Abstract
The bacterial determinants of pulmonary Francisella induced inflammatory responses and their interaction with host components are not clearly defined. In this study, proteomic and immunoblot analyses showed presence of a cytoplasmic protein elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) in the membrane fractions of virulent Francisella novicida, LVS and SchuS4, but not in an attenuated F. novicida mutant. EF-Tu was immunodominant in mice vaccinated and protected from virulent F. novicida. Moreover, recombinant EF-Tu induced macrophages to produce inflammatory cytokines in a TLR4 dependent manner. This study shows immune stimulatory properties of a cytoplasmic protein EF-Tu expressed on the membrane of virulent Francisella strains.
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