The University of Texas System

Bernd Kriekemeyer

Magnus A Hook

Rick T Owens

George M Weinstock

Barbara E Murray

Sreedhar R Nallapareddy

Rebecca L Rich

A collagen-binding MSCRAMM entitled Ace from enterococcal bacteria is provided which was homologous to the ligand-binding region of Cna, the collagen-binding MSCRAMM from, and which can be utilized to inhibit adhesion of enterococcal bacteria to extracellular matrix proteins. The N-terminal region of Ace contained a region (residues 174-319), or A domain, contains several 47-residue tandem repeat units between the collagen-binding site and cell wall-associated regions. The Ace protein can be utilized in methods of preventing and/or treating enterococcal infection, and in addition, antibodies raised against Ace, or its A domain, can be used to effectively inhibit the adhesion of enterococcal cells to a collagen substrate.

Collagen-binding proteins from enterococcal bacteria

A collagen-binding MSCRAMM entitled Ace from enterococcal bacteria is provided which was homologous to the ligand-binding region of Cna, the collagen-binding MSCRAMM from, and which can be utilized in a similar manner as other collagen-binding MSCRAMMs to inhibit adhesion of enterococcal bacteria to extracellular matrix proteins. The N-terminal region of Ace contained a region (residues 174-319), or A domain, which appears to be equivalent to the minimal ligand-binding region of the collagen-binding protein Cna (Cna 151-318), and contains several 47-residue tandem repeat units, called B domain repeat units, between the collagen-binding site and cell wall-associated regions. The Ace protein of the invention can thus be utilized in methods of preventing and/or treating enterococcal infection, and in addition, antibodies raised against Ace, or its A domain, can be used to effectively inhibit the adhesion of enterococcal cells to a collagen substrate. The Ace protein of the present invention is thus a functional collagen-binding MSCRAMM and can be utilized to treat or prevent invention in the same manner as other isolated MSCRAMMs have been utilized, namely in methods of treating or preventing infections and diseases caused by enterococcal bacteria.

Growing community of inventors

Ulm, Germany

Bernd Kriekemeyer