Polymorphism of Repeated Regions of Pertactin in Bordetella pertussis , Bordetella parapertussis , and Bordetella bronchiseptica

Abstract

ABSTRACT Pertactin is an outer membrane protein expressed by Bordetella pertussis , Bordetella parapertussis , and Bordetella bronchiseptica that induces protective immunity to Bordetella infections. The immunodominant and immunoprotective epitopes of pertactin include two repeated regions, I and II. Comparison of these two repeated regions showed that B. parapertussis pertactin is invariant, whereas B. pertussis pertactin varies mostly in region I and B. bronchiseptica pertactin varies in both repeated regions I and II, but mostly in region II. These differences may result from specific characteristics of these Bordetella species.