恶性疟原虫无性期疫苗研究及进展

疟疾是威胁人类健康和生命的主要寄生虫疾病之一,近年来在世界上尤其是落后及发展中国家有卷土重来之势。恶性疟原虫是这类寄生虫中危害最大的病原体,它感染力强,症状严重,初次感染者致死率高,是医务工作者和疫苗人员的主要征服目标。世界各地的科技工作者为此付出了不懈的努力,本文拟对近几年来恶性疟原虫疫苗的研究作一综述。     

增强恶性疟原虫DNA疫苗免疫反应的研究

构建了含有恶性疟原虫抗原基因 ( AWTE)及白介素 2基因的重组质粒 p CMV- AWTE以及p CMV- IL2、p CMV- IL2 - AWTE、p RSV- AWTE。将纯化的质粒混合后免疫小鼠 ,3次免疫后比较其诱导机体产生的免疫应答的水平 ,发现 IL- 2可以明显地提高机体的细胞免疫 ,而对体液免疫的影响甚微。麻醉剂、蔗糖、免疫剂量等因素也可以不同程度地提高机体的免疫应答水平 ,RSV启动子与 CMV启动子对免疫应答水平无明显的影响     

恶性疟原虫无性期疫苗研究及进展

疟疾是威胁人类健康和生命的主要寄生虫疾病之一。近年来在世界上尤其是落后及发展中国家有卷土重来之势。恶性疟原虫（Ｐｌａｓｍｏｄｉｕｍｆａｌｃｉｐａｒｕｍ）是这类寄生虫中危害最大的病原体。它感染力强,增殖迅速,症状严重,初次感染者致死率高,是医务工作者和疫苗研究人员的主要征服目标［１］。世界各地的科技工作者为此付出了不懈的努力。本文拟对近几年来恶性疟原虫疫苗的研究作一综述。     

恶性疟原虫抗原表位的亚单位疫苗与DNA疫苗的联合免疫

构建了含有恶性疟原虫抗原基因 ( AWTE)的真核表达质粒 p CMV- AWTE,以及能在大肠杆菌中得到分泌性表达的原核表达质粒 p MC0 5 ,表达的蛋白 AWTE保持了疟原虫抗原的抗原性。将 p CMV- AWTE以及 AWTE两者混合各 1 0μg鼻腔免疫小鼠 ,一次后诱导机体产生了较高水平的体液免疫及细胞免疫     

恶性疟原虫抗原变异机制的研究进展

近几年来疟疾变异的进展主要在于变异抗原基因的转录和转换以及主要变异抗原区的功能性表达。而且,随着疟疾基因组计划的进展,已发现新的变异基因家族。     

恶性疟原虫DNA疫苗免疫效果的评估

以霍乱毒素Ｂ亚基（ＣＴＢ）为载体,由其基因构建了含有不同时期不同抗原表位的恶性疟原虫的融合基因ＣＴＢ～ＡＷＴＥ、ＣＴＢ～ＮＡＮＰ,前者除含有恶性疟原虫裂殖子表面主要抗原表位杂合多肽基因ＳＰｆ６６外,还含有很强的Ｔ辅助细胞表位ＣＳＴ３和Ｔｃ细胞表位,后者含有子孢子期的Ｂ、Ｔｈ细胞表位。将纯化的质粒免疫Ｂａｌｂ．ｃ纯系小鼠,３次免疫后诱导机体产生了体液免疫和细胞免疫,免疫的小鼠进行疟原虫子孢子攻击实验     

间日疟原虫传播阻断疫苗研究新进展

间日疟原虫是导致人类感染疟疾的4种疟原虫之一。由于间日疟具有较强的遗传多样性和更易复发等特点,间日疟原虫的防治得到人们的日益关注,其中疫苗的研发是重要的防控手段,传播阻断疫苗作为可以阻断传播的疫苗,相关方面的研究却刚刚起步。综述了间日疟传播阻断疫苗研究方面的新进展,旨在为间日疟疫苗的研制提供参考。     

恶性疟原虫子孢子CS抗原融合基因的克隆

利用381-A型DNA合成仪,参照恶性疟原虫子孢子CS抗原决定簇相应氨基酸的核苷酸序列,设计了CS-Ⅰ和CS-Ⅱ两个片段。以噬菌体M13mp18质粒作为载体,将两片段进行磷酸化、退火、连接和克隆,经过原位杂交,序列分析,获得了(NANP)_(10)重复串联基因的重组质粒M13mp18-CS。再以酶切,从重组质粒中回收(NANP)_(10)次的片段,将其片段基因与CT-B基因融合,最后将融合基因CT-B-CS插入载体PMC055中,成功地得到含有(NANP)_(10)与CT-B基因融合的重组质粒pMC055-CS。     

Plasmodium falciparum serine-repeat antigen (SERA) forms a homodimer through disulfide bond

Plasmodium falciparum serine-repeat antigen (SERA) is one potential blood-stage vaccine candidate and is expressed as a protomer that is subsequently processed into four fragments (P47, P50, P6, and P17). Although recent evidence shows that P50 exhibits chymotrypsin-like protease activity, the function of SERA is still largely unknown. Here, we found that apart from cathepsin L-like cysteine protease, P50 showed significant homology to silicatein-α and testin which were shown to bind to cellular components, suggesting that SERA may have similar function. Immunoprecipitation of schizont lysate and molecular assignment of its precipitate by mass spectrometry provided evidence that SERA forms a homodimer through disulfide bond. Moreover, analysis of the fate of SERA using cell-free system revealed that the kinetics of conversion of SERA dimer into monomer is faster than that of processing of SERA monomer into various fragments. These findings may contribute to elucidate a possible function of SERA other than a protease.     

Plasmodium falciparum: Increased and Multiple Invasion During Short Periods of Time

We describe how to obtain an increased merozoite invasion of Plasmodium falciparum into human erythrocytes during short periods of time. Using this procedure, infected erythrocytes show multiple invasions (2–4 merozoites per erythrocyte), amplifying, several times, the effects of parasite entry into host cells. The procedure yields synchronous cultures (2-h age range) with parasitemia as high as 15%. It is possible to reach parasitemia of 50% or higher allowing for a 6-h invasion period.     

Differential localization of processed fragments of Plasmodium falciparum serine repeat antigen and further processing of its N-terminal 47 kDa fragment

The serine repeat antigen (SERA) of Plasmodium falciparum is a blood stage malaria vaccine candidate. It has been shown that 120 kDa SERA was proteolytically processed into N-terminal 47 kDa fragment (P47), central 56 kDa fragment (P56) that was further converted to 50 kDa (P50), and C-terminal 18 kDa fragment (P18). Here, we have examined the processing of SERA and the localization of its processed fragments by using mouse antibodies directed against recombinant proteins corresponding to different domains of SERA. Western blot analysis showed that all the processing events occurred inside parasitized erythrocytes at the stage just prior to the schizont rupture, that P47 was further processed into two 25 kDa fragments and that the two fragments, which were linked to P18 through disulfide bonds, were associated with the merozoite. In contrast, P50 was completely shed into culture medium and absent from the merozoite. This observation was further supported by the results of indirect immunofluorescence assay. These results could account for the findings that antibodies against P47 were inhibitory to the parasite growth in vitro but those against P50 were not. Finally, we demonstrated that the further processing of P47 is allelic type-dependent. The results of the present study would help in vaccine designing based on SERA.