Identification of the <i>Bartonella</i> autotransporter CFA as a protective antigen and hypervariable target of neutralizing antibodies in mice.

Abstract

The bacterial genus <i>Bartonella</i> comprises numerous emerging pathogens that cause a broad spectrum of disease manifestations in humans. The targets and mechanisms of the anti-<i>Bartonella</i> immune defense are ill-defined and bacterial immune evasion strategies remain elusive. We found that experimentally infected mice resolved <i>Bartonella</i> infection by mounting antibody responses that neutralized the bacteria, preventing their attachment to erythrocytes and suppressing bacteremia independent of complement or Fc receptors. <i>Bartonella</i>-neutralizing antibody responses were rapidly induced and depended on CD40 signaling but not on affinity maturation. We cloned neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and by mass spectrometry identified the bacterial autotransporter CFA (CAMP-like factor autotransporter) as a neutralizing antibody target. Vaccination against CFA suppressed <i>Bartonella</i> bacteremia, validating CFA as a protective antigen. We mapped <i>Bartonella</i>-neutralizing mAb binding to a domain in CFA that we found is hypervariable in both human and mouse pathogenic strains, indicating mutational antibody evasion at the <i>Bartonella</i> subspecies level. These insights into <i>Bartonella</i> immunity and immune evasion provide a conceptual framework for vaccine development, identifying important challenges in this endeavor.