Protective immunity against Streptococcus mutans infection in mice after intranasal immunization with the glucan-binding region of S. mutans glucosyltransferase.

Here we present the construction and characterization of a chimeric vaccine protein combining the glucan-binding domain (GLU) of the gtfB-encoded water-insoluble glucan-synthesizing glucosyltransferase enzyme (GTF-I) from Streptococcus mutans and thioredoxin from Escherichia coli, which increases the solubility of coexpressed recombinant proteins and stimulates proliferation of murine T cells. The protective potential of intranasal (i.n.) immunization with this chimeric immunogen was compared to that of the GLU polypeptide alone in a mouse infection model. Both immunogens were able to induce statistically significant mucosal (salivary and vaginal) and serum responses (P < 0.01) which were sustained to the end of the study (experimental day 100). Following infection with S. mutans, sham-immunized mice maintained high levels of this cariogenic organism ( approximately 60% of the total oral streptococci) for at least 5 weeks. In contrast, animals immunized with the thioredoxin-GLU chimeric protein (Thio-GLU) showed significant reduction (>85%) in S. mutans colonization after 3 weeks (P < 0.05). The animals immunized with GLU alone required 5 weeks to demonstrate significant reduction (>50%) of S. mutans infection (P < 0.05). Evaluation of dental caries activity at the end of the study showed that mice immunized with either Thio-GLU or GLU had significantly fewer carious lesions in the buccal enamel or dentinal surfaces than the sham-immunized animals (P < 0.01). The protective effects against S. mutans colonization and caries activity following i.n. immunization with GLU or Thio-GLU are attributed to the induced salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA) anti-GLU responses. Although in general Thio-GLU was not significantly better than GLU alone in stimulating salivary IgA responses and in protection against dental caries, the finding that the GLU polypeptide alone, in the absence of any immunoenhancing agents, is protective against disease offers a promising and safe strategy for the development of a vaccine against caries.