Induction of Antimeningitis Immunity by Synthetic Peptides: III. Immunoactive Synthetic Fragments of the NspA Protein from Neisseria meningitidis

Four potentially immunoactive peptide fragments of the NspA protein from the outer membrane of the Neisseria meningitidis bacterium were synthesized in order to create a synthetic vaccine against meningococcal infection by the serogroup B bacterium. Mice of various lines were immunized with free peptides nonconjugated with a protein carrier. All the synthetic peptides were shown to induce the production of the antipeptide antibodies in mice. A peptide capable of inducing a decrease in the number of bacteria in blood and the protection of infected animals from death was found in the experiments on the protection of the animals infected with two strains of the Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B.     

Induction of antimeningitis immunity by synthetic peptides. II. Immunoactive synthetic fragments of OpaB protein from Neisseria meningitidis

Mice of various lines were immunized by 11 synthetic peptides that correspond to the sequences of fragments of the OpaB protein from the outer membrane of Neisseria meningitidis involving the known human T-helper epitopes and all the potential mouse T-helper epitopes calculated for the protein. The mice were immunized with the free peptides without their conjugation with a protein carrier. Most of the peptides were found to induce in mice the production of antipeptide antibodies. The mice protection against the experimental infection by a virulent strain of N. meningitidis of the B serotype was studied, and two peptides were shown to exert the most pronounced protective effect.     

Induction of antimeningitis immunity by the synthetic peptides: I. The immunoactive synthetic fragments of porin A fromNeisseria meningitidis

Fourteen peptides corresponding to sequences of all the exposed and some of the transmembrane protein regions of porin A from the outer membrane ofNeisseria meningitidis strain B:15:P1.7,16 were synthesized. Mice of various lines were immunized with the free peptides not conjugated with any protein carrier. It was shown that the majority of the peptides possess immunogenic properties. Two peptides were identified binding to antibodies present in the serum of mice after meningitis. Protective properties of a number of the synthesized peptides were studied, and three peptide sequences inducing mice protection to an experimental infection withN. meningitidis were identified.     

Surface antigen analysis of group B Neisseria meningitidis outer membrane by monoclonal antibodies: Identification of bactericidal antibodies to class 5 protein

Twenty-four monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against group B Neisseria meningitidis surface antigens were analyzed by immunoenzymatic assays and by a bactericidal test. Two mAbs were specific to polysaccharide B and one to lipopolysaccharide. The others were directed against outer membrane proteins ranging in molecular mass from 25 to 200 kDa. The outer membrane protein epitopes recognized by the mAbs were not conformational and were located on the outer surface of the microorganism. Linear epitopes on the class 5 protein, exposed on the surface of the membrane, were able to induce bactericidal antibodies to the homologous strain. The susceptibility of Neisseria meningitidis to these antibodies was unchanged when this organism was cultivated under conditions of iron depletion. These results demonstrate that peptides derived from class 5 proteins are potentially important in synthetic peptide or in recombinant protein vaccines containing linear bactericidal epitopes.     

Immunochemical characteristics of synthetic peptides with T-cellular and B-cellular epitopes of nonspecific porins of pathogenic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Yersinia</Emphasis>

Multiple antigenic peptides (MAPs) that included the common antigenic epitopes of porins from the outer membranes (OM) of bacteria from the Yersinia genus (Y. pseudotuberculosis, Y. enterocolitica, and Y. pestis that are pathogenic for humans) were synthesized. Mice of the BALB/c line were immunized with these peptides, and antisera to the peptides were obtained. It was demonstrated by EIA that these sera interacted with the porins that were isolated from the OM of pathogenic Yersinia. MAPs were shown to be bound to the antibodies in the blood sera of rabbits immunized with the individual porins and to the antibodies in the blood sera of humans suffering from intestinal yersiniosis and pseudotuberculosis.     

Synthesis,Immunogenicity, and Antigenicity of the Glycoprotein E Fragments of the Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus

Six peptide fragments of the envelope protein E of the tick-borne encephalitis virus involving the predicted T-helper epitopes were synthesized. Their ability to induce antibodies without conjugation with any high-molecular-mass carrier was studied in mice of three lines. Five of six synthesized peptides exhibited immunogenic properties, which differed in dependence on the haplotype of immunized mice. The peptide binding to the antiviral antibodies was studied, and two peptides were revealed that demonstrated a high ability to recognize the viral antibodies in the horse and human sera. These peptides are promising for the development of diagnostic agents for the tick-borne encephalitis virus.     

Synthesis, immunogenicity and antigenic characteristics of the glycoprotein E fragments from the tick-borne encephalitis virus]

Six peptide fragments of the envelope protein E of the tick-borne encephalitis virus involving the predicted T-helper epitopes were synthesized. Their ability to induce antibodies without conjugation with any high-molecular-mass carrier was studied in mice of three lines. Five of six synthesized peptides exhibited immunogenic properties, which differed in dependence on the haplotype of immunized mice. The peptide binding to the antiviral antibodies was studied, and two peptides were revealed that demonstrated a high ability to recognize the viral antibodies in the horse and human sera. These peptides are promising for the development of diagnostic agents for the tick-borne encephalitis virus.     

Expression of the rabies virus nucleoprotein in plants at high-levels and evaluation of immune responses in mice

Transgenic plants have been employed successfully as a low-cost system for the production of therapeutically valuable proteins including antibodies, antigens and hormones. Here, we report expression of a full-length nucleoprotein gene of rabies virus in transgenic tomato plants. The nucleoprotein was also transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana plants by agroinfiltration. In both cases, the nucleoprotein was expressed at high levels, 1–5% of total soluble protein in tomato and 45% in N. benthamiana. Previously, only epitopes of the nucleoprotein had been expressed in plants. The presence and expression of the transgene was verified by PCR, Southern, northern and western blots. Mice were immunized both intraperitoneally (i.p.) and orally with tomato protein extracts containing the N protein induced the production of antibodies. The antibody titer of mice immunized i.p., was at least four times higher than that of mice immunized orally. These results were reflected in the challenge experiments where i.p.-immunized mice were partially protected against a peripheral virus challenge whereas orally immunized mice were not. This protection was comparable to that obtained in previous experiments employing different expression systems. Work is in progress to express both G and N proteins in transgenic plants and evaluate protection in mice.     

Production of antibodies to the α7-subunit of human acetylcholine receptor with the use of immunoactive synthetic peptides

Potential B epitopes and T-helper epitopes in the N-terminal extracellular domain of the α7-subunit of human acetylchloline receptor (AChR) were theoretically calculated in order to reveal peptides that can induce the formation of specific antibodies to this domain. Four peptides structurally corresponding to four α7-subunit regions containing 16–23 aa and three of their truncated analogues were synthesized. Rabbits were immunized with both free peptides and protein conjugates of their truncated analogues, and a panel of antibodies to various exposed regions of the N-terminal extracellular domain of the AChR α7-subunit was obtained. All of the four predicted peptides were shown to induce the production of antipeptide antibodies in free form, without conjugation with any protein carrier. The free peptides and the protein conjugates of truncated analogues induced the formation of almost equal levels of antibodies. Most of the obtained antisera contained antibodies that bind to the recombinant extracellular N-terminal domain of the rat AChR α7-subunit and do not react with the analogous domain of the α1-subunit of the ray Torpedo californica AChR.     

Structure Prediction for Peptides Capable of Inducing Antibody Formation in Mice

A simple method for the sequence prediction of peptides capable of thein vivo stimulation of antibody production in mice without conjugation with protein carriers was proposed on the basis of literature data on the structure of T-helper epitopes active in vivo. According to this approach, a potentially active peptide should contain a nine-membered sequence with a hydrophobic amino acid residue in the first position and a positively charged residue in the ninth position. The efficiency of this approach was confirmed by the presence of such sequences in the previously described synthetic peptides with immune activities, by the application of this approach to the choice of immunogenic fragments within the sequences of various proteins that exhibited further the specific activity, and by the construction of immunogenic peptides on the basis of inactive natural sequences.     

Protective potency of recombinant meningococcal IgA1 protease and its structural derivatives upon animal invasion with meningococcal and pneumococcal infections

Immunization of mice with recombinant IgA1 protease of Neisseria meningitidis or several structural derivatives thereof protects the animals infected with a variety of deadly pathogens, including N. meningitidis serogroups A, B, and C and 3 serotypes of Streptococcus pneumonia. In sera of rabbits immunized with inactivated pneumococcal cultures, antibodies binding IgA1-protease from N. meningitidis serogroup B were detected. Thus, the cross-reactive protection against meningococcal and pneumococcal infections has been demonstrated in vivo. Presumably it indicates the presence of common epitopes in the N. meningitidis IgA1 protease and S. pneumoniae surface proteins.     

乳房链球菌GapC蛋白的表达及其B细胞抗原表位的预测与鉴定

乳房链球菌Streptococcus uberis的GapC蛋白是一种位于该菌表面的具有甘油醛-3-磷酸脱氢酶活性的蛋白,其参与细胞活动,表现出多种生物学活性,此外还具有良好的抗原性。文中旨在对乳房链球菌GapC蛋白可能的B细胞抗原表位进行预测,分析和验证候选表位肽的免疫原性。利用S. uberis分离株RF5-1克隆gapC基因,构建重组表达质粒pET-28a-GapC,诱导表达GapC重组蛋白,并以纯化蛋白免疫家兔,获得抗GapC多抗。利用生物信息学软件预测并分析GapCB细胞抗原表位的三维结构和空间位置及对GapC蛋白及表位的同源性比较。结果表明,表达纯化了44kDa的GapC蛋白具有良好的反应性。利用表位预测软件筛选并合成针对S.uberisGapC蛋白的6个线性和3个构象优势B细胞表位多肽,三维结构的分析显示,筛选的多肽具有良好的抗原表位形成条件。以纯化的S.uberis GapC蛋白免疫家兔制备多抗,通过间接ELISA对抗原表位进行鉴定。ELISA检测结果显示,9条抗原表位肽均可不同程度地与抗GapC多抗反应,其中表位266AANDSYGYTEDPIVSSD282与多抗反应...     

T-helper cell and associated antibody response to synthetic peptides of the E glycoprotein of Murray Valley encephalitis virus.

A battery of 16 synthetic peptides, selected primarily by computer analysis for predicted B- and T-cell epitopes, was prepared from the deduced amino acid sequence of the envelope (E) glycoprotein of Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) virus. We examined all of the peptides for T-helper (Th)-cell recognition and antibody induction in three strains of mice: C57BL/6, BALB/c, and C3H. Lymphoproliferative and interleukin-2 assays were performed on splenic T cells from mice inoculated with peptides in Freund's incomplete adjuvant or with MVE virus. Several peptides found to contain predicted T-cell epitopes elicited a Th-cell response in at least one strain of mice, usually with a concomitant antibody response. Peptides 145 (amino acids 145 to 169) and 17 (amino acids 356 to 376) were strongly recognized by T cells from all three inbred strains of mice. Peptide 06 (amino acids 230 to 251) primed C57BL/6 mice for Th- and B-cell reactivity with native MVE virus, and T cells from virus-immune mice were stimulated by this peptide. Peptide 06 was recognized by several Th-cell clones prepared from mice immunized with MVE, West Nile, or Kunjin virus. These results indicate that it may be feasible to design synthetic flavivirus peptides that define T-cell epitopes capable of generating a helper cell response for B-cell epitopes involved in protective immunity.     

Induction of rabies virus-specific T-helper cells by synthetic peptides that carry dominant T-helper cell epitopes of the viral ribonucleoprotein.

The T-helper cell response to the internal proteins of rabies virus was investigated. The rabies virus nucleoprotein was shown to be a major target antigen for T-helper cells that cross-react between rabies and rabies-related viruses. T-helper cells were assayed in vitro by testing virus-induced lymphocytes for lymphokine secretion in response to antigen. Immunodominant T-helper cell epitopes of the viral nucleoprotein were identified in vitro by using synthetic peptides delineated from the amino acid sequence of the nucleoprotein. The response to synthetic peptides were under Ir gene control. Antigenic peptides were tested in vivo for stimulation of rabies virus-specific T-helper cells. Inoculation of mice with peptides bearing immunodominant T-helper cell epitopes resulted in an accelerated and enhanced neutralizing antibody response upon booster immunization with inactivated rabies virus.     

Protective Immunity against Trichinella spiralis Infection Induced by a Multi-Epitope Vaccine in a Murine Model

Trichinellosis is one of the most important food-borne parasitic zoonoses throughout the world. Because infected pigs are the major source of human infections, and China is becoming the largest international producer of pork, the development of a transmission-blocking vaccine to prevent swine from being infected is urgently needed for trichinellosis control in China. Our previous studies have demonstrated that specific Trichinella spiralis paramyosin (Ts-Pmy) and Ts-87 antigen could provide protective immunity against T. spiralis infection in immunized mice. Certain protective epitopes of Ts-Pmy and Ts-87 antigen have been identified. To identify more Ts-Pmy protective epitopes, a new monoclonal antibody, termed 8F12, was produced against the N-terminus of Ts-Pmy. This antibody elicited significant protective immunity in mice against T. spiralis infection by passive transfer and was subsequently used to screen a random phage display peptide library to identify recognized epitopes. Seven distinct positive phage clones were identified and their displayed peptides were sequenced. Synthesized epitope peptides conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin were used to immunize mice, four of which exhibited larval reduction (from 18.7% to 26.3%, respectively) in vaccinated mice in comparison to the KLH control. To increase more effective protection, the epitope 8F7 that was found to induce the highest protection in this study was combined with two other previously identified epitopes (YX1 from Ts-Pmy and M7 from Ts-87) to formulate a multi-epitope vaccine. Mice immunized with this multi-epitope vaccine experienced a 35.0% reduction in muscle larvae burden after being challenged with T. spiralis larvae. This protection is significantly higher than that induced by individual-epitope peptides and is associated with high levels of subclasses IgG and IgG1. These results showed that a multi-epitope vaccine induced better protective immunity than an individual epitope and provided a feasible approach for developing a safer and more effective vaccine against trichinellosis.     

Mining the Leishmania genome for novel antigens and vaccine candidates

Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease with an estimated 12 million infected people. The recent completion of the sequencing of the Leishmania major genome has opened opportunities for the identification of targets for vaccine development. We present here the first attempt at identifying novel vaccine candidates by whole genome analysis. We predicted CD8⁺ T cell epitopes from the L. major proteome and validated in vivo in mice the immunogenicity of some of the best predicted epitopes. Consensus epitope predictions from 8272 annotated protein sequences with 5–8 different algorithms allowed the identification of 78 class I CD8⁺ epitopes. BALB/c mice were immunized with 26 synthetic peptides corresponding to the most likely epitopes. Fourteen (54%) resulted immunogenic, with eight being strong inducers of T cell IFNγ production. None of the proteins from which the epitopes are derived are differentially expressed, only two may be surface proteins, eight have putative enzymatic, and metabolic activities. These epitopes and proteins represent new antigen candidates for further studies. While pathogen genomes have not yet delivered their full promise in terms of human health applications, our study opens the way for extensive genome mining for antigen identification and vaccine development against Leishmania and other pathogens.     

Protective Immune Response to Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus with VP1 Expressed in Transgenic Plants

It has been reported recently that genes encoding antigens of bacterial and viral pathogens can be expressed in plants in a form in which they retain native immunogenic properties. The structural protein VP1 of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), which has frequently been shown to contain critical epitopes, has been expressed in different vectors and shown to induce virus-neutralizing antibodies and protection in experimental and natural hosts. Here we report the production of transformed plants (Arabidopsis thaliana) expressing VP1. Mice immunized with leaf plant extracts elicited specific antibody responses to synthetic peptides representing amino acid residues 135 to 160 of VP1, to VP1 itself, and to intact FMDV particles. Additionally, all of the immunized mice were protected against challenge with virulent FMDV. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing protection against a viral disease by immunization with an antigen expressed in a transgenic plant.     

Epitopes of group A streptococcal M protein that evoke cross-protective local immune responses.

The present studies were undertaken to identify conserved epitopes of group A streptococcal M proteins that evoke cross-protective mucosal immune responses. Two synthetic peptides copying conserved regions of type 5 M protein, designated SM5(235-264)C and SM5(265-291)C, were covalently linked to carrier molecules and their immunogenicity was tested in laboratory animals. Rabbit antisera against both peptides cross-reacted with multiple serotypes of group A streptococci, indicating that the peptides contained broadly cross-reactive, surface exposed M protein epitopes. Serum antipeptide antibodies adsorbed to the surface of heterologous type 24 streptococci passively protected mice against intranasal challenge infections. Mice that were actively immunized intranasally with each synthetic peptide covalently linked to the B subunit of cholera toxin were protected against colonization and death after intranasal challenge infections with type 24 streptococci in the absence of serum opsonic antibodies. These data confirm and extend previous observations that conserved M protein epitopes evoke cross-protective local immunity and may serve as the basis for broadly cross-protective M protein vaccines.     

Expression of meningococcal epitopes in LamB of Escherichia coli and the stimulation of serosubtype-specific antibody responses

The class 1 outer membrane protein (OMP), a major variable surface antigen of Neisseria meningitidis, is a component of novel meningococcal vaccines currently in field trials. Serological variants of the protein are also used to serosubtype meningococci. Most of the amino acid changes that give rise to antigenic variants of the protein occur in two variable regions (VR1 and VR2) that are thought to form loops on the cell surface. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify the nucleotide sequences encoding VR1 and VR2 from the chromosomal DNA of N. meningitidis strain M1080. These were cloned in frame into the lamB gene of the Escherichia coli expression vector pAJC264. Whole-cell enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), using monoclonal antibodies, and SDS PAGE confirmed that, upon induction, strains of E. coli carrying these constructs expressed hybrid LamB proteins containing the N. meningitidis surface loops. These strains were used to immunize rabbits and the resultant polyclonal antisera reacted specifically with the class 1 OMP of reference strain M1080 (P1.7). Immunogold labelling of meningococcal cells and whole-cell dot-blot analyses with these antisera showed that the variable epitopes were exposed on the cell surface and confirmed that this approach could be used to obtain serosubtype-specific antisera. The binding profiles of the antisera were determined from their reactions with overlapping synthetic peptides and their reactivity compared with that of relevant serosubtype-specific monoclonal antibodies. This approach was used successfully to raise antisera against two other class 1 OMP VR2s. A fourth antiserum raised against a VR2, including the P1.1 epitope, was not subtype specific.     

Immunization of Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn)-Infected Apobtm2SgyLdlrtm1Her/J Mice with a Combined Peptide of Cpn Significantly Reduces Atherosclerotic Lesion Development

Objective

To investigate the antigenic effect of a peptide containing two epitopes of Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) on atherosclerotic lesion formation in mice infected with Cpn.

Materials and Methods

Six-week-old Apob^tm2SgyLdlr^tm1Her/J mice were immunized using a repetitive immunization multiple-sites strategy with KLH-conjugated peptides derived from the major outer membrane protein and the putative outer membrane protein 5 of Cpn. Mice were fed a high-fat diet and infected with Cpn twice during the 10-week diet period. Lesions were evaluated histologically; local and systemic immune responses were analyzed by immunohistochemistry of aorta samples and cytokine measurements in plasma samples and splenocyte supernatants.

Results

Mice immunized with the combined Cpn peptide showed a greater reduction in lesion size compared to mice immunized with either epitope alone [54.7% vs 39.8% or 41.72%] and was also associated with a significant decrease in lesion area in descending aortas compared with those in controls (88.9% for combined Cpn peptide, 81.9% for MOMP peptide and 75.7% for Omp5, respectively). This effect was associated with a shift in the cellular composition of plaques towards decreased inflammatory cell and increased regulatory T-cell content. Additionally, the effect was also connected with decreased secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and increased production of anti-inflammatory cytokines demonstrated in plasma and in supernatant on stimulated spleen cells.

Conclusions

Atherosclerotic lesion formation may be promoted by Cpn infection in the presence of a high-fat diet, and reduced by immunization with the combined Cpn peptide. The combined peptide has more potential than either epitope alone in reducing atherosclerotic lesion development through Treg expansion.