%0 Journal Article %A King, Audrey J. %A Berbers, Guy %A van Oirschot, Hans F. L. M. %A Hoogerhout, Peter %A Knipping, Karen %A Mooi, Frits R. %T Role of the polymorphic region 1 of the Bordetella pertussis protein pertactin in immunity %D 2001 %J Microbiology, %V 147 %N 11 %P 2885-2895 %@ 1465-2080 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-147-11-2885 %K HRP, horseradish peroxidase %K protective immunity %K immunization %K MBP, maltose-binding protein %K P.69/pertactin %K antigenic variation %K WCV, whole-cell pertussis vaccine %I Microbiology Society, %X In several countries pertussis is re-emerging, despite a high vaccination coverage. It is suggested that antigenic divergence between Bordetella pertussis vaccine strains and circulating strains, in particular with respect to pertactin, has contributed to pertussis re-emergence. Polymorphism in pertactin is essentially limited to region 1, which is composed of repeats and is located adjacent to an Arg-Gly-Asp motif implicated in adherence. Evidence is provided for the immunological relevance of polymorphism in region 1. Region 1 was found to contain a B-cell epitope recognized in both humans and mice. Furthermore, variation in region 1 affected antibody binding and, in a mouse respiratory infection model, the efficacy of a whole-cell vaccine. Moreover, passive and active immunization indicated that region 1 confers protective immunity. An mAb directed against a linear conserved epitope conferred cross-immunity against isolates with distinct pertactin variants. The results indicate an important role of region 1 of pertactin in immunity. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-147-11-2885