151
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Liang FT, Jacobs MB, Philipp MT. C-terminal invariable domain of VlsE may not serve as target for protective immune response against Borrelia burgdorferi. Infect Immun 2001; 69:1337-43. [PMID: 11179296 PMCID: PMC98025 DOI: 10.1128/iai.69.3.1337-1343.2001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
VlsE, the variable surface antigen of the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, contains two invariable domains, at the amino and carboxyl termini, respectively, which collectively account for approximately one-half of the entire molecule's length and remain unchanged during antigenic variation. It is not known if these two invariable domains are exposed at the surface of either the antigen or the spirochete. If they are exposed at the spirochete's surface, they may elicit a protective immune response against B. burgdorferi and serve as vaccine candidates. In this study, a 51-mer synthetic peptide that reproduced the entire sequence of the C-terminal invariable domain of VlsE was conjugated to the carrier keyhole limpet hemocyanin and used to immunize mice. Generated mouse antibody was able to immunoprecipitate native VlsE extracted from cultured B. burgdorferi B31 spirochetes, indicating that the C-terminal invariable domain was exposed at the antigen's surface. However, this domain was inaccessible to antibody binding at the surface of cultured intact spirochetes, as demonstrated by both an immunofluorescence experiment and an in vitro killing assay. Mouse antibody to the C-terminal invariable domain was not able to confer protection against B. burgdorferi infection, indicating that this domain was unlikely exposed at the spirochete's surface in vivo. We concluded that the C-terminal invariable domain was exposed at the antigen's surface but not at the surface of either cultured or in vivo spirochetes and thus cannot elicit protection against B. burgdorferi infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- F T Liang
- Department of Parasitology, Tulane Regional Primate Research Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, Covington, Louisiana 70433, USA
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152
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Labandeira-Rey M, Baker EA, Skare JT. VraA (BBI16) protein of Borrelia burgdorferi is a surface-exposed antigen with a repetitive motif that confers partial protection against experimental Lyme borreliosis. Infect Immun 2001; 69:1409-19. [PMID: 11179306 PMCID: PMC98035 DOI: 10.1128/iai.69.3.1409-1419.2001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We have previously described the expression cloning of nine Borrelia burgdorferi antigens, using rabbit serum enriched for antibodies specific for infection-associated antigens, and determined that seven of these antigens were associated with infectious B. burgdorferi strain B31. One of these infection-associated antigens encoded a 451-amino-acid putative lipoprotein containing 21 consecutive and invariant 9-amino-acid repeat sequences near the amino terminus that we have designated VraA for virulent strain-associated repetitive antigen A. The vraA locus (designated BBI16 by The Institute for Genomic Research) maps to one of the 28-kb linear plasmids (designated lp28-4) that is not present in noninfectious strain B31 isolates. Subsequent PCR analysis of clonal isolates of B. burgdorferi B31 from infected mouse skin revealed a clone that lacked only lp28-4. Southern blot and Western blot analyses indicated that the lp28-4 and VraA proteins, respectively, were missing from this clone. We have also determined that VraA is a surface-exposed protein based on protease accessibility assays of intact whole cells. Furthermore, vraA expression is modestly derepressed when cells are grown at 37 degrees C relative to cells grown at 32 degrees C, suggesting that VraA is, in part, a temperature-inducible antigen. Homologues cross-reactive to B. burgdorferi B31 VraA, most with different molecular masses, were identified in several B. burgdorferi sensu lato isolates, including B. andersonii, suggesting that the immunogenic epitope(s) present in strain B31 VraA is conserved between Borrelia spp. In protection studies, only 8.3% of mice (1 of 12) immunized with full-length recombinant VraA fused to glutathione S-transferase (GST) were susceptible to infectious challenge with 10(2) B. burgdorferi strain B31, whereas naive mice or mice immunized with GST alone were infected 40% or 63 to 67% (depending on tissues assayed) of the time, respectively. As such, the partial protection elicited by VraA immunization provides an additional testable vaccine candidate to help protect against Lyme borreliosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Labandeira-Rey
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center, College Station, Texas 77843-1114, USA
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153
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Pachner AR, Amemiya K, Bartlett M, Schaefer H, Reddy K, Zhang WF. Lyme borreliosis in rhesus macaques: effects of corticosteroids on spirochetal load and isotype switching of anti-borrelia burgdorferi antibody. CLINICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY IMMUNOLOGY 2001; 8:225-32. [PMID: 11238200 PMCID: PMC96041 DOI: 10.1128/cdli.8.2.225-232.2001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Experimental Borrelia burgdorferi infection of rhesus monkeys is an excellent model of Lyme disease and closely parallels the infection in humans. Little is known about the interaction of host immunity with the spirochete in patients with chronic infection. We hypothesized that rapid development of anti-B. burgdorferi antibody in immunocompetent nonhuman primates (NHPs) is the major determinant of the reduction of the spirochetal load in Lyme borreliosis. This hypothesis was tested by measurement of the spirochetal load by PCR in association with characterization of the anti-B. burgdorferi humoral immune response in immunocompetent NHPs versus that in corticosteroid-treated NHPs. Although anti-B. burgdorferi immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody was effectively inhibited in dexamethasone (Dex)-treated NHPs, anti-B. burgdorferi IgM antibody levels continued to rise after the first month and reached levels in excess of IgM levels in immunocompetent NHPs. This vigorous production of anti-B. burgdorferi IgM antibodies was also studied in vitro by measurement of antibody produced by B. burgdorferi-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Despite these high IgM antispirochetal antibodies in Dex-treated NHPs, spirochetal loads were much higher in these animals. These data indicate that Dex treatment results in interference with isotype switching in this model and provide evidence that anti-B. burgdorferi IgG antibody is much more effective than IgM antibody in decreasing the spirochetal load in infected animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- A R Pachner
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School, 185 S. Orange St., Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
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154
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Kumaran D, Eswaramoorthy S, Luft B, Koide S, Dunn J, Lawson C, Swaminathan S. Crystal structure of outer surface protein C (OspC) from the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi. EMBO J 2001; 20:971-8. [PMID: 11230121 PMCID: PMC145497 DOI: 10.1093/emboj/20.5.971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Outer surface protein C (OspC) is a major antigen on the surface of the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, when it is being transmitted to humans. Crystal structures of OspC have been determined for strains HB19 and B31 to 1.8 and 2.5 A resolution, respectively. The three-dimensional structure is predominantly helical. This is in contrast to the structure of OspA, a major surface protein mainly present when spirochetes are residing in the midgut of unfed ticks, which is mostly beta-sheet. The surface of OspC that would project away from the spirochete's membrane has a region of strong negative electrostatic potential which may be involved in binding to positively charged host ligands. This feature is present only on OspCs from strains known to cause invasive human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. Kumaran
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11974, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, 610 Taylor Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA Corresponding authors or
| | - S. Eswaramoorthy
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11974, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, 610 Taylor Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA Corresponding authors or
| | - B.J. Luft
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11974, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, 610 Taylor Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA Corresponding authors or
| | - S. Koide
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11974, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, 610 Taylor Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA Corresponding authors or
| | - J.J. Dunn
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11974, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, 610 Taylor Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA Corresponding authors or
| | - C.L. Lawson
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11974, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, 610 Taylor Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA Corresponding authors or
| | - S. Swaminathan
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11974, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, 610 Taylor Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA Corresponding authors or
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155
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Brunner M. New method for detection of Borrelia burgdorferi antigen complexed to antibody in seronegative Lyme disease. J Immunol Methods 2001; 249:185-90. [PMID: 11226475 DOI: 10.1016/s0022-1759(00)00356-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Serologic tests for Lyme disease are problematic. Because of cross-reactive antigens Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) shares with other organisms, Lyme disease can be overdiagnosed. However, in addition to specificity problems, serologic tests for early Lyme disease can be falsely negative due to lack of sensitivity of ELISAs and Western blots. Most routine antibody tests are designed to detect free antibodies, and in early, active disease, circulating antibodies may not be free in serum but sequestered in complexes with the antigens which originally triggered their production. This difficulty may be overcome by first isolating immune complexes (IC) from the serum and using this fraction for testing. Free Borrelia-specific antibodies can then be liberated from the immune complexes which may enhance test sensitivity in patients with active disease. We developed a technique that captures the antibody component of IC on immunobeads, and subsequently releases the antigen component of IC. Immunoblotting with monoclonal antibody detected at least one antigen to be OspA, thus definitively demonstrating a Borrelia-specific antigen in circulating IC in early Lyme disease. This test is also useful in demonstrating Bb antigen in otherwise seronegative Lyme disease patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Brunner
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Rheumatology, Abramson Research Center 1104D, 3516 Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104-4318, USA.
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156
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Barbour AG, Bundoc V. In vitro and in vivo neutralization of the relapsing fever agent Borrelia hermsii with serotype-specific immunoglobulin M antibodies. Infect Immun 2001; 69:1009-15. [PMID: 11159997 PMCID: PMC97981 DOI: 10.1128/iai.69.2.1009-1015.2001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The antigenic variation of the relapsing fever agent Borrelia hermsii is associated with changes in the expression of the Vlp and Vsp outer membrane lipoproteins. To investigate whether these serotype-defining proteins are the target of a neutralizing and protective antibody response, monoclonal antibodies were produced from spleens of infected mice just after clearance of serotype 7 cells from the blood. Two immunoglobulin M monoclonal antibodies, H7-7 and H7-12, were studied in detail. Both antibodies specifically agglutinated serotype 7 cells and inhibited their growth in vitro. Administered to mice before or after infection, both antibodies provided protection against infection or substantially reduced the number of spirochetes in the blood of mice after infection. Whereas antibody H7-12 bound to Vlp7 in Western blotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and immunoprecipitation assays, as well as to whole cells in other immunoassays, antibody H7-7 only bound to wet, intact cells of serotype 7. Antibody H7-7 selected against cells expressing Vlp7 in vitro and in vivo, an indication that Vlp7 was a conformation-sensitive antigen for the antibody. Vaccination of mice with recombinant Vlp7 with adjuvant elicited antibodies that bound to fixed whole cells of serotype 7 and to Vlp7 in Western blots, but these antibodies did not inhibit the growth of serotype 7 in vitro and did not provide protection against an infectious challenge with serotype 7. The study established that a Vlp protein was the target of a neutralizing antibody response, and it also indicated that the conformation and/or the native topology of Vlp were important for eliciting that immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- A G Barbour
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA.
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157
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Ohnishi J, Piesman J, de Silva AM. Antigenic and genetic heterogeneity of Borrelia burgdorferi populations transmitted by ticks. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2001; 98:670-5. [PMID: 11209063 PMCID: PMC14646 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.98.2.670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 224] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The genome of Borrelia burgdorferi encodes a large number of lipoproteins, many of which are expressed only at certain stages of the spirochete's life cycle. In the current study we describe the B. burgdorferi population structure with respect to the production of two lipoproteins [outer surface protein A (OspA) and outer surface protein C (OspC)] during transmission from the tick vector to the mammalian host. Before the blood meal, the bacteria in the tick were a homogeneous population that mainly produced OspA only. During the blood meal, the population became more heterogeneous; many bacteria produced both OspA and OspC, whereas others produced only a single Osp and a few produced neither Osp. From the heterogeneous spirochetal population in the gut, a subset depleted of OspA entered the salivary glands and stably infected the host at time points >53 hr into the blood meal. We also examined genetic heterogeneity at the B. burgdorferi vlsE locus before and during the blood meal. In unfed ticks, the vlsE locus was stable and one predominant and two minor alleles were detected. During the blood meal, multiple vlsE alleles were observed in the tick. Tick feeding may increase recombination at the vlsE locus or selectively amplify rare vlsE alleles present in unfed ticks. On the basis of our data we propose a model, which is different from the established model for B. burgdorferi transmission. Implicit in our model is the concept that tick transmission converts a homogeneous spirochete population into a heterogeneous population that is poised to infect the mammalian host.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Ohnishi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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158
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Nelson DR, Rooney S, Miller NJ, Mather TN. Complement-mediated killing of Borrelia burgdorferi by nonimmune sera from sika deer. J Parasitol 2000; 86:1232-8. [PMID: 11191897 DOI: 10.1645/0022-3395(2000)086[1232:cmkobb]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Various species of cervid deer are the preferred hosts for adult, black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus) in the United States. Although frequently exposed to the agent of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi), these animals, for the most part, are incompetent as transmission reservoirs. We examined the borreliacidal activity of normal and B. burgdorferi-immune sera from sika deer (Cervus nippon) maintained in a laboratory setting and compared it to that of similar sera from reservoir-competent mice and rabbits. All normal deer sera (NDS) tested killed > 90% of B. burgdorferi cells. In contrast, normal mouse and rabbit sera killed < or = 22% of the Borrelia. Anti-B. burgdorferi antibodies could not be detected in any normal sera by indirect fluorescent antibody assay (IFA). Sera collected from deer 6 wk after exposure to B. burgdorferi by tick feeding exhibited IFA titers of 1:256, whereas sera from mice and rabbits similarly exposed had titers of > 1:1,024. Heat treatment (56 C, 30 min) of NDS reduced borreliacidal activity, with < 20% of the B. burgdorferi cells killed, suggesting complement-mediated killing. The chelators EGTA and EDTA were used to block the classical or both the classical and alternative complement pathways, respectively. Addition of 10 mM EGTA to NDS had a negligible effect on borreliacidal activity, with > 90% of the cells killed. Addition of 10 mM EDTA reduced the killing to approximately 30%, whereas the addition of Mg2+ (10 mM) restored borreliacidal activity to NDS. The addition of zymosan A, an activator of the alternative pathway, increased the survival of B. burgdorferi cells to approximately 80% in NDS. These data suggest that the alternative complement activation pathway plays a major role in the borreliacidal activity of NDS. Additionally, 10 mM EGTA had almost no effect on the killing activity of B. burgdorferi-exposed deer sera, suggesting that the classical pathway is not involved in Borrelia killing, even in sera from B. burgdorferi-exposed deer.
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Affiliation(s)
- D R Nelson
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Genetics, University of Rhode Island, Kingston 02881, USA
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159
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Brodeur BR, Boyer M, Charlebois I, Hamel J, Couture F, Rioux CR, Martin D. Identification of group B streptococcal Sip protein, which elicits cross-protective immunity. Infect Immun 2000; 68:5610-8. [PMID: 10992461 PMCID: PMC101513 DOI: 10.1128/iai.68.10.5610-5618.2000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2000] [Accepted: 07/17/2000] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A protein of group B streptococci (GBS), named Sip for surface immunogenic protein, which is distinct from previously described surface proteins, was identified after immunological screening of a genomic library. Immunoblots using a Sip-specific monoclonal antibody indicated that a protein band with an approximate molecular mass of 53 kDa which did not vary in size was present in every GBS strain tested. Representatives of all nine GBS serotypes were included in the panel of strains. Cloning and sequencing of the sip gene revealed an open reading frame of 1,305 nucleotides coding for a polypeptide of 434 amino acid residues, with a calculated pI of 6. 84 and molecular mass of 45.5 kDa. Comparison of the nucleotide sequences from six different strains confirmed with 98% identity that the sip gene is highly conserved among GBS isolates. N-terminal amino acid sequencing also indicated the presence of a 25-amino-acid signal peptide which is cleaved in the mature protein. More importantly, immunization with the recombinant Sip protein efficiently protected CD-1 mice against deadly challenges with six GBS strains of serotypes Ia/c, Ib, II/R, III, V, and VI. The data presented in this study suggest that this highly conserved protein induces cross-protective immunity against GBS infections and emphasize its potential as a universal vaccine candidate.
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MESH Headings
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Antibodies
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/biosynthesis
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology
- Antigens, Bacterial/chemistry
- Antigens, Bacterial/immunology
- Bacterial Vaccines/genetics
- Bacterial Vaccines/immunology
- Cloning, Molecular
- Cross Reactions
- Female
- Genes, Bacterial
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Sequence Analysis, DNA
- Streptococcal Infections/prevention & control
- Streptococcus agalactiae/classification
- Streptococcus agalactiae/immunology
- Vaccination
- Vaccines, Synthetic/genetics
- Vaccines, Synthetic/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- B R Brodeur
- Unité de Recherche en Vaccinologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, et Université Laval, Ste-Foy, Canada G1V 4G2.
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160
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Munson EL, Du Chateau BK, Jobe DA, Lovrich SD, Callister SM, Schell RF. Production of borreliacidal antibody to outer surface protein A in vitro and modulation by interleukin-4. Infect Immun 2000; 68:5496-501. [PMID: 10992445 PMCID: PMC101497 DOI: 10.1128/iai.68.10.5496-5501.2000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Borreliacidal antibody production is one of several parameters for establishing the effectiveness of Borrelia burgdorferi vaccines. The production of borreliacidal antibody was studied in vitro by culturing immune lymph node cells with macrophages and B. burgdorferi. We showed that borreliacidal antibody, directed primarily against outer surface protein A (OspA), was readily produced by lymph node cells obtained from C3H/HeJ mice vaccinated with formalin-inactivated B. burgdorferi in aluminum hydroxide, but not recombinant OspA. Anti-OspA borreliacidal antibody was detected in supernatants of cultures of lymph node cells obtained on day 7 after vaccination, peaked on day 17, and rapidly declined. The borreliacidal activity was attributable to immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1), IgG2a, and IgG2b antibodies. When lymph node cells were treated with interleukin-4 (IL-4), production of borreliacidal antibody was inhibited but was unaffected by treatment with anti-IL-4 antibodies. These results suggest that other cytokines, but not IL-4, are mainly responsible for production of the secondary borreliacidal antibody response.
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Affiliation(s)
- E L Munson
- Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
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161
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Pal U, de Silva AM, Montgomery RR, Fish D, Anguita J, Anderson JF, Lobet Y, Fikrig E. Attachment of Borrelia burgdorferi within Ixodes scapularis mediated by outer surface protein A. J Clin Invest 2000; 106:561-9. [PMID: 10953031 PMCID: PMC380253 DOI: 10.1172/jci9427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi outer surface protein (Osp) A has been used as a Lyme disease vaccine that blocks transmission: OspA antibodies of immune hosts enter ticks during blood feeding and destroy spirochetes before transmission to the host can occur. B. burgdorferi produce OspA in the gut of unfed Ixodes scapularis ticks, and many spirochetes repress OspA production during the feeding process. This preferential expression suggests that OspA may have an important function in the vector. Here we show that OspA mediates spirochete attachment to the tick gut by binding to an I. scapularis protein. The binding domains reside in the central region and COOH-terminus of OspA. OspA also binds to itself, suggesting that spirochete-spirochete interactions may further facilitate adherence in the gut. OspA-mediated attachment in the tick provides a possible mechanism for how stage-specific protein expression can contribute to pathogenesis during the B. burgdorferi natural cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- U Pal
- Section of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8031, USA
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162
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Li L. Gonyaulax luciferase: gene structure, protein expression, and purification from recombinant sources. Methods Enzymol 2000; 305:249-58. [PMID: 10812605 DOI: 10.1016/s0076-6879(00)05492-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- L Li
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
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163
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Haake
- Division of Infectious Diseases, 111F, Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Health Care System, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA and Department of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA1
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164
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Shang ES, Champion CI, Wu XY, Skare JT, Blanco DR, Miller JN, Lovett MA. Comparison of protection in rabbits against host-adapted and cultivated Borrelia burgdorferi following infection-derived immunity or immunization with outer membrane vesicles or outer surface protein A. Infect Immun 2000; 68:4189-99. [PMID: 10858236 PMCID: PMC101723 DOI: 10.1128/iai.68.7.4189-4199.2000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, infection-derived immunity in the rabbit model of Lyme disease was compared to immunity following immunization with purified outer membrane vesicles (OMV) isolated from Borrelia burgdorferi and recombinant outer surface protein A (OspA). Immunization of rabbits with OMV isolated from virulent strain B31 and its avirulent derivative B313 (lacking OspA and DbpA) conferred highly significant protection against intradermal injection with 6 x 10(4) in vitro-cultivated virulent B. burgdorferi. This is the first demonstration of protective immunogenicity induced by OMV. While immunization with OspA and avirulent B31 OMV provided far less protection against this challenge, rabbits with infection-derived immunity were completely protected. Protection against host-adapted B. burgdorferi was assessed by implantation of skin biopsies taken from rabbit erythema migrans (a uniquely rich source of B. burgdorferi in vertebrate tissue) containing up to 10(8) spirochetes. While all of the OMV- and OspA-immunized rabbits were fully susceptible to skin and disseminated infection, rabbits with infection-derived immunity were completely protected. Analysis of the antibody responses to outer membrane proteins, including DbpA, OspA, and OspC, suggests that the remarkable protection exhibited by the infection-immune rabbits is due to antibodies directed at antigens unique to or markedly up-regulated in host-adapted B. burgdorferi.
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Affiliation(s)
- E S Shang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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165
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Abstract
Borrelia valaisiana is a recently described bacterial species in the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex. To further characterize this bacterium, the plasmid-encoded ospA genes from eight B. valaisiana isolates were amplified by PCR, cloned and sequenced. All B. valaisiana isolates studied possessed an ospA gene with a size of 822-825 bp. The identity of the predicted amino acid sequences of the OspA proteins among B. valaisiana isolates was 69.1-100%, and ranged from 68.2 to 79.1% between B. valaisiana and other B. burgdorferi sensu lato species. Based on the OspA protein sequences, the eight B. valaisiana isolates could be distinguished into two subgroups. Subgroup I contained six B. valaisiana isolates of which OspA sequences were almost identical, but clearly differed from other LB spirochetes. Subgroup II consisted of two isolates with identical OspA sequences which were only 70% identical to subgroup I B. valaisiana isolates and similarly distant from the OspA sequences of other B. burgdorferi sensu lato genospecies. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that B. valaisiana isolates belonging to subgroups I and II possibly evolved from two distinct ancestors. Our data showed for the first time a major difference in OspA proteins within a well-defined B. burgdorferi sensu lato species at the evolutionary level, suggesting that it is not always reliable to assign Borrelia isolates to a definite species solely based on data from ospA gene sequence analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Wang
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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166
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Fikrig E, Feng W, Barthold SW, Telford SR, Flavell RA. Arthropod- and host-specific Borrelia burgdorferi bbk32 expression and the inhibition of spirochete transmission. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2000; 164:5344-51. [PMID: 10799897 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.164.10.5344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Antisera to BBK32 (a Borrelia burgdorferi fibronectin-binding protein) and BBK50, two Ags synthesized during infection, protect mice from experimental syringe-borne Lyme borreliosis. Therefore, B. burgdorferi bbk32 and bbk50 expression within Ixodes scapularis ticks and the murine host, and the effect of BBK32 and BBK50 antisera on spirochetes throughout the vector-host life cycle were investigated. bbk32 and bbk50 mRNA and protein were first detected within engorged ticks, demonstrating regulated expression within the vector. Then bbk32 expression increased in mice at the cutaneous site of inoculation. During disseminated murine infection, bbk32 and bbk50 were expressed in several murine tissues, and mRNA levels were greatest in the heart and spleen at 30 days. BBK32 antisera protected mice from tick-borne B. burgdorferi infection and spirochete numbers were reduced by 90% within nymphs that engorged on immunized mice. Moreover, 75% of these ticks did not retain spirochetes upon molting, and subsequent B. burgdorferi transmission by adult ticks was impaired. Larval acquisition of B. burgdorferi by I. scapularis was also inhibited by BBK32 antisera. These data demonstrate that bbk32 and bbk50 are expressed during tick engorgement and that BBK32 antisera can interfere with spirochete transmission at various stages of the vector-host life cycle. These studies provide insight into mechanisms of immunity to Lyme borreliosis and other vector-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Fikrig
- Section of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Immunobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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167
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Malawista SE, Montgomery RR, Wang XM, Fu LL, Giles SS. Geographic clustering of an outer surface protein A mutant of Borrelia burgdorferi. Possible implications of multiple variants for Lyme disease persistence. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2000; 39:537-41. [PMID: 10852986 DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/39.5.537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA sequences encoding full-length outer surface protein (Osp) A were amplified from four joint fluid samples over 4.5 months from a patient with chronic Lyme arthritis, with a variant from wild type only found in sample 3. Rather than a mutation in vivo, these findings suggested a mixed infection in which BORRELIA: containing the wild-type and mutant ospA were waxing and waning in the patient's joint. If so, we reasoned that the mutant should be present in the community. We therefore took the novel epitope resulting from the mutation, expressed as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli, and performed Western blots on 80 high-titred stored sera; however, all except that of our index patient were negative. We then collected 36 stored sera from patients with Lyme disease residing within 10 miles of where the index patient had lived. An additional two sera from this circumscribed area were positive (P = 0.038). These findings show that results from single samples can be misleading, and suggest that the OspAs expressed in force late in Lyme arthritis are the same ones introduced initially into the host. Moreover, they allow a speculative mechanism for disease persistence not previously considered, in which antigenically distinct B. burgdorferi variant proteins present themselves serially to the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- S E Malawista
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8031, USA
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168
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Legros V, Jolivet-Reynaud C, Battail-Poirot N, Saint-Pierre C, Forest E. Characterization of an anti-Borrelia burgdorferi OspA conformational epitope by limited proteolysis of monoclonal antibody-bound antigen and mass spectrometric peptide mapping. Protein Sci 2000; 9:1002-10. [PMID: 10850810 PMCID: PMC2144631 DOI: 10.1110/ps.9.5.1002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Lyme borreliosis is a multisystem disorder caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi that is transmitted to humans by the tick Ixodes dammini. The immune response against the 31 kDa OspA, which is one of the most abundant B. burgdorferi proteins, appears to be critical in preventing infection and tissue inflammation. Detailed knowledge of the immunological and molecular characteristics of the OspA protein is important for the development of reliable diagnostic assays. In this study, we characterized a new conformational epitope present within the middle part of B. burgdorferi OspA. Our approach used enzymatic proteolyses of the immune complex followed by mass spectrometric identification of the peptides bound to the antibody. It appears to be one of the first reports on the characterization of a discontinuous epitope using mass spectrometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Legros
- Institut de Biologie Structurale (CEA-CNRS-UJF), Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse des Protéines, Grenoble, France
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169
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Abstract
In the past 20 years, remarkable strides have been made toward understanding and preventing Lyme disease in humans. In December 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a recombinant outer surface protein A vaccine against Lyme disease (LYMErix, SmithKline Beecham, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). The vaccine, which is derived from a lipidated outer surface protein of the causative spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, is important because it may decrease the morbidity and financial costs associated with Lyme disease. Its mechanism is unique because it works inside the tick vector itself, preventing the human from becoming infected.
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Affiliation(s)
- W T Thanassi
- Section of Emergency Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06519, USA
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170
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Abstract
UNLABELLED Lyme disease is a potentially serious infection which is caused by the spirochaete Borrelia burgdorferi and is endemic in certain areas of North America, Europe and Asia. Lyme disease vaccine (LYMErix) is an adjuvanted formulation of the outer surface protein A (OspA) of the causative spirochaete. It acts by inducing high titres of anti-OspA antibodies (anti-OspA), which must be present in vaccinated individuals before exposure to B. burgdorferi to provide protection against Lyme disease. Lyme disease vaccine efficacy against Lyme disease was 80% for definite and asymptomatic cases and 76% for definite cases at year 2 using the recommended dosage regimen [30 microg at months 0, 1 and 12 (0, 1, 12 schedule)] in a randomised, double-blind, multicentre trial in 10,936 enrolled adult volunteers who resided in areas of the US endemic for Lyme disease. On the basis of an anti-OspA correlate of protection, Lyme disease vaccine 30 microg was equally effective when administered by a shorter schedule (0, 1, 6 schedule); > or = 90% of adult volunteers developed protective anti-OspA titres with this or the 0, 1, 12 schedule. Although published data are fewer, a 0, 1, 2 schedule has also shown promise in adults. In addition, virtually all children (aged 2 to 15 years) given Lyme disease vaccine 30 microg developed protective anti-OspA titres, but published data are also limited and results of a large paediatric trial are awaited with interest. Long term protection against Lyme disease appears to be possible with Lyme disease vaccine. Although anti-OspA titres decline rapidly after completion of the recommended schedule, booster doses of 30 microg of the vaccine induced protective anti-OspA titres in > or = 96% of adult volunteers when administered 12 and/or 24 months later. Lyme disease vaccine 30 microg is well tolerated: most vaccination-related adverse events were transient and mild or moderate in severity in clinical trials. The most common spontaneously reported adverse event was pain at the injection site in 24% of vaccine recipients (vs 7.6% of the placebo group). The incidence of spontaneously reported, early nonspecific systemic adverse events was <4% but was higher with the vaccine than with placebo for some events (e.g. myalgias, fever and chills but not arthralgia). There appeared to be no association between the vaccine and the incidence of arthritis or any late systemic adverse events. The tolerability profile of Lyme disease vaccine did not appear to vary with the schedule of administration, nor to differ between adults and children. CONCLUSIONS Lyme disease vaccine, an adjuvanted formulation of OspA, protects most adults against Lyme disease when administered by the recommended 0, 1, 12 schedule before disease exposure, and is well tolerated. The optimal schedule(s) of administration, duration of protection against Lyme disease, long term tolerability in adults and potential role in children are not fully defined for this vaccine. Lyme disease vaccine is indicated in North America for active immunisation of adults at moderate to high risk of contracting Lyme disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- S V Onrust
- Adis International Limited, Mairangi Bay, Auckland, New Zealand
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171
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Weiss R, Dürnberger J, Mostböck S, Scheiblhofer S, Hartl A, Breitenbach M, Strasser P, Dorner F, Livey I, Crowe B, Thalhamer J. Improvement of the immune response against plasmid DNA encoding OspC of Borrelia by an ER-targeting leader sequence. Vaccine 1999; 18:815-24. [PMID: 10580194 DOI: 10.1016/s0264-410x(99)00338-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The present study outlines the characterization of a DNA-based immune response against the OspC antigen, one of the most promising candidates for a Borrelia vaccine. Balb/c mice were injected intradermally with plasmid DNA encoding the OspC gene (lacking the natural leader sequence) under transcriptional control of the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promotor. Immunization with this construct elicited only a marginal response, which was drastically improved by a fusion construct containing the human tissue plasminogen activator (hTPA) signal sequence. The results indicate that for DNA-based immunization against OspC an ER-targeting signal may be necessary for both antibody production as well as cellular immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Weiss
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstr. 34, A-5020, Salzburg, Austria
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172
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Haake DA, Mazel MK, McCoy AM, Milward F, Chao G, Matsunaga J, Wagar EA. Leptospiral outer membrane proteins OmpL1 and LipL41 exhibit synergistic immunoprotection. Infect Immun 1999; 67:6572-82. [PMID: 10569777 PMCID: PMC97069 DOI: 10.1128/iai.67.12.6572-6582.1999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/1999] [Accepted: 09/02/1999] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
New vaccine strategies are needed for prevention of leptospirosis, a widespread human and veterinary disease caused by invasive spirochetes belonging to the genus Leptospira. We have examined the immunoprotective capacity of the leptospiral porin OmpL1 and the leptospiral outer membrane lipoprotein LipL41 in the Golden Syrian hamster model of leptospirosis. Specialized expression plasmids were developed to facilitate expression of leptospiral proteins in Escherichia coli as the membrane-associated proteins OmpL1-M and LipL41-M. Although OmpL1-M expression is highly toxic in E. coli, this was accomplished by using plasmid pMMB66-OmpL1, which has undetectable background expression without induction. LipL41-M expression and processing were enhanced by altering its lipoprotein signal peptidase cleavage site to mimic that of the murein lipoprotein. Active immunization of hamsters with E. coli membrane fractions containing a combination of OmpL1-M and LipL41-M was found to provide significant protection against homologous challenge with Leptospira kirschneri serovar grippotyphosa. At 28 days after intraperitoneal inoculation, survival in animals vaccinated with both proteins was 71% (95% confidence interval [CI], 53 to 89%), compared with only 25% (95% CI, 8 to 42%) in the control group (P < 0.001). On the basis of serological, histological, and microbiological assays, no evidence of infection was found in the vaccinated survivors. The protective effects of immunization with OmpL1-M and LipL41-M were synergistic, since significant levels of protection were not observed in animals immunized with either OmpL1-M or LipL41-M alone. In contrast to immunization with the membrane-associated forms of leptospiral proteins, hamsters immunized with His(6)-OmpL1 and His(6)-LipL41 fusion proteins, either alone or in combination, were not protected. These data indicate that the manner in which OmpL1 and LipL41 associates with membranes is an important determinant of immunoprotection.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Haake
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California 90073, USA.
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173
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Lyaku JR, McKenna PK, Fredrickson RA, Kibenge FS. Characterization of monoclonal antibodies against bovine herpesvirus 1 gD fusion protein expressed in E. coli. J Virol Methods 1999; 83:83-9. [PMID: 10598086 DOI: 10.1016/s0166-0934(99)00109-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
A total of 20 hybridoma cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against E. coli expressed bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1) gD fusion protein were produced following the fusion of Sp2/0 myeloma cells with splenocytes from BALB/c mice immunized previously with immunoaffinity purified BHV-1 gD fusion protein. An indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) using BHV-1 infected MDBK cells was used for the selection of positive hybridomas secreting specific antibody. The monoclonal antibody isotypes were 11 IgM, six IgG2b, one IgG1 and two IgG3. All MAbs reacted positively with the E. coli expressed BHV-1 gD fusion protein, BHV-1 infected MDBK cell lysates and PCR BHV-1 gD transcription-translation polypeptide antigens by an ELISA.
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Affiliation(s)
- J R Lyaku
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Canada
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174
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Lien E, Sellati TJ, Yoshimura A, Flo TH, Rawadi G, Finberg RW, Carroll JD, Espevik T, Ingalls RR, Radolf JD, Golenbock DT. Toll-like receptor 2 functions as a pattern recognition receptor for diverse bacterial products. J Biol Chem 1999; 274:33419-25. [PMID: 10559223 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.274.47.33419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 700] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) 2 and 4 are signal transducers for lipopolysaccharide, the major proinflammatory constituent in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. We observed that membrane lipoproteins/lipopeptides from Borrelia burgdorferi, Treponema pallidum, and Mycoplasma fermentans activated cells heterologously expressing TLR2 but not those expressing TLR1 or TLR4. These TLR2-expressing cells were also stimulated by living motile B. burgdorferi, suggesting that TLR2 recognition of lipoproteins is relevant to natural Borrelia infection. Importantly, a TLR2 antibody inhibited bacterial lipoprotein/lipopeptide-induced tumor necrosis factor release from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and TLR2-null Chinese hamster macrophages were insensitive to lipoprotein/lipopeptide challenge. The data suggest a role for the native protein in cellular activation by these ligands. In addition, TLR2-dependent responses were seen using whole Mycobacterium avium and Staphylococcus aureus, demonstrating that this receptor can function as a signal transducer for a wide spectrum of bacterial products. We conclude that diverse pathogens activate cells through TLR2 and propose that this molecule is a central pattern recognition receptor in host immune responses to microbial invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Lien
- Maxwell Finland Laboratory for Infectious Diseases, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA
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175
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Chang Y, Novosol V, McDonough SP, Chang CF, Jacobson RH, Divers T, Quimby FW, Shin S, Lein DH. Vaccination against lyme disease with recombinant Borrelia burgdorferi outer-surface protein A (rOspA) in horses. Vaccine 1999; 18:540-8. [PMID: 10519945 DOI: 10.1016/s0264-410x(99)00187-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Eight 1-year-old ponies were vaccinated with recombinant OspA (ospA gene derived from B. burgdorferi B31) with adjuvant (aluminium hydroxide). Four ponies were used as non-vaccinated controls with adjuvant. One hundred and twelve days after the first vaccination, the vaccinated and non-vaccinated ponies were challenged by exposure to B. burgdorferi-infected adults tick (Ixodes scapularis) collected from Westchester County, New York (tick infection rate >/=60%). Protection from infection was evaluated by culture for B. burgdorferi from three monthly skin biopsies taken near the site of tick bites. B. burgdorferi was not isolated from any of the vaccinated ponies. In contrast, three of four control ponies challenged by tick exposure were skin culture positive. At the time of tick exposure, vaccinated ponies had antibody to B. burgdorferi demonstrable by KELA (kinetic-ELISA), western blot and a serum growth inhibition assay. Antibodies in the challenge control ponies were only detectable by two to three months after tick exposure and remained at intermediate levels until termination of the study. By western blot analysis, antibodies to OspA first appeared in the sera of vaccinated ponies three weeks after the first vaccination. The absence of additional bands, known to develop when the animal is infected, suggests that infection was blocked after tick exposure of vaccinated ponies. Results from this study show that vaccination with recombinant OspA protected ponies against infection after experimental challenge with B. burgdorferi-infected ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Chang
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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176
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Wang G, van Dam AP, Schwartz I, Dankert J. Molecular typing of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato: taxonomic, epidemiological, and clinical implications. Clin Microbiol Rev 1999; 12:633-53. [PMID: 10515907 PMCID: PMC88929 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.12.4.633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 278] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, the spirochete that causes human Lyme borreliosis (LB), is a genetically and phenotypically divergent species. In the past several years, various molecular approaches have been developed and used to determine the phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity within the LB-related spirochetes and their potential association with distinct clinical syndromes. These methods include serotyping, multilocus enzyme electrophoresis, DNA-DNA reassociation analysis, rRNA gene restriction analysis (ribotyping), pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, plasmid fingerprinting, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA fingerprinting analysis, species-specific PCR and PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, and sequence analysis of 16S rRNA and other conserved genes. On the basis of DNA-DNA reassociation analysis, 10 different Borrelia species have been described within the B. burgdorferi sensu lato complex: B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, Borrelia garinii, Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia japonica, Borrelia andersonii, Borrelia valaisiana, Borrelia lusitaniae, Borrelia tanukii, Borrelia turdi, and Borrelia bissettii sp. nov. To date, only B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. garinii, and B. afzelii are well known to be responsible for causing human disease. Different Borrelia species have been associated with distinct clinical manifestations of LB. In addition, Borrelia species are differentially distributed worldwide and may be maintained through different transmission cycles in nature. In this paper, the molecular methods used for typing of B. burgdorferi sensu lato are reviewed. The current taxonomic status of B. burgdorferi sensu lato and its epidemiological and clinical implications, especiallly correlation between the variable clinical presentations and the infecting Borrelia species, are discussed in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Wang
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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177
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Zückert WR, Meyer J, Barbour AG. Comparative analysis and immunological characterization of the Borrelia Bdr protein family. Infect Immun 1999; 67:3257-66. [PMID: 10377099 PMCID: PMC116504 DOI: 10.1128/iai.67.7.3257-3266.1999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/1999] [Accepted: 04/12/1999] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple circular and linear plasmids of Lyme disease and relapsing fever Borrelia spirochetes carry genes for members of the Bdr (Borrelia direct repeat) protein family. To define their common and divergent attributes, we first comprehensively compared the known homologs. Bdr proteins with predicted sizes ranging from 10.7 to 30. 6 kDa formed five homology groups, based on variable numbers of short direct repeats in a central domain and diverse N- and C-terminal domains. In a further characterization, Western blots were probed with rabbit antisera raised against either of two purified recombinant Bdr proteins from Borrelia burgdorferi B31. The results showed that antibodies cross-react and several Bdr paralogs 19.5 to 30.5 kDa in size are expressed by cultured strain B31 in a temperature-independent manner. In situ proteolysis, immunofluorescence, and growth inhibition assays indicated that Bdr proteins are not surface exposed. Distinct patterns of cross-reacting proteins of 17.5 to 33 kDa were also detected in other B. burgdorferi, Borrelia garinii, and Borrelia afzelii strains as well as in relapsing fever spirochetes Borrelia hermsii and Borrelia turicatae. Last, we examined whether these proteins are antibody targets during Lyme disease. Analysis of 47 Lyme disease patient sera by immunoblotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays showed that 24 (51%) and 20 (43%), respectively, had detectable antibodies to one or more of the Bdr proteins. Together, these data indicate that Bdr proteins constitute a family of cross-reactive Borrelia proteins which are expressed in the course of Lyme disease and in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- W R Zückert
- Departments of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics and Medicine, University of California Irvine, California 92697, USA
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178
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Bunikis J, Barbour AG. Access of antibody or trypsin to an integral outer membrane protein (P66) of Borrelia burgdorferi is hindered by Osp lipoproteins. Infect Immun 1999; 67:2874-83. [PMID: 10338494 PMCID: PMC96595 DOI: 10.1128/iai.67.6.2874-2883.1999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The outer membrane of Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease agent, contains lipoproteins anchored by their lipid moieties and integral proteins with membrane-spanning regions. We used the techniques of in situ proteolysis, immunofluorescence, in vitro growth inhibition, and cross-linking with formaldehyde to characterize topological relationships between P66, an integral membrane protein, and selected Osp lipoproteins of B. burgdorferi. Protease treatment of intact spirochetes cleaved P66 and Osp proteins but not the periplasmic flagellin or the BmpA protein of the cytoplasmic membrane. P66 of cells lacking OspA, OspB, and OspC was more susceptible to trypsin cleavage than was P66 of cells with these Osp proteins. A monoclonal antibody against the surface loop of P66 bound, agglutinated, and inhibited the growth of viable spirochetes lacking OspA, OspB, OspC, and OspD but not of the cells that expressed OspA, OspC, and/or OspD. When cells were fixed, the antibody bound to cells that express OspD and OspC but still not to cells with OspA. The close association of OspA and P66 was confirmed by the crosslinking of the two proteins by formaldehyde. These results show that Osp proteins, particularly OspA, limit the access of antibody or trypsin to the surface loop region of P66. The proximity and possible contact between P66 and OspA (or other Osp proteins) may hinder the effectiveness of antibodies to what otherwise would be an appropriate vaccine target.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Bunikis
- Departments of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics and Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA
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179
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Frace AM, Klimov AI, Rowe T, Black RA, Katz JM. Modified M2 proteins produce heterotypic immunity against influenza A virus. Vaccine 1999; 17:2237-44. [PMID: 10403591 DOI: 10.1016/s0264-410x(99)00005-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Vaccination with the influenza A transmembrane protein M2 provides enhanced viral clearance and recovery from influenza A virus infection in mice. However, the high degree of hydrophobicity of the protein limits its purification for vaccine purposes. We have attempted to alter the structure of the M2 protein to allow high level recombinant expression in Escherichia coli, to reduce its hydrophobicity and improve protein solubility, thus improving its properties as a vaccine subunit candidate. Constructs investigated include deletion of the transmembrane domain of M2 (residues 26-43) and an extended deletion (residues 26-55). A full-length M2 protein was not pursued because of poor expression, even in the presence of amantadine. Expressed as glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins and used to vaccinate mice, either deletion construct was found to raise M2-specific serum antibodies and enhance viral clearance in mice challenged with homologous and heterologous influenza A viruses. Enzymatic cleavage from the GST fusion domain produces soluble protein giving similar results. The results demonstrate that large alterations of M2 protein structure can improve its isolation and purification characteristics without detracting from its immunogenic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Frace
- Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
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180
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Zhong W, Gern L, Stehle T, Museteanu C, Kramer M, Wallich R, Simon MM. Resolution of experimental and tick-borne Borrelia burgdorferi infection in mice by passive, but not active immunization using recombinant OspC. Eur J Immunol 1999; 29:946-57. [PMID: 10092099 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1521-4141(199903)29:03<946::aid-immu946>3.0.co;2-p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Vaccination with outer surface protein A (OspA) of Borrelia burgdorferi prevents subsequent infection and disease in both laboratory animals and humans with high efficacy. OspA-based immunity, however, does not affect established infection due to the loss of OspA expression in the vertebrate host. We show here that repeated passive transfer of mouse and/or rabbit immune sera to recombinant GST-OspC fusion protein resulted in a dose-dependent resolution (1) of fully established arthritis and carditis as well as infection in needle-challenged C.B-17 SCID and (2) of infection in both experimentally and tick-infected BALB/c mice. Unexpectedly, active immunization of disease-susceptible AKR/N mice with GST-OspC only led to prevention but not resolution of disease and infection, in spite of high serum titers of OspC-specific Ab and the expression of ospC in tissue-derived spirochetes. The data suggest that the efficacy of OspC antibody-mediated immunity depends on the immunological history of the recipient and/or environment-dependent regulation of OspC surface expression by spirochetes in vivo. The results encourage further attempts to develop therapeutic vaccination protocols against Lyme disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Zhong
- Max-Planck-Institut für Immunbiologie, Freiburg, Germany
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181
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Abstract
Recombinant outer surface protein A (OspA) of Borrelia burgdorferi is a highly protective immunogen for prevention of Lyme disease in experimental animals. Humoral immunity is sufficient for protection. The principal mechanism of action is prevention of transmission of the spirochete from tick to host. A recombinant OspA vaccine has been licensed for use in dogs. The recent licensure of an OspA vaccine for humans resulted from a critical analysis of recently completed efficacy studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- G P Wormser
- Department of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, USA
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182
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Fikrig E, Chen M, Barthold SW, Anguita J, Feng W, Telford SR, Flavell RA. Borrelia burgdorferi erpT expression in the arthropod vector and murine host. Mol Microbiol 1999; 31:281-90. [PMID: 9987129 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2958.1999.01171.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The expression of a Borrelia burgdorferi gene, erpT, was investigated throughout the spirochaete life cycle in the arthropod vector and the murine host. Three phage clones from a B. burgdorferi DNA expression library synthesized a 30 kDa antigen that was recognized by antibodies in the sera of B. burgdorferi-infected mice but not mice hyperimmunized with B. burgdorferi lysates. Differential antibody binding suggested that this protein was preferentially expressed in vivo. This antigen was designated ErpT, based upon 99.6% homology with the BBF01 sequence in the B. burgdorferi genome. ErpT was not detected on spirochaetes cultured in BSK II medium by indirect immunofluorescence or in B. burgdorferi lysates by immunoblotting, implying that ErpT is not readily produced in vitro. erpT mRNA was not discernible by Northern blot but was identified by RNA polymerase chain reaction in vitro, indicating that erpT is expressed at low levels by cultured spirochaetes. erpT expression was then investigated in the vector and mice because B. burgdorferi do not normally reside in culture medium. RNA polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence studies demonstrated that erpT was expressed by a small minority of B. burgdorferi (11/500, 2.2%) within unfed ticks and then repressed during engorgement. erpT mRNA or ErpT antibodies were first detected in B. burgdorferi-infected mice at 4 weeks, suggesting that erpT was not expressed in the early stages of murine infection. Then, during persistent infection, RNA polymerase chain reaction showed that erpT was expressed by B. burgdorferi within the joints, heart and spleen, but not by spirochaetes in the skin. Immunization of mice with ErpT was antigenic but was not protective. These studies demonstrate that B. burgdorferi erpT is differentially expressed throughout the B. burgdorferi life cycle, in both the vector and the mammalian host, and is primarily expressed in extracutaneous sites during murine infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Fikrig
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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183
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de Silva AM, Zeidner NS, Zhang Y, Dolan MC, Piesman J, Fikrig E. Influence of outer surface protein A antibody on Borrelia burgdorferi within feeding ticks. Infect Immun 1999; 67:30-5. [PMID: 9864192 PMCID: PMC96273 DOI: 10.1128/iai.67.1.30-35.1999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochetal agent of Lyme disease, is transmitted by Ixodes ticks. When an infected nymphal tick feeds on a host, the bacteria increase in number within the tick, after which they invade the tick's salivary glands and infect the host. Antibodies directed against outer surface protein A (OspA) of B. burgdorferi kill spirochetes within feeding ticks and block transmission to the host. In the studies presented here, passive antibody transfer experiments were carried out to determine the OspA antibody titer required to block transmission to the rodent host. OspA antibody levels were determined by using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay that measured antibody binding to a protective epitope defined by monoclonal antibody C3.78. The C3.78 OspA antibody titer (>213 microgram/ml) required to eradicate spirochetes from feeding ticks was considerably higher than the titer (>6 microgram/ml) required to block transmission to the host. Although spirochetes were not eradicated from ticks at lower antibody levels, the antibodies reduced the number of spirochetes within the feeding ticks and interfered with the ability of spirochetes to induce ospC and invade the salivary glands of the vector. OspA antibodies may directly interfere with the ability of B. burgdorferi to invade the salivary glands of the vector; alternately, OspA antibodies may lower the density of spirochetes within feeding ticks below a critical threshold required for initiating events linked to transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M de Silva
- Section of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
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184
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Wang IN, Dykhuizen DE, Qiu W, Dunn JJ, Bosler EM, Luft BJ. Genetic diversity of ospC in a local population of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. Genetics 1999; 151:15-30. [PMID: 9872945 PMCID: PMC1460459 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/151.1.15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 219] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The outer surface protein, OspC, is highly variable in Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, the agent of Lyme disease. We have shown that even within a single population OspC is highly variable. The variation of ospA and ospC in the 40 infected deer ticks collected from a single site on Shelter Island, New York, was determined using PCR-SSCP. There is very strong apparent linkage disequilibrium between ospA and ospC alleles, even though they are located on separate plasmids. Thirteen discernible SSCP mobility classes for ospC were identified and the DNA sequence for each was determined. These sequences, combined with 40 GenBank sequences, allow us to define 19 major ospC groups. Sequences within a major ospC group are, on average, <1% different from each other, while sequences between major ospC groups are, on average, approximately 20% different. The tick sample contains 11 major ospC groups, GenBank contains 16 groups, with 8 groups found in both samples. Thus, the ospC variation within a local population is almost as great as the variation of a similar-sized sample of the entire species. The Ewens-Watterson-Slatkin test of allele frequency showed significant deviation from the neutral expectation, indicating balancing selection for these major ospC groups. The variation represented by major ospC groups needs to be considered if the OspC protein is to be used as a serodiagnostic antigen or a vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- I N Wang
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York 11794-5245, USA
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185
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Akin E, McHugh GL, Flavell RA, Fikrig E, Steere AC. The immunoglobulin (IgG) antibody response to OspA and OspB correlates with severe and prolonged Lyme arthritis and the IgG response to P35 correlates with mild and brief arthritis. Infect Immun 1999; 67:173-81. [PMID: 9864212 PMCID: PMC96293 DOI: 10.1128/iai.67.1.173-181.1999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/1998] [Accepted: 09/23/1998] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In an effort to implicate immune responses to specific Borrelia burgdorferi proteins that may have a role in chronic Lyme arthritis, we studied the natural history of the antibody response to B. burgdorferi in serial serum samples from 25 patients monitored throughout the course of Lyme disease. In these patients, the immunoglobulin G (IgM) and IgG antibody responses to 10 recombinant B. burgdorferi proteins, determined during early infection, early arthritis, and maximal arthritis, were correlated with the severity and duration of maximal arthritis. The earliest responses were usually to outer surface protein C (OspC), P35, P37, and P41; reactivity with OspE, OspF, P39, and P93 often developed weeks later; and months to years later, 64% of patients had responses to OspA and OspB. During early infection and early arthritis, the levels of IgG antibody to P35 correlated inversely with the subsequent severity or duration of maximal arthritis. In contrast, during periods of maximal arthritis, the levels of IgG antibody to OspA and OspB, especially to a C-terminal epitope of OspA, correlated directly with the severity and duration of arthritis. Thus, the higher the IgG antibody response to P35 earlier in the infection, the milder and briefer the subsequent arthritis, whereas during maximal arthritis, the higher the IgG response to OspA and OspB, the more severe and prolonged the arthritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Akin
- Division of Rheumatology/Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, New England Medical Center, Tupper Research Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA
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186
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Barthold SW. Specificity of infection-induced immunity among Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species. Infect Immun 1999; 67:36-42. [PMID: 9864193 PMCID: PMC96274 DOI: 10.1128/iai.67.1.36-42.1999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/1998] [Accepted: 10/15/1998] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The specificity of infection-induced immunity in mice infected with cultured or host-adapted Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, the agent of Lyme disease, was examined. Sera obtained from mice following infection with high and low doses of cultured B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, transplantation of infected tissue (host-adapted spirochetes), or tick-borne inoculation all showed protective activity in passive immunization assays. Infection and disease were similar in mice infected with cultured spirochetes or by transplantation. Thus, the adaptive form of inoculated spirochetes did not influence the immune response during active infection. Mice infected with B. burgdorferi sensu stricto and then cured of infection with an antibiotic during early or late stages of infection were resistant to challenge with high doses of homologous cultured spirochetes for up to 1 year. In contrast, actively immune mice infected with different Borrelia species (B. burgdorferi sensu lato, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto cN40, Borrelia afzelii PKo, and Borrelia garinii PBi) and then treated with an antibiotic were resistant to challenge with cultured homologous but not heterologous spirochetes. Similar results were achieved for actively immune mice challenged by transplantation and by passive immunization with sera from mice infected with each of the Borrelia species and then challenged with cultured spirochetes. Arthritis and carditis in mice that had immunizing infections with B. afzelii and B. garinii and then challenged by transplantation with B. burgdorferi sensu stricto were equivalent in prevalence and severity to those in nonimmune recipient mice. These results indicate that protective immunity and disease-modulating immunity that develop during active infection are universal among species related to B. burgdorferi sensu lato but are species specific.
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MESH Headings
- Adaptation, Physiological
- Animals
- Antibodies, Bacterial/biosynthesis
- Arachnid Vectors/microbiology
- Arthritis, Infectious/epidemiology
- Arthritis, Infectious/immunology
- Arthritis, Infectious/microbiology
- Bacterial Vaccines/immunology
- Borrelia burgdorferi Group/immunology
- Ear, External/microbiology
- Ear, External/transplantation
- Immune Sera/immunology
- Immunity, Active
- Immunity, Innate
- Immunization, Passive
- Ixodes/microbiology
- Lyme Disease/immunology
- Lyme Disease/prevention & control
- Lyme Disease/transmission
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C3H
- Myocarditis/epidemiology
- Myocarditis/immunology
- Myocarditis/microbiology
- Prevalence
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Affiliation(s)
- S W Barthold
- Center for Comparative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616, USA.
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187
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Cassatt DR, Patel NK, Ulbrandt ND, Hanson MS. DbpA, but not OspA, is expressed by Borrelia burgdorferi during spirochetemia and is a target for protective antibodies. Infect Immun 1998; 66:5379-87. [PMID: 9784547 PMCID: PMC108673 DOI: 10.1128/iai.66.11.5379-5387.1998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
DbpA is a target for antibodies that protect mice against infection by cultured Borrelia burgdorferi. Infected mice exhibit early and sustained humoral responses to DbpA and DbpB, suggesting that these proteins are expressed in vivo. Many antigens expressed in mammals by B. burgdorferi are repressed in vitro at lower growth temperatures, and we have now extended these observations to include DbpA and DbpB. To confirm that the protective antigen DbpA is expressed in vivo and to address the question of its accessibility to antibodies during infection, we examined B. burgdorferi in blood samples from mice following cutaneous inoculation. B. burgdorferi was visualized by dark-field microscopy in plasma samples from spirochetemic mice, and an indirect immunofluorescence assay showed that these spirochetes were DbpA positive and OspA negative. We developed an ex vivo borreliacidal assay to show that hyperimmune antiserum against DbpA, but not OspA, killed these plasma-derived spirochetes, demonstrating that DbpA is accessible to antibodies during this phase of infection. Blood transferred from spirochetemic donor mice readily established B. burgdorferi infection in naive recipient mice or mice hyperimmunized with OspA, while mice hyperimmunized with DbpA showed significant protection against challenge with host-adapted spirochetes. Antiserum from persistently infected mice had borreliacidal activity against both cultured and plasma-derived spirochetes, and adsorption of this serum with DbpA substantially depleted this killing activity. Our observations show that immunization with DbpA blocks B. burgdorferi dissemination from the site of cutaneous inoculation and suggest that DbpA antibodies may contribute to control of persistent infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- D R Cassatt
- MedImmune, Inc., Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, USA.
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188
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Roberts WC, Mullikin BA, Lathigra R, Hanson MS. Molecular analysis of sequence heterogeneity among genes encoding decorin binding proteins A and B of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. Infect Immun 1998; 66:5275-85. [PMID: 9784533 PMCID: PMC108659 DOI: 10.1128/iai.66.11.5275-5285.1998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/1998] [Accepted: 08/28/1998] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunization of mice with Borrelia burgdorferi decorin binding protein A (DbpA), one of two gene products of the dbpBA locus, has been shown recently to confer protection against challenge. Hyperimmune DbpA antiserum killed a large number of B. burgdorferi sensu lato isolates of diverse phylogeny and origin, suggesting conservation of the protective epitope(s). In order to evaluate the heterogeneity of DbpA and DbpB and to facilitate defining the conserved epitope(s) of these antigens, the sequences of the dbpA genes from 29 B. burgdorferi sensu lato isolates and of the dbpB genes from 15 B. burgdorferi sensu lato isolates were determined. The predicted DbpA sequences were fairly heterogeneous among the isolates (58.3 to 100% similarity), but DbpA sequences with the highest similarity tended to group into species previously defined by well-characterized chromosomal markers. In contrast, the predicted DbpB sequences were highly conserved (96.3 to 100% similarity). Substantial diversity in DbpA sequence was seen among isolates previously shown to be killed by antiserum against a single DbpA, suggesting that one or more conserved protective epitopes are composed of noncontiguous amino acids. The observation of individual dbpA alleles with sequence elements characteristic of more than one B. burgdorferi sensu lato species was consistent with a role for genetic recombination in the generation of dbpA diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- W C Roberts
- MedImmune, Inc., Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, USA
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189
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Rao TD, Frey AB. Soluble proteins isolated from Borrelia burgdorferi by extraction with Triton X-114 confer resistance to experimental infection. CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY AND IMMUNOPATHOLOGY 1998; 89:94-104. [PMID: 9756728 DOI: 10.1006/clin.1998.4593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Fractionation of Borrelia burgdorferi was made by extraction of infectious spirochetes using the detergent Triton X-114. Gel electrophoresis analysis of hydrophilic and hydrophobic proteins demonstrated that detergent extraction resulted in two populations of proteins with nonoverlapping electrophoretic profiles. Immunoblot analysis with monoclonal antibodies reactive with two abundant membrane proteins demonstrated that hydrophilic proteins were uncontaminated with hydrophobic proteins. In addition, assay of thymidine incorporation into and secretion of tumor necrosis factor-alpha from splenocytes cocultured in vitro with either detergent or aqueous phase proteins showed that lymphocyte mitogenic and macrophage activation activities of B. burgdorferi were completely absent from the hydrophilic phase proteins. The Triton X-114 aqueous and detergent phase proteins were used to immunize BALB/c and separately microMT/microMT (B cell knockout) mice that were subsequently challenged with infectious B. burgdorferi. The hydrophilic phase proteins were able to induce protective resistance to infection in either strain of mice demonstrating that potential candidate vaccine antigens are contained in the biochemical class of antigens which is devoid of both lymphocyte mitogen activity and major outer surface proteins. Furthermore, the ability to vaccinate B cell knockout mice suggests that the humoral antispirochete immune response is not the exclusive basis for protective immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- T D Rao
- Department of Cell Biology and Kaplan Cancer Center, New York University Medical Center, 550 First Avenue, New York, New York, 10016, USA
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190
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Crisóstomo S, Guémené D, Garreau-Mills M, Morvan C, Zadworny D. Prevention of incubation behavior expression in turkey hens by active immunization against prolactin. Theriogenology 1998; 50:675-90. [PMID: 10732158 DOI: 10.1016/s0093-691x(98)00172-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The consequences of active immunization against prolactin on expression of incubation, reproductive performance and hormonal profiles were evaluated in turkey hens. Hens were injected weekly for 4 wk starting 8 wk before being submitted to a stimulatory photoperiod and 3 times thereafter at intervals of 4 to 5 wk. The hens were injected i.d. with 0.5 mL of a mixture diluted half in Freund's adjuvant. The mixture was prediluted in .9% saline and contained 100 micrograms of a fusion protein (GST-tPRL), GST, oPRL or vehicle. The results indicate that active immunizations with GST-tPRL or oPRL both induce production of specific prolactin antibodies. The onset of egg production was unaffected but higher egg production was observed for the GST-tPRL immunized hens. No GST-tPRL immunized hens expressed incubation behavior, whereas 20 to 30% of hens in the other experimental groups did so. Apparent hyperprolactinemia was detected by RIA for the GST-tPRL immunized groups starting before photostimulation and lasting until Week 10 of egg production but not in other groups. No significant differences were observed in either plasma LH or estradiol concentrations of immunized and nonimmunized turkey hens. In conclusion, both GST-tPRL or oPRL induced the production of antibodies against prolactin in turkey hens. However, only active immunization using GST-tPRL induced higher antibody titers as well as full prevention of incubation behavior expression. Such a pharmacological approach is of great practical interest, although its uses need to be carefully evaluated under commercial conditions.
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191
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Huang X, Yang X, Luft BJ, Koide S. NMR identification of epitopes of Lyme disease antigen OspA to monoclonal antibodies. J Mol Biol 1998; 281:61-7. [PMID: 9680475 DOI: 10.1006/jmbi.1998.1930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Outer surface protein A (OspA) from the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi has been a focus of vaccine development. We have identified epitopes of OspA to two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) by comparing NMR chemical shifts of free OspA and those in Fab complexes. Deuteration of non-labile protons in OspA extended the size limit of this technique so that it was applicable to the 78 kDa complexes of OspA and the Fab fragment. The epitope identified by NMR to an mAb, 184.1, agrees well with that previously defined by the crystal structure of the same complex, indicating the ability of the NMR method to accurately map an epitope in a large protein complex. The technique mapped the epitope to mAb 336, a mAb of clinical interest, to a region centered at the C-terminal alpha-helix. The results provides a basis for rational design of OspA-based Lyme disease vaccines.
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MESH Headings
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Antibodies, Bacterial
- Antibodies, Monoclonal
- Antigens, Bacterial/chemistry
- Antigens, Bacterial/genetics
- Antigens, Bacterial/immunology
- Antigens, Surface/chemistry
- Antigens, Surface/genetics
- Antigens, Surface/immunology
- Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/chemistry
- Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/genetics
- Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/immunology
- Bacterial Vaccines/isolation & purification
- Borrelia burgdorferi Group/genetics
- Borrelia burgdorferi Group/immunology
- Epitope Mapping/methods
- Epitopes/chemistry
- Epitopes/genetics
- Humans
- Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments
- Lipoproteins
- Lyme Disease/immunology
- Lyme Disease/microbiology
- Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/methods
- Models, Molecular
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
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Affiliation(s)
- X Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
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192
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Sigal LH, Zahradnik JM, Lavin P, Patella SJ, Bryant G, Haselby R, Hilton E, Kunkel M, Adler-Klein D, Doherty T, Evans J, Molloy PJ, Seidner AL, Sabetta JR, Simon HJ, Klempner MS, Mays J, Marks D, Malawista SE. A vaccine consisting of recombinant Borrelia burgdorferi outer-surface protein A to prevent Lyme disease. Recombinant Outer-Surface Protein A Lyme Disease Vaccine Study Consortium. N Engl J Med 1998; 339:216-22. [PMID: 9673299 DOI: 10.1056/nejm199807233390402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 254] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lyme disease is a multisystem inflammatory disease caused by infection with the tick-borne spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi and is the most common vector-borne infection in the United States. We assessed the efficacy of a recombinant vaccine consisting of outer-surface protein A (OspA) without adjuvant in subjects at risk for Lyme disease. METHODS For this double-blind trial, 10,305 subjects 18 years of age or older were recruited at 14 sites in areas of the United States where Lyme disease was endemic; the subjects were randomly assigned to receive either placebo (5149 subjects) or 30 microg of OspA vaccine (5156 subjects). The first two injections were administered 1 month apart, and 7515 subjects also received a booster dose at 12 months. The subjects were observed for two seasons during which the risk of transmission of Lyme disease was high. The primary end point was the number of new clinically and serologically confirmed cases of Lyme disease. RESULTS The efficacy of the vaccine was 68 percent in the first year of the study in the entire population and 92 percent in the second year among the 3745 subjects who received the third injection. The vaccine was well tolerated. There was a higher incidence of mild, self-limited local and systemic reactions in the vaccine group, but only during the seven days after vaccination. There was no significant increase in the frequency of arthritis or neurologic events in vaccine recipients. CONCLUSIONS In this study, OspA vaccine was safe and effective in the prevention of Lyme disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- L H Sigal
- Department of Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick 08903-0019, USA
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193
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Steere AC, Sikand VK, Meurice F, Parenti DL, Fikrig E, Schoen RT, Nowakowski J, Schmid CH, Laukamp S, Buscarino C, Krause DS. Vaccination against Lyme disease with recombinant Borrelia burgdorferi outer-surface lipoprotein A with adjuvant. Lyme Disease Vaccine Study Group. N Engl J Med 1998; 339:209-15. [PMID: 9673298 DOI: 10.1056/nejm199807233390401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 455] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The risk of acquiring Lyme disease is high in areas in which the disease is endemic, and the development of a safe and effective vaccine is therefore important. METHODS We conducted a multicenter, double-blind, randomized trial involving 10,936 subjects who lived in areas of the United States in which Lyme disease is endemic. Participants received an injection of either recombinant Borrelia burgdorferi outer-surface lipoprotein A (OspA) with adjuvant or placebo at enrollment and 1 and 12 months later. In cases of suspected Lyme disease, culture of skin lesions, polymerase-chain-reaction testing, or serologic testing was done. Serologic testing was performed 12 and 20 months after study entry to detect asymptomatic infections. RESULTS In the first year, after two injections, 22 subjects in the vaccine group and 43 in the placebo group contracted definite Lyme disease (P=0.009); vaccine efficacy was 49 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 15 to 69 percent). In the second year, after the third injection, 16 vaccine recipients and 66 placebo recipients contracted definite Lyme disease (P<0.001); vaccine efficacy was 76 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 58 to 86 percent). The efficacy of the vaccine in preventing asymptomatic infection was 83 percent in the first year and 100 percent in the second year. Injection of the vaccine was associated with mild-to-moderate local or systemic reactions lasting a median of three days. CONCLUSIONS Three injections of vaccine prevented most definite cases of Lyme disease or asymptomatic B. burgdorferi infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- A C Steere
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, New England Medical Center, Tupper Research Institute, Boston, MA 02111, USA
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194
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Wormser GP, Nowakowski J, Nadelman RB, Schwartz I, McKenna D, Holmgren D, Aguero-Rosenfeld M. Efficacy of an OspA vaccine preparation for prevention of Lyme disease in New York State. Infection 1998; 26:208-12. [PMID: 9717677 DOI: 10.1007/bf02962365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
A multicenter, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study was done comparing a 30-microgram dose of a single protein recombinant OspA vaccine preparation with a saline placebo for efficacy in prevention of Lyme disease in humans. The OspA vaccine (30-microgram dose) or saline placebo was given intramuscularly at day 0, 1 month later, and 12 months later. Cases of possible Lyme disease were evaluated clinically and using culture, polymerase chain reaction and immunoblot assays. Safety data are being analyzed separately. 1,634 adult volunteers were enrolled at a single center in New York State. Vaccine efficacy during the first year was 40% and during the second 37%. Compared with placebo, the OspA vaccine significantly reduced the frequency of Lyme disease during the 2-year study period (P < 0.04, one-tailed Fisher's exact test). Vaccine efficacy was restricted to volunteers under 60 years old (50% vs 9%, P < 0.03, two-tailed Fisher's exact test). A recombinant OspA vaccine preparation was found to have moderate activity in preventing Lyme disease in adults under 60 years old from New York State. Reasons for vaccine failure need to be addressed and a risk benefit ratio calculated.
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Affiliation(s)
- G P Wormser
- Div. of Infectious Diseases, Westchester County Medical Center, New York Medical College, Valhalla 10595, USA
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195
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Feng S, Hodzic E, Stevenson B, Barthold SW. Humoral immunity to Borrelia burgdorferi N40 decorin binding proteins during infection of laboratory mice. Infect Immun 1998; 66:2827-35. [PMID: 9596756 PMCID: PMC108278 DOI: 10.1128/iai.66.6.2827-2835.1998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/1997] [Accepted: 03/06/1998] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A Borrelia burgdorferi N40 genomic expression library was screened with serum from actively infected mice to identify gene products that elicit protective immunity. A clone that contained a putative bicistronic operon containing two genes that encoded 20- and 22-kDa lipoproteins was identified and sequenced. These genes showed homology with the genes encoding decorin binding proteins DbpB and DbpA, respectively, of B. burgdorferi 297 and B31. N40-dbpA DNA hybridized with B. burgdorferi N40 DNA on a single 48-kb linear plasmid. Homologous genes could be amplified under various degrees of stringency by PCR or hybridized by Southern blotting from B. burgdorferi sensu stricto N40 and B31, and from B. burgdorferi sensu lato PBi and 25015, but not PKo. Recombinant N40-DbpB and N40-DbpA were reactive with antibody in serum from infected mice, and serum was more reactive against N40-DbpA than against B. burgdorferi N40 recombinant P39, OspC, or OspA. Sera from mice infected with B. burgdorferi sensu lato strains PKo and PBi were weakly reactive against N40-DbpB and N40-DbpA, and sera from mice infected with 25015 were moderately reactive, compared to sera from mice infected with B. burgdorferi N40. Hyperimmunization of mice with N40-DbpA, but not N40-DbpB, induced protective immunity against syringe challenge with cultured B. burgdorferi N40. DbpA may therefore be one of the antigens responsible for eliciting protective antibody known to exist in serum from infected mice. DNA amplification and serology suggest that DbpB and DbpA are likely to have homologs throughout the B. burgdorferi sensu lato family, but they are likely to be heterogeneous.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Feng
- Center for Comparative Medicine, Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
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196
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Hagman KE, Lahdenne P, Popova TG, Porcella SF, Akins DR, Radolf JD, Norgard MV. Decorin-binding protein of Borrelia burgdorferi is encoded within a two-gene operon and is protective in the murine model of Lyme borreliosis. Infect Immun 1998; 66:2674-83. [PMID: 9596733 PMCID: PMC108255 DOI: 10.1128/iai.66.6.2674-2683.1998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/1998] [Accepted: 03/17/1998] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Isolated outer membranes of Borrelia burgdorferi were used in immunoblotting experiments with sera from immune mice to identify new putative Lyme disease vaccine candidates. One immunoreactive polypeptide migrated on polyacrylamide gels just proximal to outer surface protein C and comigrated with [3H]palmitate-labeled polypeptides. A degenerate oligonucleotide primer based upon internal amino acid sequence information was used to detect the corresponding gene within a B. burgdorferi total genomic library. The relevant open reading frame (ORF) encoded a polypeptide comprised of a 24-amino-acid putative signal peptide terminated by LLISC, a probable consensus sequence for lipoprotein modification, and a mature protein of 163 amino acids. Immunoblots of a recombinant fusion protein corresponding to this ORF supported the idea that the encoded protein was a previously reported decorin-binding protein (DBP) of B. burgdorferi N40 (B. P. Guo, S. J. Norris, L. C. Rosenberg, and M. Höök, Infect. Immun. 63:3467-3472, 1995). However, further DNA sequencing revealed the presence of a second ORF, designated ORF-1, whose termination codon was 119 bp upstream of the dbp gene. ORF-1 also encoded a putative lipoprotein with a mature length of 167 amino acids. Northern blots, Southern blots, and primer extension analyses indicated that ORF-1 and dbp comprised a two-gene operon located on the 49-kb linear plasmid. Both proteins, which were 40% identical and 56% similar, partitioned into Triton X-114 detergent extracts of B. burgdorferi isolated outer membranes. Mice infected with B. burgdorferi produced high titers of antibodies against the ORF-1-encoded protein and DBP during both early and later stages of chronic infection. Both DBP and the ORF-1-encoded protein were sensitive to proteinase K treatment of intact borreliae, suggesting that they were surface exposed. In active immunization experiments, 78% of mice immunized with recombinant DBP were immune to challenge. While it is not clear whether the two lipoproteins encoded by the ORF-1-dbp operon have analogous decorin-binding functions in vivo, the combined studies implicate DBP as a new candidate for a human Lyme disease vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- K E Hagman
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75235, USA
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197
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Hanson MS, Cassatt DR, Guo BP, Patel NK, McCarthy MP, Dorward DW, Höök M. Active and passive immunity against Borrelia burgdorferi decorin binding protein A (DbpA) protects against infection. Infect Immun 1998; 66:2143-53. [PMID: 9573101 PMCID: PMC108175 DOI: 10.1128/iai.66.5.2143-2153.1998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/1997] [Accepted: 02/19/1998] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochete that causes Lyme disease, binds decorin, a collagen-associated extracellular matrix proteoglycan found in the skin (the site of entry for the spirochete) and in many other tissues. Two borrelial adhesins that recognize this proteoglycan, decorin binding proteins A and B (DbpA and DbpB, respectively), have recently been identified. Infection of mice by low-dose B. burgdorferi challenge elicited antibodies against DbpA and DbpB that were sustained at high levels, suggesting that these antigens are expressed in vivo. Scanning immunoelectron microscopy showed that DbpA was surface accessible on intact borreliae. Passive administration of DbpA antiserum protected mice from infection following challenge with heterologous B. burgdorferi sensu stricto isolates, even when serum administration was delayed for up to 4 days after challenge. DbpA is the first antigen target identified that is capable of mediating immune resolution of early, localized B. burgdorferi infections. DbpA immunization also protected mice from B. burgdorferi challenge; DbpB immunization was much less effective. DbpA antiserum inhibited in vitro growth of many B. burgdorferi sensu lato isolates of diverse geographic, phylogenetic, and clinical origins. In combination, these findings support a role for DbpA in the immunoprophylaxis of Lyme disease and suggest that DbpA vaccines have the potential to eliminate early-stage B. burgdorferi infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Hanson
- MedImmune, Inc., Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, USA.
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198
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Bunikis J, Luke CJ, Bunikiene E, Bergström S, Barbour AG. A surface-exposed region of a novel outer membrane protein (P66) of Borrelia spp. is variable in size and sequence. J Bacteriol 1998; 180:1618-23. [PMID: 9537355 PMCID: PMC107070 DOI: 10.1128/jb.180.7.1618-1623.1998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/1997] [Accepted: 12/30/1997] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A model of the 66-kDa outer membrane protein (P66) of Lyme disease Borrelia spp. predicts a surface-exposed loop near the C terminus. This region contains an antigen commonly recognized by sera from Lyme disease patients. In the present study, this region of P66 and homologous proteins of other Borrelia spp. were further investigated by using monoclonal antibodies, epitope mapping of P66 of Borrelia burgdorferi, and DNA sequencing. A monoclonal antibody specific for B. burgdorferi bound to the portion of P66 that was accessible to proteolysis in situ. The linear epitope for the antibody was mapped within a variable segment of the surface-exposed region. To further study this protein, the complete gene of Borrelia hermsii for a protein homologous to P66 was cloned. The deduced protein was 589 amino acids in length and 58% identical to P66 of B. burgdorferi. The B. hermsii P66 protein was predicted to have a surface-exposed region in the same location as that of B. burgdorferi's P66 protein. With primers designed on the basis of conserved sequences and PCR, we identified and cloned the same regions of P66 proteins of Borrelia turicatae, Borrelia parkeri, Borrelia coriaceae, and Borrelia anserina. The deduced protein sequences from all species demonstrated two conserved hydrophobic regions flanking a surface-exposed loop. The loop sequences were highly variable between different Borrelia spp. in both sequence and size, varying between 35 and 45 amino acids. Although the actual function of P66 of Borrelia spp. is unknown, the results suggest that its surface-exposed region is subject to selective pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Bunikis
- Department of Microbiology, University of California Irvine, 92697-4025, USA
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199
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Jensen JR, Du Chateau BK, Munson EL, Callister SM, Schell RF. Inhibition of the production of anti-OspA borreliacidal antibody with T cells from hamsters vaccinated against Borrelia burgdorferi. Infect Immun 1998; 66:1507-12. [PMID: 9529074 PMCID: PMC108081 DOI: 10.1128/iai.66.4.1507-1512.1998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/1997] [Accepted: 01/20/1998] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The serious morbidity associated with Lyme borreliosis has focused considerable effort on the development of a comprehensive vaccine for protection against infection with Borrelia burgdorferi. Induction of borreliacidal antibody by vaccination or infection has been shown to correlate with protection of humans and animals against infection with the Lyme spirochete. In this report, we showed that high levels of borreliacidal antibody (titer of 1,280) were produced in vitro when T and B cells from hamsters 14 days after vaccination were incubated with macrophages and B. burgdorferi. By contrast, T and B cells from hamsters 7 or 21 days after vaccination failed to initiate production of borreliacidal activity. Furthermore, the T cells from hamsters 7 or 21 days after vaccination inhibited the in vitro production of borreliacidal antibody when cocultured with T and B cells obtained from hamsters 14 days after vaccination. When cell-free supernatants from the suspensions of T and B cells from hamsters 14 days after vaccination were absorbed with recombinant OspA, they lost nearly all borreliacidal activity. The removal of anti-OspA antibody resulted in a decrease in borreliacidal titer from 1,280 to less than 4. These results demonstrate that T cells from vaccinated animals can prevent a sustained production of protective borreliacidal antibody.
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Affiliation(s)
- J R Jensen
- Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, and Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706, USA
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200
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Wang G, van Dam AP, Spanjaard L, Dankert J. Molecular typing of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA fingerprinting analysis. J Clin Microbiol 1998; 36:768-76. [PMID: 9508310 PMCID: PMC104623 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.36.3.768-776.1998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/1997] [Accepted: 12/02/1997] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
To study whether pathogenic clusters of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato strains occur, we typed 136 isolates, cultured from specimens from patients (n = 49) with various clinical entities and from ticks (n = 83) or dogs (n = 4) from different geographic regions, by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting with four arbitrary primers. The RAPD patterns were reproducible up to the 95% similarity level as shown in duplicate experiments. In these experiments the purified DNAs prepared on different days, from different colonies, and after various passages were used as templates. With an intergroup difference of 55%, the 136 strains could be divided into seven genetic clusters. Six clusters comprised and corresponded to the established species B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (n = 23), Borrelia garinii (n = 39), Borrelia afzelii (n = 59), Borrelia japonica (n = 1), Borrelia valaisiana (n = 12), and genomic group DN127 (n = 1). One strain from a patient with erythema migrans (EM) did not belong to any of the species or genomic groups known up to now. The RAPD types of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. garinii, and B. afzelii isolates, which may give rise to human Lyme borreliosis (LB), were associated with their geographic origins. A high degree of genetic diversity was observed among the 39 B. garinii strains, and six subgroups could be recognized. One of these comprised eight isolates from patients with disseminated LB only and no tick isolates. B. afzelii strains from patients with EM or acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans were not clustered in particular branches. Our study showed that RAPD analysis is a powerful tool for discriminating different Borrelia species as well as Borrelia isolates within species.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Wang
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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