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Rojrung R, Kuamsab N, Putaporntip C, Jongwutiwes S. Analysis of sequence diversity in Plasmodium falciparum glutamic acid-rich protein (PfGARP), an asexual blood stage vaccine candidate. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3951. [PMID: 36894624 PMCID: PMC9996596 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30975-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Glutamic acid-rich protein of Plasmodium falciparum (PfGARP) binds to erythrocyte band 3 and may enhance cytoadherence of infected erythrocytes. Naturally acquired anti-PfGARP antibodies could confer protection against high parasitemia and severe symptoms. While whole genome sequencing analysis has suggested high conservation in this locus, little is known about repeat polymorphism in this vaccine candidate antigen. Direct sequencing was performed from the PCR-amplified complete PfGARP gene of 80 clinical isolates from four malaria endemic provinces in Thailand and an isolate from a Guinean patient. Publicly available complete coding sequences of this locus were included for comparative analysis. Six complex repeat (RI-RVI) and two homopolymeric glutamic acid repeat (E1 and E2) domains were identified in PfGARP. The erythrocyte band 3-binding ligand in domain RIV and the epitope for mAB7899 antibody eliciting in vitro parasite killing property were perfectly conserved across isolates. Repeat lengths in domains RIII and E1-RVI-E2 seemed to be correlated with parasite density of the patients. Sequence variation in PfGARP exhibited genetic differentiation across most endemic areas of Thailand. Phylogenetic tree inferred from this locus has shown that most Thai isolates formed closely related lineages, suggesting local expansion/contractions of repeat-encoding regions. Positive selection was observed in non-repeat region preceding domain RII which corresponded to a helper T cell epitope predicted to be recognized by a common HLA class II among Thai population. Predicted linear B cell epitopes were identified in both repeat and non-repeat domains. Besides length variation in some repeat domains, sequence conservation in non-repeat regions and almost all predicted immunogenic epitopes have suggested that PfGARP-derived vaccine may largely elicit strain-transcending immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rattanaporn Rojrung
- Molecular Biology of Malaria and Opportunistic Parasites Research Unit, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Medical Sciences Program, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Napaporn Kuamsab
- Molecular Biology of Malaria and Opportunistic Parasites Research Unit, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Community Public Health Program, Faculty of Health Science and Technology, Southern College of Technology, Nakorn Si Thammarat, Thailand
| | - Chaturong Putaporntip
- Molecular Biology of Malaria and Opportunistic Parasites Research Unit, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
| | - Somchai Jongwutiwes
- Molecular Biology of Malaria and Opportunistic Parasites Research Unit, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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Parra M, Liu X, Derrick SC, Yang A, Molina-Cruz A, Barillas-Mury C, Zheng H, Thao Pham P, Sedegah M, Belmonte A, Litilit DD, Waldmann TA, Kumar S, Morris SL, Perera LP. Co-expression of Interleukin-15 Enhances the Protective Immune Responses Induced by Immunization with a Murine Malaria MVA-Based Vaccine Encoding the Circumsporozoite Protein. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0141141. [PMID: 26505634 PMCID: PMC4624717 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2015] [Accepted: 10/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria remains a major global public health problem with an estimated 200 million cases detected in 2012. Although the most advanced candidate malaria vaccine (RTS,S) has shown promise in clinical trials, its modest efficacy and durability have created uncertainty about the impact of RTS,S immunization (when used alone) on global malaria transmission. Here we describe the development and characterization of a novel modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA)–based malaria vaccine which co-expresses the Plasmodium yoelii circumsporozoite protein (CSP) and IL-15. Vaccination/challenge studies showed that C57BL/6 mice immunized with the MVA-CSP/IL15 vaccine were protected significantly better against a P. yoelii 17XNL sporozoite challenge than either mice immunized with an MVA vaccine expressing only CSP or naïve controls. Importantly, the levels of total anti-CSP IgG were elevated about 100-fold for the MVA-CSP/IL15 immunized group compared to mice immunized with the MVA-CSP construct that does not express IL-15. Among the IgG subtypes, the IL-15 expressing MVA-CSP vaccine induced levels of IgG1 (8 fold) and IgG2b (80 fold) higher than the MVA-CSP construct. The significantly enhanced humoral responses and protection detected after immunization with the MVA-CSP/IL15 vaccine suggest that this IL-15 expressing MVA construct could be considered in the development of future malaria immunization strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Parra
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, United States of America
| | - Xia Liu
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, United States of America
| | - Steven C. Derrick
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, United States of America
| | - Amy Yang
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, United States of America
| | - Alvaro Molina-Cruz
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD, 20852, United States of America
| | - Carolina Barillas-Mury
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD, 20852, United States of America
| | - Hong Zheng
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, United States of America
| | - Phuong Thao Pham
- Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, United States of America
| | - Martha Sedegah
- Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, United States of America
| | - Arnel Belmonte
- Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, United States of America
| | - Dianne D. Litilit
- Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, United States of America
| | - Thomas A. Waldmann
- National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, United States of America
| | - Sanjai Kumar
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, United States of America
| | - Sheldon L. Morris
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, United States of America
| | - Liyanage P. Perera
- National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Stanisic DI, Barry AE, Good MF. Escaping the immune system: How the malaria parasite makes vaccine development a challenge. Trends Parasitol 2013; 29:612-22. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2013.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2013] [Revised: 10/01/2013] [Accepted: 10/01/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Stanisic DI, Good MF. Induction of anti-Plasmodium immunity following subpatent infection with live erythrocytic stages and drug cure. Methods Mol Biol 2013; 923:535-47. [PMID: 22990803 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-62703-026-7_37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
An effective malaria vaccine remains an important priority for the millions of people living in malaria endemic regions. Subambitious goals for the development of a vaccine have been set, which aim to achieve a licensed first-generation P. falciparum malaria vaccine with more than 50% protective efficacy against severe disease and death, lasting for at least 1 year by 2015. These goals were set in the context of a subunit vaccine. However, a whole-parasite vaccine might be expected to induce substantially superior protection. Our group has been focusing on low dose blood-stage parasites as a valid vaccine approach, and we present here the relevant methodology for this.
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Guilbride DL, Guilbride PD, Gawlinski P. Malaria's deadly secret: a skin stage. Trends Parasitol 2012; 28:142-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2012.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2011] [Revised: 01/04/2012] [Accepted: 01/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne Moore Shepherd
- Department of Emergency Medicine, PENN Travel Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Nussenzweig
- Department of Pathology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
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