Plague Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Plague, including details on bubonic plague, yersinia pestis, infection, types, treatment.

The ABC transporter protein OppA provides protection against experimental Yersinia pestis infection.

Tanabe M, Atkins HS, Harland DN, Elvin SJ, Stagg AJ, Mirza O, Titball RW, Byrne B, Brown KA

Division of Cell and Molecular Biology, Centre for Molecular Microbiology and Infection, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom.

The identification of Yersinia pestis as a potential bioterrorism agent and the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains have highlighted the need for improved vaccines and treatments for plague. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential for ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter proteins to be exploited as novel vaccines against plague. Western blotting of ABC transporter proteins using sera from rabbits immunized with killed whole Y. pestis cells or human convalescent-phase sera identified four immunologically reactive proteins: OppA, PstS, YrbD, and PiuA. Mice immunized with these proteins developed antibody to the immunogen. When the immunized mice were challenged with Y. pestis, the OppA-immunized mice showed an increased time to death compared to other groups, and protection appeared to correlate with the level of immunoglobulin G antibody to OppA.

Published 22 May 2006 in Infect Immun, 74(6): 3687-91.
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