Title: Screening of novel epitopes in Klebsiella pneumoniae, as target for vaccine design

Authors: Laila H. El-Sayed; Medhat Haroun; Ahmed A. Hussein; El Sayed H. El Ashry; Tarek A. Ahmad

Addresses: Immunology Department, Institute of Medical Research, Alexandria University, 165 Horreya Ave., 21561 Alexandria, Egypt ' Biotechnology Department, Institute of Graduate Studies and Research, Alexandria University, Horreya Ave., 21526 Alexandria, Egypt ' Biotechnology Department, Institute of Graduate Studies and Research, Alexandria University, Horreya Ave., 21526 Alexandria, Egypt ' Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Horreya Ave., 21526 Alexandria, Egypt ' Biotechnology Department, Institute of Graduate Studies and Research, Alexandria University, 34 Memphis St., 21526 Alexandria, Egypt

Abstract: K. pneumoniae is the most common cause of nosocomial respiratory tract and premature intensive care infections, and the second most frequent cause of Gram-negative bacteraemia and urinary tract infections. Although immuno-prophylactic preparations appeared to offer the most suitable control, no vaccine trials were directed to prevent Klebsiella in all patient's groups. Therefore, the screening for universal protein epitopes in all types of Klebsiella infections is the corner-stone to produce potent vaccines. Western blot was used for such purpose and highlighted five proteins produced in sufficient amounts, shared by all isolates and exerted a clear immunogenic response in different groups of infected patients. Literature review and further purification of outer membrane proteins (OMPs) revealed that those bands are the main OMP's of Klebsiella. The conjugation of those OMPs to the main Klebsiella O-antigens would be the building block of a new potent vaccine.

Keywords: epitope mapping; Klebsiella pneumoniae; outer membrane proteins; OMPs; vaccines; western blot; screening; universal protein epitopes; vaccine design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIS.2012.051235

International Journal of Immunological Studies, 2012 Vol.1 No.4, pp.336 - 348

Published online: 30 Aug 2014 *

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