炭疽毒素保护性抗原的不同结构域对其表达可溶性的影响

目的：对炭疽毒素保护性抗原（PA）的不同结构域进行了缺失突变,以期找到免疫原性降低而功能变化不大的PA蛋白突变体。方法：在对PA结构域的缺失突变体进行表达时,意外发现不同的突变体表达效果之间存在很大差异,遂用DNAStar软件对PA的4个结构域和突变体进行分析。结果：PA蛋白结构域2的表面特性与其他结构域存在很大差异。结论：推断这种表面特性影响了PA突变体的可溶性特征。     

重组炭疽保护性抗原的表达、纯化与生物活性分析

构建分泌型表达质粒 ,在大肠杆菌中实现了重组炭疽保护性抗原 (rPA)的分泌型表达。重组蛋白位于细菌外周质 ,表达量约占菌体总蛋白的 10 %。以离子交换、疏水层析和凝胶过滤为基础 ,建立了rPA的纯化工艺 ,每升培养物可获得约 15mgrPA ,纯度可达 95 %以上。体外细胞毒性试验显示rPA具有较好的生物学活性。用rPA免疫家兔产生的抗血清在体外可抑制炭疽致死毒素的活性 ,表明rPA可诱导机体产生保护性免疫。以上结果为今后发展新一代炭疽疫苗打下基础     

炭疽毒素保护性抗原第四结构域在大肠杆菌中的可溶性表达

人工优化设计并合成炭疽毒素保护性抗原第四结构域基因,并与噬菌体gⅢ蛋白N端结构域基因融合,在大肠杆菌中可溶性表达融合蛋白。结果表明合成了炭疽毒素保护性抗原第四结构域基因,并在大肠杆菌中获得了高效可溶性融合表达,可溶性表达产物占细菌总蛋白量的36％左右;经亲和层析纯化获得了重组蛋白;Western印迹分析表明,表达产物能与His单抗（重组蛋白羧基端带有6xHis）发生特异性结合反应。以上结果表明获得了炭疽毒素保护性抗原第四结构域,为利用人抗体库进行筛选抗炭疽毒素的人源性中和抗体奠定了基础。     

炭疽芽孢杆菌保护性抗原在大肠杆菌中的表达及纯化

按照炭疽芽孢杆菌保护性抗原（PA）基因成熟肽编码序列设计引物,从炭疽杆菌pOX1质粒中扩增出PA基因片段,将该片段定向插入到原核表达载体pET-28a中,获得了pET-PA原核表达重组质粒,限制性酶切分析和DNA序列测定均证实该克隆插入片段为PA基因的成熟呔编码序列。将该重组质粒转化大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）,经IPTG诱导,重组蛋白在大肠杆菌表达系统中获得了高效表达;Western印迹分析表明表达产物具有良好的免疫学活性。     

炭疽杆菌保护性抗原基因的克隆与序列测定

采用聚合酶链反应从炭疽芽孢杆菌减毒株ＹＢ１中扩增其保护性抗原（ＰＡ）的编码区基因,将其克隆至ｐＧＥＭ－Ｔ载体中,并分步测定其序列。序列测定表明,该基因长２２０５ｂｐ,编码７３５个氨基酸残基,与献报道的标准菌株Ｓｔｅｒｎｅ株的ＰＡ序列只有４个碱基的差异。     

炭疽杆菌保护性抗原在大肠杆菌中的表达及其纯化

利用基因重组技术获取炭疽杆菌保护性抗原(PA)。将炭疽杆菌保护性抗原编码基因pag与pET载体连接构建重组质粒,转化大肠杆菌DE3株,诱导表达炭疽杆菌保护性抗原,并经亲和层析及凝胶过滤纯化此抗原。实验成功构建了表达炭疽杆菌保护性抗原的重组菌株,纯化后PA纯度达90%,且经检测纯化产物具有天然PA的生物学活性。同时表明从大肠杆菌中纯化PA较以往从炭疽杆菌中获取PA简便易行。     

炭疽杆菌保护性抗原(PA)重组腺病毒的构建及免疫效果分析

探讨利用腺病毒载体作为炭疽杆菌基因工程疫苗载体的可行性.从载体pcDNA3.1-PA上PCR扩增PA片断,将该片断克隆入质粒pAdTrack-CMV,得到阳性克隆pAdTrack-PA.PmeI线性化的阳性克隆转化含有腺病毒骨架质粒pAdeasy-1的BJ5183感受态细胞,经同源重组后得到重组腺病毒vAd-PA.vAd-PA经PacI线性化后,脂质体介导转染293细胞,经Western- blot检测表明PA在293细胞中得到表达.重组病毒肌肉注射免疫BALB/c小鼠,用ELISA方法检测血清中产生了特异性抗体,抗体滴度计算几何均数为12800.该研究为进一步研究以腺病毒为活载体的疫苗奠定了基础.     

炭疽杆菌保护性抗原（PA）重组腺病毒的构建及免疫效果分析

探讨利用腺病毒载体作为炭疽杆菌基因工程疫苗载体的可行性。从载体pcDNA3.1-PA上PCR扩增PA片断,将该片断克隆入质粒pAdTrack-CMV,得到阳性克隆pAdTrack-PA。PmeI线性化的阳性克隆转化含有腺病毒骨架质粒pAdeasy-1的BJ5183感受态细胞,经同源重组后得到重组腺病毒vAd-PA。vAd-PA经PacI线性化后,脂质体介导转染293细胞,经Western-blot检测表明PA在293细胞中得到表达。重组病毒肌肉注射免疫BALB/c小鼠,用ELISA方法检测血清中产生了特异性抗体,抗体滴度计算几何均数为1:2800。该研究为进一步研究以腺病毒为活载体的疫苗奠定了基础。     

抗炭疽保护性抗原单克隆抗体可变区基因的克隆及序列分析

目的:克隆并分析抗重组炭疽芽孢杆菌保护性抗原(rPA)单克隆抗体4B2、5E1和2A8轻、重链可变区基因。方法:从分泌抗rPA特异性单抗的杂交瘤细胞株4B2、5E1和2A8中提取总RNA;利用RT-PCR技术克隆抗rPA单抗4B2、5E1和2A8的VL、VH基因,并将其连入pMD18-T载体中进行测序分析。结果:4B2VL基因全长378bp,VH基因全长414bp;5E1VL基因全长420bp,VH基因全长426bp;2A8VL基因全长384bp,VH基因全长342bp。通过分析,这些基因均符合小鼠IgGV区基因的特征,含有4个框架区、3个抗原互补决定区,而且抗体特征性的半胱氨酸残基的数量和位置也正确。结论:克隆了抗rPA单抗4B2、5E1和2A8的VL、VH基因,为下一步构建多种形式的基因工程抗体奠定了良好的基础。     

The 2beta2-2beta3 loop of anthrax protective antigen contains a dominant neutralizing epitope

Anthrax toxin consists of three proteins, protective antigen (PA), lethal factor, and edema factor. PA is the major component in the current anthrax vaccine, but the antigenic epitopes on it are not well-defined. We generated a pool of toxin-neutralizing anti-PA monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to analyze the neutralizing epitopes of PA. Nine toxin-neutralizing MAbs obtained were found bound to three different domains of PA respectively, among which three MAbs with the strongest toxin-neutralizing activity recognized the same epitope within domain 2. This epitope was fine mapped to the chymotrypsin-sensitive site, (312)SFFD(315), in the 2beta(2)-2beta(3) loop of PA, using phage-displayed random peptide libraries and mutation analysis. The result demonstrated for the first time that the 2beta(2)-2beta(3) loop, which is involved in the transition of PA oligomers from prepore to pore, contains a dominant neutralizing epitope. This work contributes to the immunological and functional analysis of PA and offers perspective for the development of a new epitope vaccine against anthrax.     

Lethal factor of anthrax toxin binds monomeric form of protective antigen

Anthrax toxin consists of three components: the enzymatic moieties edema factor (EF) and the lethal factor (LF) and the receptor-binding moiety protective antigen (PA). These toxin components are released from Bacillus anthracis as unassociated proteins and form complexes on the surface of host cells after proteolytic processing of PA into PA20 and PA63. The sequential order of PA heptamerization and ligand binding, as well as the exact mechanism of anthrax toxin entry into cells, are still unclear. In the present study, we provide direct evidence that PA63 monomers are sufficient for binding to the full length LF or its LF-N domain, though with lower affinity with the latter. Therefore, PA oligomerization is not a necessary condition for LF/PA complex formation. In addition, we demonstrated that the PA20 directly interacts with the LF-N domain. Our data points to an alternative process of self-assembly of anthrax toxin on the surface of host cells.     

Exchange characteristics of calcium ions bound to anthrax protective antigen

Protective antigen (PA), the receptor-binding moiety of anthrax toxin, contains two calcium atoms buried within domain 1(') (amino acid residues 168-258). We showed that these ions are stably bound and exchange with free 45Ca(2+) only slowly (t(1/2) approximately 4.0 h). Dissociation is the rate-limiting step. PA(63), the heptameric prepore form of PA, showed a slightly higher exchange rate than the monomeric intact protein. Exchange by this form was retarded by binding of the enzymatic moieties of the toxin, but was unaffected by reducing the pH to 5.0, a condition known to trigger conversion of the prepore to the pore form. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that bound Ca(2+) within PA plays primarily a structural role, maintaining domain 1(') in a conformation that allows PA(63) to oligomerize and bind the enzymatic moieties of the toxin.     

Efficacy of non-toxic deletion mutants of protective antigen from Bacillus anthracis

Current human anthrax vaccines available in the United States and Europe consist of alum-precipitated supernatant material from cultures of a toxigenic, nonencapsulated strain of Bacillus anthracis. The major component of human anthrax vaccine that confers protection is protective antigen (PA). A second-generation human vaccine using the recombinant PA (rPA) is being developed. In this study, to prevent the toxicity and the degradation of the native rPA by proteases, we constructed two PA variants, delPA (163-168) and delPA (313-314), that lack trypsin (S(163)-R(164)-K(165)-K(166)-R(167)-S(168)) or chymotrypsin cleavage sequence (F(313)-F(314)), respectively. These proteins were expressed in Bacillus brevis 47-5Q. The delPAs were fractionated from the culture supernatant of B. brevis by ammonium sulfate at 70% saturation, followed by anion exchange chromatography on a Hitrap Q, Hiload 16/60 superdex 200 gel filtration column and phenyl sepharose hydrophobic interaction column. In accordance with previous reports, both delPA proteins combined with lethal factor protein did not show any cytotoxicity on J774A.1 cells. The delPA (163-168) and delPA (313-314) formulated either in Rehydragel HPA or MPL-TDM-CWS (Ribi-Trimix), elicited a comparable amount of anti-PA and neutralizing antibodies to those of native rPA in guinea pigs, and confers full protection of guinea pigs from 50xLD50 of fully virulent B. anthracis spore challenges. Ribi-Trimix was significantly more effective in inducing anti-PA and neutralizing antibodies than Rehydragel HPA. These results indicate the possibility of delPA (163-168) and delPA (313-314) proteins being developed into nontoxic, effective and stable recombinant vaccine candidates.     

Role of residues constituting the 2beta1 strand of domain II in the biological activity of anthrax protective antigen

Anthrax toxin consists of three proteins, protective antigen, lethal factor and oedema factor. A proteolytically activated 63-kDa fragment of protective antigen binds lethal factor/oedema factor and translocates them into the cytosol. Domain II of protective antigen has been implicated in membrane insertion and channel formation. In the present study, alanine substitutions in 14 consecutive residues of the 2beta1 strand that are highly homologous to the putative membrane interacting segment of Clostridium perfringens iota-b toxin were generated and the effect on the biological activity of protective antigen studied. One of the mutants, Pro260Ala, showed considerably reduced toxicity in combination with lethal factor. The mutant also showed decreased membrane insertion and translocation of lethal factor into the cytosol. The data suggest that Pro260 is important for membrane insertion and translocation by protective antigen.     

Treatment of anthrax infection with combination of ciprofloxacin and antibodies to protective antigen of Bacillus anthracis

Currently there is no effective treatment for inhalational anthrax beyond administration of antibiotics shortly after exposure. There is need for new, safe and effective treatments to supplement traditional antibiotic therapy. Our study was based on the premise that simultaneous inhibition of lethal toxin action with antibodies and blocking of bacterial growth by antibiotics will be beneficial for the treatment of anthrax. In this study, we tested the effects of a combination treatment using purified rabbit or sheep anti-protective antigen (PA) antibodies and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin in a rodent anthrax model. In mice infected with a dose of Bacillus anthracis Sterne strain corresponding to 10 LD(50), antibiotic treatment with ciprofloxacin alone only cured 50% of infected animals. Administration of anti-PA IgG in combination with ciprofloxacin produced 90-100% survival. These data indicate that a combination of antibiotic/immunoglobulin therapy is more effective than antibiotic treatment alone in a rodent anthrax model.     

Expression and secretion of the protective antigen of Bacillus anthracis in Bacillus brevis

We used the Bacillus brevis-pNU212 system to develop a mass production system for the protective antigen (PA) of Bacillus anthracis. A moderately efficient expression-secretion system for PA was constructed by fusing the PA gene from B. anthracis with the B. brevis cell-wall protein signal-peptide encoding region of pNU212, and by introducing the recombinant plasmid, pNU212-mPA, into B. brevis 47-5Q. The clone producing PA secreted about 300 microg of recombinant PA (rPA) per ml of 5PY-erythromycin medium after 4 days incubation at 30 degrees C. The rPA was fractionated from the culture supernatant of B. brevis 47-5Q carrying pNU212-mPA using ammonium sulfate at 70% saturation followed by anion exchange chromatography on a Hitrap Q, a Hiload 16/60 Superdex 200 gel filtration column and a phenyl sepharose hydrophobic interaction column, yielding 70 mg rPA per liter of culture. The N-terminal sequence of the purified rPA was identical to that of native PA from B. anthracis. The purified rPA exhibited cytotoxicity towards J774A.1 cells when combined with lethal factor. The rPA formulated in either Rehydragel HPA or MPL-TDM-CWS adjuvant (Ribi-Trimix) elicited the expression of a large amount of anti-PA and neutralizing antibodies in guinea pigs and completely protected them against a 100 LD50 challenge with fully virulent B. anthracis spores.     

Conformational fluctuations in anthrax protective antigen: a possible role of calcium in the folding pathway of the protein

Protective antigen (PA) is the central receptor binding component of anthrax toxin, which translocates catalytic components of the toxin into the cytosol of mammalian cells. Ever since the crystal structure of PA was solved, there have been speculations regarding the possible role of calcium ions present in domain I of the protein. We have carried out a systematic study to elucidate the effect of calcium removal on the structural stability of PA using various optical spectroscopic techniques, limited proteolysis and mutational analysis. Urea denaturation studies clearly suggest that the unfolding pathway of the protein follows a non-two state transition with apo-PA being an intermediate species, whereas the folding pathway shows that calcium ions may be critical for the initial protein assembly.     

Thermostabilization of protective antigen—the binding component of anthrax lethal toxin

Protective antigen (PA) is the binding component of anthrax lethal toxin produced by Bacillus anthracis, and constitutes a major ingredient of the vaccine against anthrax. PA and lethal factor when added together are cytolytic to mouse macrophages and J774G8 macrophage cell line. This in vitro lethal toxicity assay is very useful in understanding the molecular mechanism of action of lethal toxin. Effective utilization of PA is, however, hampered due to its thermolability. On prolonged storage at 37 ° C, PA was found to lose its activity almost completely. The effect of solvent additives like trehalose, sorbitol, xylitol, sodium citrate and magnesium sulphate on the thermal stabilization of PA was examined. The results indicated an increase in the stability of PA when the incubation at 37 ° C was carried out in the presence of solvent additives used in the 1–3 M range. Magnesium sulphate helped retain the activity up to 82.7% against the control in which no additive was used, as judged by cytolytic assay using J774G8 macrophage cell line. Trehalose or sodium citrate also showed an appreciable protection of PA activity, while sorbitol or xylitol were not very effective. Competitive binding assay using radiolabeled PA showed that PA had lost capacity of binding to macrophage cells on prolonged incubation at 37 ° C. Circular dichroism results at 4, 18 and 37 ° C indicated an increase in secondary structure at 37 ° C relative to that at 4 or 18 ° C, supporting the activity data.     

Expression of protective antigen in transgenic plants: a step towards edible vaccine against anthrax

Protective antigen (PA) is the most potent molecule for vaccination against anthrax. In the present study, we have successfully integrated protective antigen gene in nuclear genome of tobacco plants by Agrobacterium mediated leaf-disc transformation method. Expression of protective antigen gene was detected by immunoblot analysis using antisera raised against purified PA. A distinct band of approximately 83kDa lighted up in the protein extracted from transformed plants while there was no such band in untransformed plants. The plant expressed PA showed biological activity just like native PA, which was demonstrated by cytolytic assay on macrophage like cell lines with lethal factor. This study establishes for the first time expression of PA gene in a plant system and thus marks the first milestone towards developing edible vaccine against anthrax.