Antibody to a conserved antigenic target is protective against diverse prokaryotic and eukaryotic pathogens

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Abstract
Significance: Poly- N -acetylglucosamine (PNAG) has been identified as a conserved surface polysaccharide produced by major bacterial, fungal, and protozoal parasites, including malarial sporozoites and blood-stage forms, which can all be targeted for vaccination using this single antigen. Surface carbohydrates are among the most successful vaccines against human microbial pathogens but have tremendous variability that complicates vaccine development. The species of bacteria, fungi, and protozoa shown here to produce PNAG lack an identifiable genetic locus for this antigen’s biosynthetic proteins based on known loci, indicative of a possible evolutionary convergent acquisition of PNAG synthesis with potential important significance for microbial biology.

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