Objetivo
S.AUREUS IS ONE OF THE MAJOR CAUSES OF BOVINE MASTITIS. THE LONG TERM AIM OF THIS WORK IS TO IDENTIFY THE VIRULENCE DETERMINANTS IN S.AUREUS FROM WHICH A VACCINE AGAINST MASTITIS CAN BE MADE.
Antibiotic therapy is largely ineffective and no adequate vaccine is available. S aureus expresses a variety of factors (eg toxins, enzymes, surface components) that might be important in infection and could be components in a future vaccine.
Techniques for contructing site specific mutations in S aureus were devised. Mutants defective in alpha-toxin, beta-toxin and protein A were constructed and were shown to be less virulent than the wild type in the mouse mastitis infection model, providing clear evidence that these factors are important in pathogenesis. Expression of alpha-toxin caused mortalities in infected animals and was the major cause of damage to cells (including phagocytes). Expression of beta-toxin promoted growth in vivo, whereas protein A helped bacteria avoid being phagocytosed. In contrast, coagulase deficient mutants were still virulent.
THE SPECIFIC AIM OF THIS PROJECT IS TO CLONE AND TO INACTIVATE BY SITE-DIRECTED MUTAGENESIS THE GENES SPECIFYING PROTEIN A, COAGULASE AND B-HAEMOLYSIN PRODUCTION BY S. AUREUS (THIS PART TO BE DONE BY T.J. FOSTER, DUBLIN). THE VIRULENCE OF THESE MUTANTS WILL BE ASSESSED IN THE MAMMARY GLAND OF THE MOUSE BY DR. BRAMLEY'S TEAM.
Ámbito científico
- social sciencessociologydemographymortality
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriology
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugsvaccines
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsmutation
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsenzymes
Programa(s)
Tema(s)
Data not availableConvocatoria de propuestas
Data not availableRégimen de financiación
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinador
RG16 0NN NEWBURY
Reino Unido