341176

Abstract

Blocking the primary stages of infection, namely bacterial attachment to host cell receptors and colonization of the mucosal surface, may be the most effective strategy to prevent bacterial infections. Bacterial attachment usually involves an interaction between a bacterial surface protein called an adhesin and the host cell receptor. Recent preclinical vaccine studies with the FimH adhesin (derived from uropathogenic Escherichia coli) have confirmed that antibodies elicited against an adhesin can impede colonization, block infection, and prevent disease. The studies indicate that prophylactic vaccination with adhesins can block bacterial infections. With recent advances in the identification, characterization, and isolation of other adhesins, similar approaches are being explored to prevent infections, from otitis media and dental caries to pneumonia and sepsis.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (188.5 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Beachey E. H. Bacterial adherence: adhesin-receptor interactions mediating the attachment of bacteria to mucosal surface. J Infect Dis. 1981 Mar;143(3):325–345. doi: 10.1093/infdis/143.3.325. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Beachey E. H., Giampapa C. S., Abraham S. N. Bacterial adherence. Adhesin receptor-mediated attachment of pathogenic bacteria to mucosal surfaces. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1988 Dec;138(6 Pt 2):S45–S48. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/138.6_Pt_2.S45. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Berry A. M., Paton J. C. Sequence heterogeneity of PsaA, a 37-kilodalton putative adhesin essential for virulence of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Infect Immun. 1996 Dec;64(12):5255–5262. doi: 10.1128/iai.64.12.5255-5262.1996. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Briles D. E., Hollingshead S. K., Swiatlo E., Brooks-Walter A., Szalai A., Virolainen A., McDaniel L. S., Benton K. A., White P., Prellner K. PspA and PspC: their potential for use as pneumococcal vaccines. Microb Drug Resist. 1997 Winter;3(4):401–408. doi: 10.1089/mdr.1997.3.401. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Connell I., Agace W., Klemm P., Schembri M., Mărild S., Svanborg C. Type 1 fimbrial expression enhances Escherichia coli virulence for the urinary tract. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1996 Sep 3;93(18):9827–9832. doi: 10.1073/pnas.93.18.9827. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Demuth D. R., Duan Y., Brooks W., Holmes A. R., McNab R., Jenkinson H. F. Tandem genes encode cell-surface polypeptides SspA and SspB which mediate adhesion of the oral bacterium Streptococcus gordonii to human and bacterial receptors. Mol Microbiol. 1996 Apr;20(2):403–413. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1996.tb02627.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Dintilhac A., Alloing G., Granadel C., Claverys J. P. Competence and virulence of Streptococcus pneumoniae: Adc and PsaA mutants exhibit a requirement for Zn and Mn resulting from inactivation of putative ABC metal permeases. Mol Microbiol. 1997 Aug;25(4):727–739. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2958.1997.5111879.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Donnenberg M. S., Kaper J. B., Finlay B. B. Interactions between enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and host epithelial cells. Trends Microbiol. 1997 Mar;5(3):109–114. doi: 10.1016/S0966-842X(97)01000-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Falkow S. Perspectives series: host/pathogen interactions. Invasion and intracellular sorting of bacteria: searching for bacterial genes expressed during host/pathogen interactions. J Clin Invest. 1997 Jul 15;100(2):239–243. doi: 10.1172/JCI119527. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Fenno J. C., Shaikh A., Spatafora G., Fives-Taylor P. The fimA locus of Streptococcus parasanguis encodes an ATP-binding membrane transport system. Mol Microbiol. 1995 Mar;15(5):849–863. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1995.tb02355.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hammerschmidt S., Talay S. R., Brandtzaeg P., Chhatwal G. S. SpsA, a novel pneumococcal surface protein with specific binding to secretory immunoglobulin A and secretory component. Mol Microbiol. 1997 Sep;25(6):1113–1124. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2958.1997.5391899.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hanski E., Caparon M. Protein F, a fibronectin-binding protein, is an adhesin of the group A streptococcus Streptococcus pyogenes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Jul 1;89(13):6172–6176. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.13.6172. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hultgren S. J., Abraham S., Caparon M., Falk P., St Geme J. W., 3rd, Normark S. Pilus and nonpilus bacterial adhesins: assembly and function in cell recognition. Cell. 1993 Jun 4;73(5):887–901. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(93)90269-v. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Jenkinson H. F., Lamont R. J. Streptococcal adhesion and colonization. Crit Rev Oral Biol Med. 1997;8(2):175–200. doi: 10.1177/10454411970080020601. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. McNab R., Jenkinson H. F., Loach D. M., Tannock G. W. Cell-surface-associated polypeptides CshA and CshB of high molecular mass are colonization determinants in the oral bacterium Streptococcus gordonii. Mol Microbiol. 1994 Nov;14(4):743–754. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1994.tb01311.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Mecsas J. J., Strauss E. J. Molecular mechanisms of bacterial virulence: type III secretion and pathogenicity islands. Emerg Infect Dis. 1996 Oct-Dec;2(4):270–288. doi: 10.3201/eid0204.960403. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Novak R., Braun J. S., Charpentier E., Tuomanen E. Penicillin tolerance genes of Streptococcus pneumoniae: the ABC-type manganese permease complex Psa. Mol Microbiol. 1998 Sep;29(5):1285–1296. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2958.1998.01016.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Ofek I., Sharon N. Adhesins as lectins: specificity and role in infection. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 1990;151:91–113. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-74703-8_5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Palaszynski S., Pinkner J., Leath S., Barren P., Auguste C. G., Burlein J., Hultgren S., Langermann S. Systemic immunization with conserved pilus-associated adhesins protects against mucosal infections. Dev Biol Stand. 1998;92:117–122. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Pecha B., Low D., O'Hanley P. Gal-Gal pili vaccines prevent pyelonephritis by piliated Escherichia coli in a murine model. Single-component Gal-Gal pili vaccines prevent pyelonephritis by homologous and heterologous piliated E. coli strains. J Clin Invest. 1989 Jun;83(6):2102–2108. doi: 10.1172/JCI114123. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Schennings T., Heimdahl A., Coster K., Flock J. I. Immunization with fibronectin binding protein from Staphylococcus aureus protects against experimental endocarditis in rats. Microb Pathog. 1993 Sep;15(3):227–236. doi: 10.1006/mpat.1993.1073. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. St Geme J. W., 3rd Bacterial adhesins: determinants of microbial colonization and pathogenicity. Adv Pediatr. 1997;44:43–72. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Talay S. R., Valentin-Weigand P., Timmis K. N., Chhatwal G. S. Domain structure and conserved epitopes of Sfb protein, the fibronectin-binding adhesin of Streptococcus pyogenes. Mol Microbiol. 1994 Aug;13(3):531–539. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1994.tb00448.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Talkington D. F., Brown B. G., Tharpe J. A., Koenig A., Russell H. Protection of mice against fatal pneumococcal challenge by immunization with pneumococcal surface adhesin A (PsaA). Microb Pathog. 1996 Jul;21(1):17–22. doi: 10.1006/mpat.1996.0038. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Zhang J. P., Normark S. Induction of gene expression in Escherichia coli after pilus-mediated adherence. Science. 1996 Aug 30;273(5279):1234–1236. doi: 10.1126/science.273.5279.1234. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Emerging Infectious Diseases are provided here courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

RESOURCES