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Staphylococcus aureus is a significant bacterial pathogen in both community and hospital settings, and the escalation of antimicrobial‐resistant strains is of immense global concern. Vaccination is an inviting long‐term strategy to curb staphylococcal disease, but identification of an effective vaccine has proved to be challenging. Three well‐characterized, ubiquitous, secreted immune evasion factors from the staphylococcal superantigen‐like (SSL) protein family were selected for the development of a vaccine. Wild‐type SSL3, 7 and 11, which inhibit signaling through Toll‐like receptor 2, cleavage of complement component 5 and neutrophil function, respectively, were successfully combined into a stable, active fusion protein (PolySSL7311). Vaccination of mice with an attenuated form of the PolySSL7311 protein stimulated significantly elevated specific immunoglobulin G and splenocyte proliferation responses to each component relative to adjuvant‐only controls. Vaccination with PolySSL7311, but not a mixture of the individual proteins, led to a > 102 reduction in S. aureus tissue burden compared with controls after peritoneal challenge. Comparable antibody responses were elicited after coadministration of the vaccine in either AddaVax (an analog of MF59) or an Alum‐based adjuvant; but only AddaVax conferred a significant reduction in bacterial load, aligning with other studies that suggest both cellular and humoral immune responses are necessary for protective immunity to S. aureus. Anti‐sera from mice immunized with PolySSL7311, but not individual proteins, partially neutralized the functional activities of SSL7. This study confirms the importance of these SSLs for the survival of S. aureus in vivo and suggests that PolySSL7311 is a promising vaccine candidate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of Staphylococcus aureus in the pathogenesis of the chronic sinonasal disease chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), has not been definitively established. Comparative analyses of S. aureus isolates from CRS with those from control participants may offer insight into a possible pathogenic link between this organism and CRS. The intra- and inter-subject S. aureus strain-level diversity in the sinuses of patients with and without CRS were compared in this cross-sectional study. In total, 100 patients (CRS = 64, control = 36) were screened for S. aureus carriage. The overall carriage prevalence of S. aureus in this cohort was 24% (CRS n = 13, control n = 11). Cultured S. aureus isolates from 18 participants were strain-typed using spa gene sequencing. The bacterial community composition of the middle meatus was assessed using amplicon sequencing targeting the V3V4 hypervariable region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. S. aureus isolates cultured from patients were grown in co-culture with the commensal bacterium Dolosigranulum pigrum and characterised. All participants harboured a single S. aureus strain and no trend in disease-specific strain-level diversity was observed. Bacterial community analyses revealed a significant negative correlation in the relative abundances of S. aureus and D. pigrum sequences, suggesting an antagonistic interaction between these organisms. Co-cultivation experiments with these bacteria, however, did not confirm this interaction in vitro. We saw no significant associations of CRS disease with S. aureus strain types. The functional role that S. aureus occupies in CRS likely depends on other factors such as variations in gene expression and interactions with other members of the sinus bacterial community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most pathogens initiate infection via the mucosa, therefore delivery of vaccines directly to the mucosa is likely to be advantageous for stimulating protective immunity at the site of entry. PilVax is a novel mucosal vaccine platform that harnesses Lactococcus lactis bacteria engineered to stably express multiple copies of vaccine peptide antigens within pili, hair‐like structures which extend from the cell wall. This strategy elicited systemic and mucosal antibody responses to a model antigen after intranasal immunization, but has not been tested for its capacity to stimulate protective mucosal immunity. A well‐characterized linear B‐cell epitope, D3(22–33), from the fibronectin‐binding protein A of Staphylococcus aureus was successfully introduced into PilVax and delivered intranasally to mice. Specific antipeptide immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgA antibodies were detected in the serum and respiratory mucosa of vaccinated mice. Responses to the major pilus backbone protein Spy0128 were also assessed; robust antibody responses to this antigen were generated both systemically and in the respiratory and intestinal mucosa. Mice were challenged intranasally with the mouse‐adapted S. aureus JSNZ strain and the S. aureus load quantified 7 days after challenge. Unexpectedly, exposure to PilVax, irrespective of the presence of the peptide, resulted in a significant reduction in S. aureus load in both the intestine and nasal mucosa (both P < 0.05) when compared with unvaccinated control mice. The mechanism(s) of protection are unclear, but merit further investigation to determine whether PilVax is a suitable platform for delivery of vaccine candidate antigens to the mucosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responses of solid tumors to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy are often minimal. This is potentially due to a lack of sustained activation and proliferation of CAR T cells when encountering antigen in a profoundly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In this study, we investigate if inducing an interaction between CAR T cells and antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in lymphoid tissue, away from an immunosuppressive microenvironment, could enhance solid-tumor responses. We combined CAR T cell transfer with the bacterial enterotoxin staphylococcal enterotoxin-B (SEB), which naturally links a proportion of T cell receptor (TCR) Vβ subtypes to MHC-II, present on APCs. CAR T cell proliferation and function was significantly enhanced by SEB. Solid tumor-growth inhibition in mice was increasedwhen CAR T cellswere administered in combination with SEB. CAR T cell expansion in lymphoid tissue was demonstrated, and inhibition of lymphocyte egress from lymph nodes using FTY720 abrogated the benefit of SEB. We also demonstrate that a bispecific antibody, targeting a c-Myc tag on CAR T cells and cluster of differentiation 40 (CD40), could also enhance CAR T cell activity and mediate increased antitumor activity of CAR T cells. These model systems serve as proof-of-principle that facilitating the interaction of CAR T cells with APCs can enhance their ability to mediate antitumor activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Previous studies have demonstrated that staphylococcal superantigen-like protein 7 (SSL7), a protein produced by Staphylococcus aureus, potently inhibits the formation of the complement membrane attack complex by binding to complement component 5 (C5). However, because of the predicted immunogenicity of SSL7 as a foreign protein in humans, its potential as a new complement inhibitor for treating complement-mediated diseases is uncertain. In this study, we found that administration of SSL7 significantly prevented complement-mediated hemolysis and reduced hemoglobinuria in a mouse model of complement-mediated intravascular hemolysis. Interestingly, although repetitive administrations of SSL7 elicited anti-SSL7 antibody production, administration of SSL7 at a dose of 2 μg/mouse was still able to significantly attenuate complement-mediated intravascular hemolysis in vivo in the presence of the antibodies. In addition, even though anti-SSL7 antibodies were detectable in normal human donors, these antibodies did not significantly reduce the complement inhibitory activity of SSL7 in in vitro assays. Finally, inoculation of SSL7 in the anterior chamber of the eye suppressed the production of SSL7-reactive antibodies after repetitive SSL7 administration. These results suggest that SSL7 could be developed as an economical alternative to the existing C5-targeted drug, eculizumab, especially for controlling acute complement activation in catastrophic conditions such as drug-induced immune hemolytic anemia and ABO-incompatible erythrocyte transfusions. These data also suggest that approaches such as anterior chamber-associated immune deviation could be employed to establish an antigen-specific immune tolerance for long-term SSL7 administration.Key messages: • SSL7 functions in the presence of anti-SSL7 antibodies both in vitro and in vivo.• SSL7 has the potential to be developed as a new and economical complement inhibitor for treating complement-mediated hemolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen that produces many virulence factors. Two major families of which are the staphylococcal superantigens (SAgs) and the Staphylococcal Superantigen-Like (SSL) exoproteins. The former are immunomodulatory toxins that induce a Vβ-specific activation of T cells, while the latter are immune evasion molecules that interfere with a wide range of innate immune defences. The superantigenic properties of Staphylococcal enterotoxin-like X (SElX) have recently been established. We now reveal that SElX also possesses functional characteristics of the SSLs. A region of SElX displays high homology to the sialyl-lactosamine (sLacNac)-specific binding site present in a sub-family of SSLs. By analysing the interaction of SElX with sLacNac-containing glycans we show that SElX has an equivalent specificity and host cell binding range to the SSLs. Mutation of key amino acids in this conserved region affects the ability of SElX to bind to cells of myeloid origin and significantly reduces its ability to protect S. aureus from destruction in a whole blood killing (WBK) assay. Like the SSLs, SElX is up-regulated early during infection and is under the control of the S. aureus exotoxin expression (Sae) two component gene regulatory system. Additionally, the structure of SElX in complex with the sLacNac-containing tetrasaccharide sialyl Lewis X (sLeX) reveals that SElX is a unique single-domain SAg. In summary, SElX is an ‘SSL-like’ SAg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The TCR Vβ repertoire from patients with recurrent tonsillitis and/or tonsillar hyperplasia was examined to determine whether the TCR Vβ composition is suggestive of local superantigen activity and if so, whether it is associated with the presence of superantigen producing bacteria. Tonsil specimens were cultured aerobically to allow identification and isolation of the bacterial pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Group A Streptococcus. TCR Vβ subset analysis of tonsil leucocytes was performed by flow cytometry. The superantigenic potential of tonsil S. aureus isolates was determined by multiplex PCR and a T-cell mitogenicity assay. Tonsils were collected from 40 patients who were predominantly pre-school-aged children undergoing surgery for either recurrent tonsillitis or tonsillar hyperplasia causing obstructive sleep apnoea. S. aureus was cultured from 23/40 and Group A Streptococcus from 5/40 patients. Both CD4 and CD8 TCR Vβ populations were skewed in 17/40 patients. Twelve of these had recurrent tonsillitis of whom 9 also harboured S. aureus. Characterisation of tonsillar S. aureus isolates revealed that many contained genes for one or more potent superantigens and detection of these genes was associated with in vitro mitogenic activity. Skewing of the tonsillar TCR Vβ repertoire was observed at high frequency and was most commonly associated with the presence of S. aureus. Many S. aureus isolates were mitogenic suggesting that they have a potential for local impact on the function of tonsil T cell populations. These results suggest the possibility that anti-staphylococcal antibiotics may be an effective treatment option for some patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Group A Streptococcus (GAS), or Streptococcus pyogenes, is a human pathogen that causes diseases ranging from skin and soft tissue infections to severe invasive diseases, such as toxic shock syndrome. Each GAS strain carries a particular pilus type encoded in the variable fibronectin-binding, collagen-binding, T antigen (FCT) genomic region. Here, we describe the functional analysis of the serotype M2 pilus encoded in the FCT-6 region. We found that, in contrast to other investigated GAS pili, the ancillary pilin 1 lacks adhesive properties. Instead, the backbone pilin is important for host cell adhesion and binds several host factors, including fibronectin and fibrinogen. Using a panel of recombinant pilus proteins, GAS gene deletion mutants and Lactococcus lactis gain-of-function mutants we show that, unlike other GAS pili, the FCT-6 pilus also contributes to immune evasion. This was demonstrated by a delay in blood clotting, increased intracellular survival of the bacteria in macrophages, higher bacterial survival rates in human whole blood and greater virulence in a Galleria mellonella infection model in the presence of fully assembled FCT-6 pili. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More effective antibiotics and a protective vaccine are desperately needed to combat the ‘superbug’ Staphylococcus aureus. While in vivo pathogenicity studies routinely involve infection of mice with human S. aureus isolates, recent genetic studies have demonstrated that S. aureus lineages are largely host-specific. The use of such animal-adapted S. aureus strains may therefore be a promising approach for developing more clinically relevant animal infection models. We have isolated a mouse-adapted S. aureus strain (JSNZ) which caused a severe outbreak of preputial gland abscesses among male C57BL/6J mice. We aimed to extensively characterize this strain on a genomic level and determine its virulence potential in murine colonization and infection models. JSNZ belongs to the MLST type ST88, rare among human isolates, and lacks an hlb-converting phage encoding human-specific immune evasion factors. Naive mice were found to be more susceptible to nasal and gastrointestinal colonization with JSNZ than with the human-derived Newman strain. Furthermore, naïve mice required antibiotic pre-treatment to become colonized with Newman. In contrast, JSNZ was able to colonize mice in the absence of antibiotic treatment suggesting that this strain can compete with the natural flora for space and nutrients. In a renal abscess model, JSNZ caused more severe disease than Newman with greater weight loss and bacterial burden. In contrast to most other clinical isolates, JSNZ can also be readily genetically modified by phage transduction and electroporation. In conclusion, the mouse-adapted strain JSNZ may represent a valuable tool for studying aspects of mucosal colonization and for screening novel vaccines and therapies directed at preventing colonization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen responsible for a range of diseases, from local skin infections through to life-threatening illnesses such as toxic shock syndrome. S. aureus produces an assortment of molecules designed to evade or subvert the host immune system. One example is the 23 kDa staphylococcal superantigen-like protein 7 (SSL7) that simultaneously binds immunoglobulin A (IgA) and complement C5 to inhibit complement-mediated hemolytic and bactericidal activity. The avirulent bacterium Lactococcus lactis was engineered to express SSL7 so that its role in bacterial survival could be assessed without interference from other virulence factors. Expression of SSL7 by L. lactis led to significantly enhanced bacterial survival in whole human blood and prevented the membrane attack complex (C5b-9) forming on the cell wall. To further understand the mechanism of action of SSL7, the activity of wild-type SSL7 protein was compared with a panel of mutant proteins lacking the capacity to bind IgA, C5, or both IgA and C5. SSL7 potently inhibited in vitro chemotaxis of inflammatory myeloid cells in response to a pathogenic stimulus and when injected into mice, SSL7 blocked the migration of neutrophils into the peritoneum in response to an inoculum of heat-killed S. aureus. Mutagenesis of the C5-binding site on SSL7 abolished all inhibitory activity, while mutation of the IgA-binding site had only partial effects, indicating that while IgA binding enhances activity it is not essential. SSL7 is an important staphylococcal virulence factor with potent anti-inflammatory properties, which are mediated by targeting complement C5 and IgA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The immobilization of proteins to surfaces is an active area of research due to strong interest in protein-based sensors. Here, we describe a novel method for immobilizing ligand proteins onto Biacore sensor chips using the transpeptidase activity of Staphylococcus aureus sortase A (SrtA). This method provides a robust and gentle approach for the site-directed, covalent coupling of proteins to biosensor chips. Notably, the high specificity of the sortase allows immobilization of proteins from less than pure protein samples allowing short cuts in protein purification protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of a vaccine to limit the impact of antibiotic resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae is now a global priority. Serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) is a possible indicator of protective immunity to N. gonorrhoeae, but conventional assays measure colony forming units (CFU), which is time-consuming. A luminescent assay that quantifies ATP as a surrogate measure of bacterial viability was tested on N. gonorrhoeae strains FA1090, MS11 and P9-17 and compared to CFU-based readouts. There was a linear relationship between CFU and ATP levels for all three strains (r > 0.9). Normal human serum (NHS) is a common source of complement for SBA assays, but needs to be screened for non-specific bactericidal activity. NHS from 10 individuals were used for serum sensitivity assays—sensitivity values were significantly reduced with the ATP method for FA1090 (5/10, p < 0.05) and MS11 (10/10, p < 0.05), whereas P9-17 data were comparable for all donors. Our results suggest that measuring ATP underestimates serum sensitivity of N. gonorrhoeae and that the CFU method is a better approach. However, mouse anti-P9-17 outer membrane vesicles (OMV) SBA titres to P9-17 were comparable with both methods (r = 0.97), suggesting this assay can be used to rapidly screen sera for bactericidal antibodies to gonococci. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus aureus and Group A Streptococcus (GAS) are common occupants of the tonsils and many strains produce potent exotoxins (mitogens) that directly target T cells, which could be a driver for tonsillar hyperplasia. Tonsil tissues from 41 patients were tested for these bacteria in conjunction with profiling of B and T cells by flow cytometry. S. aureus and GAS were detected in tonsil tissue from 44% and 7%, respectively, of patients by bacteriological culture; immuno-histology showed bacteria in close proximity to both B and T lymphocytes. The presence of tonsillar S. aureus did not alter B or T cell populations, whereas peripheral blood mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells were significantly increased in S. aureus culture positive individuals (p < 0.006). Alterations of tonsil CD4+ TCR Vβ family members relative to peripheral blood were evident in 29 patients. Three patients had strong TCR Vβ skewing indicative of recent exposure to superantigens, their tonsils contained mitogenic bacteria, and supernatants from these bacteria were used to partially recapitulate the skewing profile in vitro, supporting the notion that superantigens can target tonsillar T cells in situ. Tonsils are a reservoir for superantigen-producing bacteria with the capacity to alter the composition and function of key immune cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]