Phage Display Selected Chicken Antibodies Targeting Surface Alpha Enolase in Staphylococcus aureus

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Immunology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of opportunistic infections and antibiotic resistance.
• Alpha-enolase on S. aureus surfaces facilitates host tissue invasion and biofilm formation.
• Novel therapeutic strategies are needed to combat S. aureus infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop specific chicken antibodies against S. aureus alpha-enolase using phage display technology.
• To evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of these antibodies as alternatives to antibiotics.

Main Methods:

• Construction and screening of phage display single-chain variable fragment (scFv) libraries.
• Immunization of a chicken with recombinant S. aureus alpha-enolase.
• Biopanning, epitope mapping, cross-reaction assays, ELISA, and flow cytometry for antibody characterization.
• Validation of antibody specificity against clinical S. aureus isolates, including MRSA.

Main Results:

• Identified five scFv antibody clones with high binding affinities: SaS1, SaS2, and SaL2.
• SaS1 and SaS2 demonstrated specific binding to S. aureus alpha-enolase.
• SaL2 showed cross-reactivity with Streptococcus pneumoniae alpha-enolase.
• Validated antibody specificity against methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains.

Conclusions:

• Developed specific anti-alpha-enolase antibodies (SaS1, SaS2) for S. aureus.
• Identified potential diagnostic and therapeutic agents against S. aureus infections.
• These antibodies represent promising alternatives to conventional antibiotic treatments.