Other surface antigens on Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) B7A

Other surface antigens on ETEC B7A refer to a collective group of immunogenic proteins expressed on the surface of the Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strain B7A, a well-characterized human challenge strain of serotype O148:H28 (PMID: 21602360). While primary ETEC vaccine targets focus on major colonization factors (CFs) like CS1 and CS2 and the heat-labile toxin (LT), these 'other' antigens include critical accessory virulence factors such as the extracellular adhesin EtpA, the autotransporter protease EatA, and the flagellar protein flagellin (PMID: 26157147). These molecules play essential roles in the pathogen's ability to navigate the intestinal environment, adhere to host enterocytes, and facilitate the delivery of enterotoxins (PMID: 21947770). In the context of vaccine development, such as the ETVAX candidate, these antigens are targeted to provide broader and more robust protection against diverse ETEC strains that may lack common CFs (PMID: 31606315). By eliciting neutralizing antibodies, these targets help prevent the initial stages of bacterial colonization, thereby averting the onset of secretory diarrhea. However, the term is considered non-specific as it aggregates multiple distinct proteins with different biological roles into a single category for clinical or manufacturing descriptions.

Other names

Non-CF antigensMinor surface antigensAccessory virulence factorsETEC B7A surface proteinsEtpAEatAYghJFlagellin

Induction of mucosal and systemic immunity (primarily IgA and IgG) to neutralize bacterial attachment, inhibit motility, and prevent colonization of the intestinal epithelium by the ETEC pathogen.