Construction of a multivalent vaccine strain of Shigella flexneri and evaluation of serotype-specific immunity

Shigella flexneri causes more fatalities by shigellosis than any other Shigella species. There are 13 different serotypes of S. flexneri and their distribution varies between endemic geographical regions. The immune response against S. flexneri is serotype-specific, so current immunization strategies have required the administration of multiple vaccine strains to provide protection against multiple serotypes. In this study, we report the construction of a multivalent S. flexneri vaccine strain, SFL1425, expressing the O-antigen structure specific for serotypes 2a and 5a. This combination of type antigens has not previously been reported for S. flexneri. The multivalent vaccine strain, SFL1425 was able to induce a specific immune response against both serotypes 2a and 5a in a mouse pulmonary model.     

A multivalent combination of experimental antituberculosis DNA vaccines based on Ag85B and regions of difference antigens

Two candidate DNA vaccines based on the proteins CFP10 and CFP21 encoded by regions of difference (RDs) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were evaluated individually and in multivalent combination with the immunodominant protein Ag85B for induction of protective immune responses against experimental tuberculosis. Experimental DNA vaccines induced substantial levels of cell-mediated immune responses as indicated by marked lymphocyte proliferation, significant release of the Th1 cytokines IFN-gamma and IL-12 (p40), and predominant cytotoxic T cell activity. High levels of antigen-specific IgG1 and IgG2a antibodies observed in the sera of immunized mice depicted strong humoral responses generated by DNA vaccine constructs. The multivalent combination of three DNA vaccine constructs induced maximal T cell and humoral immune responses. All the experimental vaccines imparted significant protection against challenge with M. tuberculosis H(37)Rv (in terms of colony-forming unit reduction in lungs and spleen) as compared to vector controls. The level of protection exhibited by multivalent DNA vaccine formulation was found to be equivalent to that of Mycobacterium bovis BCG observed both at 4 and 8 weeks post-challenge. These results show the protective potential of the multivalent DNA vaccine formulation used in this study.     

Synthesis and in vivo studies of carbohydrate-based vaccines against group A streptococcus

Carbohydrates, as carriers, providing numerous attachment points for the conjugation of peptide antigens and their optimal orientation for the recognition by cells of the immune system, reducing degradation of the attached peptide antigens and many other advantages make carbohydrate-based vaccine highly promising approach. Multiple copies of a single group A streptococcal (GAS) M protein derived specific peptide antigens (J8 or J14) were coupled onto carbohydrate cores (D-glucose and D-galactose) linked to lipophilic amino acids to produce a self-adjuvanting liposaccharide vaccine against GAS strains. In vivo experiments showed high serum IgG antibody titers against each of the incorporated peptide epitopes, J8 or J14.     

Immune potential of a novel multiple-epitope vaccine to FMDV type Asia 1 in guinea pigs and sheep

To develop a safe and efficient recombinant subunit vaccine to foot-and-mouth disease virus(FMDV)type Asia 1 in sheep,a tandem repeated multiple-epitope gene consisting of residues 137-160 and 197-211 of the VP1 gene of FMDV was designed and artificially synthesized.The biologically functional molecule,the ovine IgG heavy constant region(oIgG)as a protein carrier was introduced for design of the multiple-epitope recombinant vaccine and recombinant expression plasmids pET-30a-RE and pET-30a-RE-oIgG were successfully constructed.The recombinant proteins,RE and RE-oIgG,were expressed as a formation of inclusion bodies in E.coli.The immune potential of this vaccine regime in guinea pigs and sheep was evaluated.The results showed that IgG could significantly enhance the immune potential of antigenic epitopes.The recombinant protein RE-oIgG could not only elicit the high levels of neutralizing antibodies and lymphocytes proliferation responses in the vaccinated guinea pigs,but confer complete protection in guinea pigs against virus challenge.Although the recombinant protein RE could not confer protection in the vaccinated animals,it could delay the appearance of the clinical signs and reduce the severity of disease.Inspiringly,the titers of anti-FMDV neutralizing antibodies elicited in sheep vaccinated with RE-oIgG was significantly higher than that for the RE vaccination.Therefore,we speculated that this vaccine formulation may be a promising strategy for designing a novel vaccine against FMDV in the future.     

Conformation-dependent antibody response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer membrane proteins induced by immunization in humans

Outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of pathogenic bacteria have been used as protective antigens in developing bacterial vaccines. In the present study, we compared the antibody responses to a Pseudomonas aeruginosa OMP vaccine elicited in humans and rabbits by immunization. Immunization with the vaccine induced high titers of serum IgG antibody both in rabbits and humans but reactivities of the induced antibodies with the OMPs were different. The rabbit immune sera recognized most of the OMPs in the vaccine both in immunoblot and immunoprecipitation analyses. In contrast, a great variation in band pattern and intensity was observed among the human immune sera in immunoblot analysis, but not in immunoprecipitation analysis. Denaturation of the OMPs did not affect the binding activity of the rabbit immune sera as determined by ELISA, but substantially reduced those of the human immune sera and anti-OMP IgG purified from a pooled normal human plasma. These data suggest that antibody response to P. aeruginosa OMPs elicited by immunization in humans is mainly directed against discontinuous or conformation-dependent epitopes, which should be taken into account in developing vaccines, especially for OMP-derived synthetic peptides.     

Induction of Neutralizing Antibodies against Four Serotypes of Dengue Viruses by MixBiEDIII,a Tetravalent Dengue Vaccine

The worldwide expansion of four serotypes of dengue virus (DENV) poses great risk to global public health. Several vaccine candidates are under development. However, none is yet available for humans. In the present study, a novel strategy to produce tetravalent DENV vaccine based on envelope protein domain III (EDIII) was proposed. Tandem EDIIIs of two serotypes (type 1–2 and type 3–4) of DENV connected by a Gly-Ser linker ((Gly₄Ser)₃) were expressed in E. coli, respectively. Then, the two bivalent recombinant EDIIIs were equally mixed to form the tetravalent vaccine candidate MixBiEDIII, and used to immunize BALB/c mice. The results showed that specific IgG and neutralizing antibodies against all four serotypes of DENV were successfully induced in the MixBiEDIII employing Freund adjuvant immunized mice. Furthermore, in the suckling mouse model, sera from mice immunized with MixBiEDIII provided significant protection against four serotypes of DENV challenge. Our data demonstrated that MixBiEDIII, as a novel form of subunit vaccine candidates, might have the potential to be further developed as a tetravalent dengue vaccine in the near future.     

呼吸道合胞病毒重组蛋白候选疫苗的质粒构建、表达及免疫原性和保护性研究

PCR扩增呼吸道合胞病毒（respiratory syncytial virus,RSV）M2 蛋白的CD8＋T细胞表位F/M2:81-95和RSV-G蛋白的B细胞表位片段G:125～225（简称G1）,以一个Linker连接,插入质粒pET-DsbA中构建原核表达重组质粒, 转染E.coli BL21(DE3)后成功表达了融合蛋白DsbA-G1-Linker-F/M2:81-95（简称D-G1LF/M2）,Western-blot结果表明该融合蛋白是RSV特异性的,采用Ni+螯合亲和层析法纯化变性的包涵体溶液,经梯度透析法复性,用该蛋白免疫BALB/c小鼠,结果表明被免疫小鼠肺部及血清中产生了高滴度的抗D-G1LF/M2及抗RSV IgG抗体和中和抗体,同时还诱导产生了RSV特异性的CTL应答;IgG的亚型IgG1/IgG2a的比值为2.66;用RSV攻击免疫后的小鼠,病毒滴定法检测肺部RSV滴度,结果表明D-G1LF/M2对小鼠肺部具有保护作用。     

Chlamydia trachomatis major outer membrane protein epitopes expressed as fusions with LamB in an attenuated aro A strain of Salmonella typhimurium; their application as potential immunogens.

The major outer-membrane protein (MOMP) of Chlamydia trachomatis is the focus of attention for chlamydial vaccine design, particularly those serovar- and subspecies-specific epitopes which provoke neutralizing immune responses. Selected surface-exposed B-cell epitopes of MOMP, incorporating B-subspecies specificities, were expressed as fusions with LamB, an inducible outer-membrane transport protein of Escherichia coli. These recombinant chlamydial-LamB proteins were correctly transported to the outer membrane of both E. coli and an aro A mutant of Salmonella typhimurium. The immunogenicity of the constructs was investigated in a mouse model of chlamydial salpingitis. After oral immunization, recombinant S. typhimurium were recovered from the livers of mice for up to two weeks, and a serum IgG response was induced both to the Salmonella and to the inserted chlamydial epitopes. By contrast, intravenous inoculation was ineffective. Although these LamB fusions proved only weakly immunogenic, this approach should be useful for investigating the ability of attenuated S. typhimurium vaccines incorporating chlamydial epitopes to stimulate protective mucosal immunity in the mouse model of chlamydial salpingitis.     

The combined recombinant cathepsin L1H and cathepsin B3 vaccine against Fasciola gigantica infection

Protections against Fasciola gigantica infection in mice immunized with the individual and combined cathepsin L1H and cathepsin B3 vaccines were assessed. The vaccines comprised recombinant (r) pro-proteins of cathepsin L1H and B3 (rproFgCatL1H and rproFgCatB3) and combined proteins which were expressed in Pichia pastoris. The experimental trials were performed in ICR mice (n = 10 per group) by subcutaneous injection with 50 μg of the recombinant proteins combined with Alum or Freund's adjuvants. At two weeks after the third immunization, mice were infected with 15 F. gigantica metacercariae per mouse by oral route. The percents of protection of rproFgCatL1H, rproFgCatB3 and combined vaccines against F. gigantica were approximately 58.8 to 75.0% when compared with adjuvant-infected control. These protective effects were similar among groups receiving vaccines with Alum or Freund's adjuvants. By determining the levels of IgG1 and IgG2a in the immune sera, which are indicative of Th1 and Th2 immune responses, it was found that both Th1 and Th2 humoral immune responses were significantly increased in vaccinated groups compared with the control groups, with higher levels of IgG1 (Th2) than IgG2a (Th1). Mice in vaccinated groups showed reduction in liver pathological lesions when compared with control groups. This study indicates that the combined rproFgCatB3 and rproFgCatL1H vaccine had a high protective potential than a single a vaccine, with Alum and Freund's adjuvants showing similar level of protection. These results can serve as guidelines for the testing of this F. gigantica vaccine in larger economic animals.     

Peptide-based synthetic recombinant vaccines with anti-viral efficacy.

Synthetic recombinant vaccines are constructs in which a synthetic oligonucleotide coding for a protective epitope is inserted into an adequate gene for expression of the epitope. We report the results obtained using recombinant flagella of Salmonella vaccine strain expressing epitopes of influenza virus or of the parasite Schistosoma mansoni. In the case of influenza virus, three conserved epitopes of the haemagglutinin and the nucleoprotein of the virus inducing B- and T-cell immune response, were expressed and the flagella were used for intranasal immunization without any adjuvant. Both humoral and cellular immune responses specific to the virus induced in mice cross-strain long-term protection against challenge infection. Aged mice were also able to resist infection. For the design of a human influenza vaccine, epitopes recognized by the HLAs prevalent in Caucasian populations were used, and the resulting vaccine was evaluated in human/mouse radiation chimaera in which human PBMC are functionally engrafted. The vaccinated mice demonstrated efficient clearance of the virus after challenge and resistance to lethal infection. In the case of the parasitic disease schistosomiasis, a 14-residue peptide denoted 9B peptide 1 was expressed in the flagella. Intranasal vaccination of mice with this construct, without the use of adjuvant, resulted in 40% protection against challenge infection.     

A simian replication-defective adenoviral recombinant vaccine to HIV-1 gag

In animal models, E1-deleted human adenoviral recombinants of the serotype 5 (AdHu5) have shown high efficacy as vaccine carriers for different Ags including those of HIV-1. Humans are infected by common serotypes of human adenovirus such as AdHu5 early in life and a significant percentage has high levels of neutralizing Abs to these serotypes, which will very likely impair the efficacy of recombinant vaccines based on the homologous virus. To circumvent this problem, a novel replication-defective adenoviral vaccine carrier based on an E1-deleted recombinant of the chimpanzee adenovirus 68 (AdC68) was developed. An AdC68 construct expressing a codon-optimized, truncated form of gag of HIV-1 induces CD8(+) T cells to gag in mice which at the height of the immune response encompass nearly 20% of the entire splenic CD8(+) T cell population. The vaccine-induced immune response provides protection to challenge with a vaccinia gag recombinant virus. Induction of transgene-specific CD8(+) T cells and protection against viral challenge elicited by the AdC68 vaccines is not strongly inhibited in animals preimmune to AdHu5 virus. However, the response elicited by the AdHu5 vaccine is greatly attenuated in AdHu5 preimmune animals.     

Identification of linear B‐cell epitopes within Tarp of Chlamydia trachomatis

Chlamydia trachomatis is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted pathogens. There is currently no commercially available vaccine against C. trachomatis. Chlamydial translocated actin‐recruiting phosphoprotein (Tarp) can induce cellular and humoral immune responses in murine models and has been regarded as a potential vaccine candidate. In this report, the amino acid sequence of Tarp was analyzed using computer‐assisted techniques to scan B‐cell epitopes, and six possible linear B‐cell epitopes peptides (aa80–95, aa107–123, aa152–170, aa171–186, aa239–253 and aa497–513) with high predicted antigenicity and high conservation were investigated. Sera from mice immunized with these potential immunodominant peptides was analyzed by ELISA, which showed that epitope 152–170 elicited serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) response and epitope 171–186 elicited both serum IgG and mucosal secretory immunoglobulin A response. The response of immune sera of epitope 171–186 to endogenous Tarp antigen obtained from the Hela229 cells infected with C. trachomatis was confirmed by Western blot and indirect fluorescence assay. In addition, binding of the antibodies against epitope 171–186 to endogenous Tarp was further confirmed by competitive ELISA. Our results demonstrated that the putative epitope (aa171–186) was an immunodominant B‐cell epitope of Tarp. If proven protective and safe, this epitope, in combination with other well‐documented epitopes, might be included into a candidate epitope‐based vaccine against C. trachomatis. Copyright © 2014 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chemoenzymatically synthesized multimeric Tn/STn MUC1 glycopeptides elicit cancer-specific anti-MUC1 antibody responses and override tolerance

The MUC1 mucin represents a prime target antigen for cancer immunotherapy because it is abundantly expressed and aberrantly glycosylated in carcinomas. Attempts to generate strong humoral immunity to MUC1 by immunization with peptides have generally failed partly because of tolerance. In this study, we have developed chemoenzymatic synthesis of extended MUC1 TR glycopeptides with cancer-associated O-glycosylation using a panel of recombinant human glycosyltransferases. MUC1 glycopeptides with different densities of Tn and STn glycoforms conjugated to KLH were used as immunogens to evaluate an optimal vaccine design. Glycopeptides with complete O-glycan occupancy (five sites per repeat) elicited the strongest antibody response reacting with MUC1 expressed in breast cancer cell lines in both Balb/c and MUC1.Tg mice. The elicited humoral immune response showed remarkable specificity for cancer cells suggesting that the glycopeptide design holds promise as a cancer vaccine. The elicited immune responses were directed to combined glycopeptide epitopes, and both peptide sequence and carbohydrate structures were important for the antigen. A MAb (5E5) with similar specificity as the elicited immune response was generated and shown to have the same remarkable cancer specificity. This antibody may hold promise in diagnostic and immunopreventive measures.     

M protein of a Streptococcus dysgalactiae human wound isolate shows multiple binding to different plasma proteins and shares epitopes with keratin and human cartilage

Besides group A (GAS), Lancefield group C beta-haemolytic streptococci (GCS) have been implicated as a causative agent in outbreaks of purulent pharyngitis. In this study we have investigated a class CI M protein of a Streptococcus dysgalactiae1:256, revealed that 26% of these sera showed serological cross-reactivity between a 68-kDa cartilage protein and the N-terminal part of MC. Only 8% of the sera of healthy patients showed this property. In additional, MC also cross-reacted with antibodies recognising epidermal keratins. The cross-reacting 68-kDa protein from cartilage was different from human serum albumin, but was recognised with anti-vimentin immune serum. The MC was cloned and the gene sequenced. By using PCR, recombinant gene fragments encoding characteristic peptide fragments of MC were expressed in Escherichia coli. The peptides were used to map the binding sites for plasma proteins and to locate the cross-reacting epitopes on the MC molecule. In consequence, sequence alignments revealed that MC shared homologous regions with vimentin and different keratins. Our data, obtained with MC, suggest that not only infections with GAS but also infections with GCS and possibly GGS (the latter species can also produce class CI M-like proteins) may be responsible for the formation of streptococcal-associated sequel diseases.     

Identification and characterization of paramyosin from cyst wall of metacercariae implicated protective efficacy against Clonorchis sinensis infection

Human clonorchiasis has been increasingly prevalent in recent years and results in a threat to the public health in epidemic regions, motivating current strategies of vaccines to combat Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis). In this study, we identified C. sinensis paramyosin (CsPmy) from the cyst wall proteins of metacercariae by proteomic approaches and characterized the expressed recombinant pET-26b-CsPmy protein (101 kDa). Bioinformatics analysis indicated that full-length sequences of paramyosin are conserved in helminthes and numerous B-cell/T-cell epitopes were predicted in amino acid sequence of CsPmy. Western blot analysis showed that CsPmy was expressed at four life stages of C. sinensis, both cyst wall proteins and soluble tegumental components could be probed by anti-CsPmy serum. Moreover, immunolocalization results revealed that CsPmy was specifically localized at cyst wall and excretory bladder of metacercaria, as well as the tegument, oral sucker and vitellarium of adult worm. Both immunoblot and immunolocalization results demonstrated that CsPmy was highly expressed at the stage of adult worm, metacercariae and cercaria, which could be supported by real-time PCR analysis. Both recombinant protein and nucleic acid of CsPmy showed strong immunogenicity in rats and induced combined Th1/Th2 immune responses, which were reflected by continuous high level of antibody titers and increased level of IgG1/IgG2a subtypes in serum. In vaccine trials, comparing with control groups, both CsPmy protein and DNA vaccine exhibited protective effect with significant worm reduction rate of 54.3% (p<0.05) and 36.1% (p<0.05), respectively. In consistence with immune responses in sera, elevated level of cytokines IFN-γ and IL-4 in splenocytes suggested that CsPmy could induce combined cellular immunity and humoral immunity in host. Taken together, CsPmy could be a promising vaccine candidate in the prevention of C. sinensis regarding its high immunogenicity and surface localization.     

The Type-Specific Neutralizing Antibody Response Elicited by a Dengue Vaccine Candidate Is Focused on Two Amino Acids of the Envelope Protein

Dengue viruses are mosquito-borne flaviviruses that circulate in nature as four distinct serotypes (DENV1-4). These emerging pathogens are responsible for more than 100 million human infections annually. Severe clinical manifestations of disease are predominantly associated with a secondary infection by a heterotypic DENV serotype. The increased risk of severe disease in DENV-sensitized populations significantly complicates vaccine development, as a vaccine must simultaneously confer protection against all four DENV serotypes. Eliciting a protective tetravalent neutralizing antibody response is a major goal of ongoing vaccine development efforts. However, a recent large clinical trial of a candidate live-attenuated DENV vaccine revealed low protective efficacy despite eliciting a neutralizing antibody response, highlighting the need for a better understanding of the humoral immune response against dengue infection. In this study, we sought to identify epitopes recognized by serotype-specific neutralizing antibodies elicited by monovalent DENV1 vaccination. We constructed a panel of over 50 DENV1 structural gene variants containing substitutions at surface-accessible residues of the envelope (E) protein to match the corresponding DENV2 sequence. Amino acids that contribute to recognition by serotype-specific neutralizing antibodies were identified as DENV mutants with reduced sensitivity to neutralization by DENV1 immune sera, but not cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies elicited by DENV2 vaccination. We identified two mutations (E126K and E157K) that contribute significantly to type-specific recognition by polyclonal DENV1 immune sera. Longitudinal and cross-sectional analysis of sera from 24 participants of a phase I clinical study revealed a markedly reduced capacity to neutralize a E126K/E157K DENV1 variant. Sera from 77% of subjects recognized the E126K/E157K DENV1 variant and DENV2 equivalently (<3-fold difference). These data indicate the type-specific component of the DENV1 neutralizing antibody response to vaccination is strikingly focused on just two amino acids of the E protein. This study provides an important step towards deconvoluting the functional complexity of DENV serology following vaccination.     

Polymorphism of the major surface epitope of the CopB outer membrane protein of Moraxella catarrhalis

The CopB outer membrane protein has been considered a vaccine candidate for the prevention of infections due to Moraxella catarrhalis. Monoclonal antibody 10F3 recognizes whole cells of about 70% of clinical isolates, suggesting that this epitope is reasonably conserved. To determine whether CopB has other surface epitopes, we analyzed M. catarrhalis isolates using polyclonal sera against recombinant CopB proteins from a 10F3 positive isolate and a 10F3 negative isolate, and polyclonal sera against synthetic peptides that contained the sequence corresponding to the 10F3 epitope region of three different isolates. Extensive cross-reactivity was observed with the anti-CopB sera towards purified recombinant CopB proteins in Western blot and antigen ELISA, implying that antigenic regions common to both proteins were present. However, anti-CopB sera resembled anti-CopB peptide sera in exhibiting similar binding specificity to whole cells, segregating M. catarrhalis isolates into four CopB groups. We subsequently cloned and sequenced the copB genes from representative isolates. The deduced CopB amino acid sequences and the degree of sequence identity also demonstrated the existence of the same four CopB groups. Each of the four groups had a unique sequence in the 10F3 epitope region and a fifth group had the epitope deleted. The polymorphism of the major surface epitope prompts further consideration regarding the utility of CopB as a vaccine component as well as the design of an efficacious CopB-based vaccine to achieve broad protection against Moraxella infection.     

Effects of vector fusion peptides on the conformation and immune reactivity of epitope-shuffled, recombinant multi-epitope antigens

The use of multi-epitopes has been considered as a promising strategy to overcome the obstacle of antigenic variation in malarial vaccine development. Previously, we constructed a multi-epitope artificial antigen, Malaria Random Constructed Antigen-1(M.RCAg-1), to optimize expression of the antigen, and we subcloned the gene into three prokaryotic expression vectors that contain different fusion tags at the N-terminus. Three recombinant proteins expressed by these vectors, named M.RCAg-1/Exp.V-1, V-2, and V-3, were purified after the cleavage of the fusion tag. All three recombinant proteins were able to induce similar levels of antigenicity in BALB/c murine models. However, the antibody responses against the individual epitope peptides of the recombinant products were dramatically different. Additionally, the different epitopes elicited various CD4(+) T-cell responses, as shown by the resulting lymphocyte proliferation and varied IFN-γ and IL-4 levels determined by EILSPOT; however, each could be distinctly recognized by sera derived from malaria patients. Additionally, the rabbit antibody induced by these proteins showed diverse efficacy in malaria parasite growth inhibition assays in vitro. Furthermore, analysis via circular dichroism spectroscopy confirmed that the secondary structure was different among these recombinant proteins. These results suggest that the expressed multi-epitope artificial antigens originating from the different vector fusion peptides indeed affect the protein folding and, subsequently, the epitope exposure. Thus, these proteins are able to induce both distinct humoral and cellular immune responses in animal models, and they affect the efficacy of immune inhibition against the parasite. This work should lead to a further understanding of the impact of vector fusion peptides on the conformation and immune reactivity of recombinant proteins and could provide a useful reference for the development of artificial multi-epitope vaccines.     

From Monovalent to Multivalent Vaccines,the Exploration for Potential Preventive Strategies Against Hand,Foot, and Mouth Disease(HFMD)

Hand, foot, and mouth disease(HFMD) recently emerged as a global public threat. The licensure of inactivated enterovirus A71(EV-A71) vaccine was the first step in using a vaccine to control HFMD. New challenges arise from changes in the pathogen spectrum while vaccines directed against other common serotypes are in the preclinical stage. The mission of a broad-spectrum prevention strategy clearly favors multivalent vaccines. The development of multivalent vaccines was attempted via the simple combination of potent monovalent vaccines or the construction of chimeric vaccines comprised of epitopes derived from different virus serotypes. The present review summarizes recent advances in HFMD vaccine development and discusses the next steps toward a safe and effective HFMD vaccine that is capable of establishing a crossprotective antibody response.     

Immunogenicity of C-terminus of Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein 1 expressed as a non-glycosylated polypeptide in yeast

The C-terminal region of the merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1_(19)) is one of the mostpromising vaccine candidates against the erythrocytic forms of malaria.In the present study,a gene encodingPlasmodium falciparum MSP1_(19) was expressed in yeast Pichia pastoris.A non-glycosylated form of therecombinant protein MSP1_(19) was purified from culture medium.This recombinant protein maintains itsantigenicity.Significant immune responses were seen in C57BL/6 mice after the second immunization.Moreover,the specific antibodies recognized the native antigens of P.falciparum,The prevailing isotypesof immunoglobulin (Ig)G associated with immunization were IgG1,IgG2a and IgG2b.The antibodiesisolated from mouse sera immunized with MSP1_(19) can inhibit parasite growth in vitro.Based on theseimmunological studies,we concluded that MSP1_(19) deserves further evaluation in pre-clinical immunizationsagainst P.falciparum.