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Jaenisch T, Heiss K, Fischer N, Geiger C, Bischoff FR, Moldenhauer G, Rychlewski L, Sié A, Coulibaly B, Seeberger PH, Wyrwicz LS, Breitling F, Loeffler FF. High-density Peptide Arrays Help to Identify Linear Immunogenic B-cell Epitopes in Individuals Naturally Exposed to Malaria Infection. Mol Cell Proteomics 2019; 18:642-656. [PMID: 30630936 PMCID: PMC6442360 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.ra118.000992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
High-density peptide arrays are an excellent means to profile anti-plasmodial antibody responses. Different protein intrinsic epitopes can be distinguished, and additional insights are gained, when compared with assays involving the full-length protein. Distinct reactivities to specific epitopes within one protein may explain differences in published results, regarding immunity or susceptibility to malaria. We pursued three approaches to find specific epitopes within important plasmodial proteins, (1) twelve leading vaccine candidates were mapped as overlapping 15-mer peptides, (2) a bioinformatical approach served to predict immunogenic malaria epitopes which were subsequently validated in the assay, and (3) randomly selected peptides from the malaria proteome were screened as a control. Several peptide array replicas were prepared, employing particle-based laser printing, and were used to screen 27 serum samples from a malaria-endemic area in Burkina Faso, West Africa. The immunological status of the individuals was classified as "protected" or "unprotected" based on clinical symptoms, parasite density, and age. The vaccine candidate screening approach resulted in significant hits in all twelve proteins and allowed us (1) to verify many known immunogenic structures, (2) to map B-cell epitopes across the entire sequence of each antigen and (3) to uncover novel immunogenic epitopes. Predicting immunogenic regions in the proteome of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, via the bioinformatics approach and subsequent array screening, confirmed known immunogenic sequences, such as in the leading malaria vaccine candidate CSP and discovered immunogenic epitopes derived from hypothetical or unknown proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Jaenisch
- From the ‡Center for Infectious Diseases, Parasitology Unit, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, D 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;; §German Center for Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg (DZIF);; ¶HEiKA - Heidelberg Karlsruhe Research Partnership, Heidelberg University, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany;.
| | - Kirsten Heiss
- From the ‡Center for Infectious Diseases, Parasitology Unit, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, D 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;; §German Center for Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg (DZIF)
| | - Nico Fischer
- From the ‡Center for Infectious Diseases, Parasitology Unit, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, D 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;; §German Center for Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg (DZIF);; ¶HEiKA - Heidelberg Karlsruhe Research Partnership, Heidelberg University, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany
| | - Carolin Geiger
- From the ‡Center for Infectious Diseases, Parasitology Unit, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, D 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;; §German Center for Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg (DZIF)
| | - F Ralf Bischoff
- ‖German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gerhard Moldenhauer
- ‖German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Leszek Rychlewski
- BioInfoBank Institute, Św. Marcin 80/82 lok. 355, 61-809 Poznań, Poland
| | - Ali Sié
- Centre de Recherche en Santé de Nouna, BP 02 Nouna, Rue Namory Keita, Burkina Faso
| | - Boubacar Coulibaly
- Centre de Recherche en Santé de Nouna, BP 02 Nouna, Rue Namory Keita, Burkina Faso
| | - Peter H Seeberger
- §§Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Am Mühlenberg 1, D 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Lucjan S Wyrwicz
- Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, M Sklodowska Curie Memorial Cancer Center, Wawelska 15, 02-034 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Frank Breitling
- ‖‖Institute of Microstructure Technology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, D 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Felix F Loeffler
- ¶HEiKA - Heidelberg Karlsruhe Research Partnership, Heidelberg University, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany;; §§Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Am Mühlenberg 1, D 14476 Potsdam, Germany;.
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In silico design of knowledge-based Plasmodium falciparum epitope ensemble vaccines. J Mol Graph Model 2017; 78:195-205. [PMID: 29100164 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2017.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Malaria is a global health burden, and a major cause of mortality and morbidity in Africa. Here we designed a putative malaria epitope ensemble vaccine by selecting an optimal set of pathogen epitopes. From the IEDB database, 584 experimentally-verified CD8+ epitopes and 483 experimentally-verified CD4+ epitopes were collected; 89% of which were found in 8 proteins. Using the PVS server, highly conserved epitopes were identified from variability analysis of multiple alignments of Plasmodium falciparum protein sequences. The allele-dependent binding of epitopes was then assessed using IEDB analysis tools, from which the population protection coverage of single and combined epitopes was estimated. Ten conserved epitopes from four well-studied antigens were found to have a coverage of 97.9% of the world population: 7 CD8+ T cell epitopes (LLMDCSGSI, FLIFFDLFLV, LLACAGLAYK, TPYAGEPAPF, LLACAGLAY, SLKKNSRSL, and NEVVVKEEY) and 3 CD4+ T cell epitopes (MRKLAILSVSSFLFV, KSKYKLATSVLAGLL and GLAYKFVVPGAATPYE). The addition of four heteroclitic peptides - single point mutated epitopes - increased HLA binding affinity and raised the predicted world population coverage above 99%.
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Offeddu V, Olotu A, Osier F, Marsh K, Matuschewski K, Thathy V. High Sporozoite Antibody Titers in Conjunction with Microscopically Detectable Blood Infection Display Signatures of Protection from Clinical Malaria. Front Immunol 2017; 8:488. [PMID: 28533773 PMCID: PMC5421148 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunoepidemiological studies typically reveal slow, age-dependent acquisition of immune responses against Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites. Naturally acquired immunity against preerythrocytic stages is considered inadequate to confer protection against clinical malaria. To explore previously unrecognized antisporozoite responses, we measured serum levels of naturally acquired antibodies to whole Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites (Pfspz) and the immunodominant (NANP)5 repeats of the major sporozoite surface protein, circumsporozoite protein, in a well-characterized Kenyan cohort. Sera were sampled at the start of the malaria transmission season, and all subjects were prospectively monitored for uncomplicated clinical malaria in the ensuing 6 months. We used Kaplan–Meier analysis and multivariable regression to investigate the association of antisporozoite immunity with incidence of clinical malaria. Although naturally acquired humoral responses against Pfspz and (NANP)5 were strongly correlated (p < 0.0001), 37% of Pfspz responders did not recognize (NANP)5. The prevalence and magnitude of antisporozoite responses increased with age, although some high Pfspz responders were identified among children. Survival analysis revealed a reduced risk of and increased time to first or only episode of clinical malaria among Pfspz or (NANP)5 responders carrying microscopically detectable Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) parasitemia at the start of the transmission season (p < 0.03). Our Cox regression interaction models indicated a potentially protective interaction between high anti-Pfspz (p = 0.002) or anti-(NANP)5 (p = 0.001) antibody levels and microscopically detectable Pf parasitemia on the risk of subsequent clinical malaria. Our findings indicate that robust antisporozoite immune responses can be naturally acquired already at an early age. A potentially protective role of high levels of anti-Pfspz antibodies against clinical episodes of uncomplicated malaria was detected, suggesting that antibody-mediated preerythrocytic immunity might indeed contribute to protection in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vittoria Offeddu
- Parasitology Unit, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ally Olotu
- Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographic Medicine Research-Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Faith Osier
- Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographic Medicine Research-Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Kevin Marsh
- Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographic Medicine Research-Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kilifi, Kenya.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Kai Matuschewski
- Parasitology Unit, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany.,Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Vandana Thathy
- Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographic Medicine Research-Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kilifi, Kenya
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Patarroyo ME, Alba MP, Rojas-Luna R, Bermudez A, Aza-Conde J. Functionally relevant proteins in Plasmodium falciparum host cell invasion. Immunotherapy 2017; 9:131-155. [DOI: 10.2217/imt-2016-0091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A totally effective, antimalarial vaccine must involve sporozoite and merozoite proteins (or their fragments) to ensure complete parasite blocking during critical invasion stages. This Special Report examines proteins involved in critical biological functions for parasite survival and highlights the conserved amino acid sequences of the most important proteins involved in sporozoite invasion of hepatocytes and merozoite invasion of red blood cells. Conserved high activity binding peptides are located in such proteins’ functionally strategic sites, whose functions are related to receptor binding, nutrient and protein transport, enzyme activity and molecule–molecule interactions. They are thus excellent targets for vaccine development as they block proteins binding function involved in invasion and also their biological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel E Patarroyo
- Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Carrera 50 No. 26–20 Bogotá, Colombia
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá DC, Colombia
| | - Martha P Alba
- Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Carrera 50 No. 26–20 Bogotá, Colombia
- Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales (UDCA), Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Rocío Rojas-Luna
- Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Carrera 50 No. 26–20 Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Adriana Bermudez
- Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Carrera 50 No. 26–20 Bogotá, Colombia
- Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá DC, Colombia
| | - Jorge Aza-Conde
- Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Carrera 50 No. 26–20 Bogotá, Colombia
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Offeddu V, Thathy V, Marsh K, Matuschewski K. Naturally acquired immune responses against Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites and liver infection. Int J Parasitol 2012; 42:535-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2012.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2011] [Revised: 03/18/2012] [Accepted: 03/24/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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