PLoS ONE (Jan 2015)

Recognition of Neisseria meningitidis by the long pentraxin PTX3 and its role as an endogenous adjuvant.

  • Barbara Bottazzi,
  • Laura Santini,
  • Silvana Savino,
  • Marzia M Giuliani,
  • Ana I Dueñas Díez,
  • Giuseppe Mancuso,
  • Concetta Beninati,
  • Marina Sironi,
  • Sonia Valentino,
  • Livija Deban,
  • Cecilia Garlanda,
  • Giuseppe Teti,
  • Mariagrazia Pizza,
  • Rino Rappuoli,
  • Alberto Mantovani

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0120807
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 3
p. e0120807

Abstract

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Long pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a non-redundant component of the humoral arm of innate immunity. The present study was designed to investigate the interaction of PTX3 with Neisseria meningitidis. PTX3 bound acapsular meningococcus, Neisseria-derived outer membrane vesicles (OMV) and 3 selected meningococcal antigens (GNA0667, GNA1030 and GNA2091). PTX3-recognized microbial moieties are conserved structures which fulfil essential microbial functions. Ptx3-deficient mice had a lower antibody response in vaccination protocols with OMV and co-administration of PTX3 increased the antibody response, particularly in Ptx3-deficient mice. Administration of PTX3 reduced the bacterial load in infant rats challenged with Neisseria meningitidis. These results suggest that PTX3 recognizes a set of conserved structures from Neisseria meningitidis and acts as an amplifier/endogenous adjuvant of responses to this bacterium.