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Hao G, Xiong C, Xiao J, He W, Zhu Y, Xu L, Jiang Q, Yang G. Evaluation of the immunoprotective effect of the recombinant Eimeria intestinalis rhoptry protein 25 and rhoptry protein 30 on New Zealand rabbits. Exp Parasitol 2024; 259:108719. [PMID: 38364954 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rabbit coccidiosis is a parasitism caused by either one or multiple co-infections of Eimeria species. Among them, Eimeria intestinalis is the primary pathogen responsible for diarrhea, growth retardation, and potential mortality in rabbits. Concerns regarding drug resistance and drug residues have led to the development of recombinant subunit vaccines targeting Eimeria species as a promising preventive measure. The aim of this study was to assess the immunoprotective efficacy of recombinant subunit vaccines comprising EiROP25 and EiROP30 (rhoptry proteins (ROPs)) against E. intestinalis infection in rabbits. METHODS Cloning, prokaryotic expression, and protein purification were performed to obtain EiROP25 and EiROP30. Five groups of fifty 35-day-old Eimeria-free rabbits were created (unchallenged control group, challenged control group, vector protein control group, rEiROP25 group, and rEiROP30 group), with 10 rabbits in each group. Rabbits in the rEiROP25 and rEiROP30 groups were immunized with the recombinant proteins (100 μg per rabbit) for primary and booster immunization (100 μg per rabbit) at a two-week intervals, and challenged with 7 × 104 oocysts per rabbit after an additional two-week interval. Two weeks after the challenge, the rabbits were euthanized for analysis. Weekly collections of rabbit sera were made to measure changes in specific IgG and cytokine level. Clinical symptoms and pathological changes after challenge were observed and recorded. At the conclusion of the animal experiment, lesion scores, the relative weight increase ratio, the oocyst reduction rate, and the anticoccidial index were computed. RESULTS Rabbits immunized with rEiROP25 and rEiROP30 exhibited relative weight gain ratios of 56.57% and 72.36%, respectively. Oocysts decreased by 78.14% and 84.06% for the rEiROP25 and rEiROP30 groups, respectively. The anticoccidial indexes were 140 and 155. Furthermore, there was a noticeable drop in intestinal lesions. After the primary immunization with rEiROP25 and rEiROP30, a week later, there was a notable rise in specific IgG levels, which remained elevated for two weeks following challenge (P < 0.05). Interleukin (IL)-2 levels increased markedly in the rEiROP25 group, whereas IL-2, interferon gamma (IFN-γ), and IL-4 levels increased substantially in the rEiROP30 group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Immunization of rabbits indicated that both rEiROP25 and rEiROP30 are capable of inducing an increase in specific antibody levels. rEiROP25 triggered a Th1-type immune protection response, while rEiROP30 elicited a Th1/Th2 mixed response. EiROP25 and EiROP30 can generate a moderate level of immune protection, with better efficacy observed for EiROP30. This study provides valuable insights for the promotion of recombinant subunit vaccines targeting rabbit E. intestinalis infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ge Hao
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, 611130, China
| | - Changming Xiong
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, 611130, China
| | - Jie Xiao
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, 611130, China
| | - Wei He
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, 611130, China
| | - Yuhua Zhu
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, 611130, China
| | - Liwen Xu
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, 611130, China
| | - Qing Jiang
- Ya'an Polytechnic College, Yaan, 625014, China.
| | - Guangyou Yang
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, 611130, China.
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Imhof D, Hänggeli KPA, De Sousa MCF, Vigneswaran A, Hofmann L, Amdouni Y, Boubaker G, Müller J, Hemphill A. Working towards the development of vaccines and chemotherapeutics against neosporosis-With all of its ups and downs-Looking ahead. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2024; 124:91-154. [PMID: 38754928 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2024.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan and obligatory intracellular parasite, which is the leading cause of reproductive failure in cattle and affects other farm and domestic animals, but also induces neuromuscular disease in dogs of all ages. In cattle, neosporosis is an important health problem, and has a considerable economic impact. To date there is no protective vaccine or chemotherapeutic treatment on the market. Immuno-prophylaxis has long been considered as the best control measure. Proteins involved in host cell interaction and invasion, as well as antigens mediating inflammatory responses have been the most frequently assessed vaccine targets. However, despite considerable efforts no effective vaccine has been introduced to the market to date. The development of effective compounds to limit the effects of vertical transmission of N. caninum tachyzoites has emerged as an alternative or addition to vaccination, provided suitable targets and safe and efficacious drugs can be identified. Additionally, the combination of both treatment strategies might be interesting to further increase protectivity against N. caninum infections and to decrease the duration of treatment and the risk of potential drug resistance. Well-established and standardized animal infection models are key factors for the evaluation of promising vaccine and compound candidates. The vast majority of experimental animal experiments concerning neosporosis have been performed in mice, although in recent years the numbers of experimental studies in cattle and sheep have increased. In this review, we discuss the recent findings concerning the progress in drug and vaccine development against N. caninum infections in mice and ruminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Imhof
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Kai Pascal Alexander Hänggeli
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Maria Cristina Ferreira De Sousa
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Anitha Vigneswaran
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Larissa Hofmann
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Yosra Amdouni
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ghalia Boubaker
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Joachim Müller
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrew Hemphill
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
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Immunization with a Multivalent Listeria monocytogenes Vaccine Leads to a Strong Reduction in Vertical Transmission and Cerebral Parasite Burden in Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Mice Infected with Neospora caninum. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11010156. [PMID: 36680001 PMCID: PMC9863997 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11010156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan parasite that causes abortion and stillbirth in cattle. We employed the pregnant neosporosis mouse model to investigate the efficacy of a modified version of the attenuated Listeria monocytogenes vaccine vector Lm3Dx_NcSAG1, which expresses the major N. caninum surface antigen SAG1. Multivalent vaccines were generated by the insertion of gra7 and/or rop2 genes into Lm3Dx_NcSAG1, resulting in the double mutants, Lm3Dx_NcSAG1_NcGRA7 and Lm3Dx_NcSAG1_NcROP2, and the triple mutant, Lm3Dx_NcSAG1_NcGRA7_NcROP2. Six experimental groups of female BALB/c mice were inoculated intramuscularly three times at two-week intervals with 1 × 107 CFU of the respective vaccine strains. Seven days post-mating, mice were challenged by the subcutaneous injection of 1 × 105N. caninum NcSpain-7 tachyzoites. Non-pregnant mice, dams and their offspring were observed daily until day 25 post-partum. Immunization with Lm3Dx_NcSAG1 and Lm3Dx_NcSAG1_NcGRA7_NcROP2 resulted in 70% postnatal pup survival, whereas only 50% and 58% of pups survived in the double mutant-vaccinated groups. Almost all pups had died at the end of the experiment in the infection control. The triple mutant was the most promising vaccine candidate, providing the highest rate of protection against vertical transmission (65%) and CNS infection. Overall, integrating multiple antigens into Lm3Dx_SAG1 resulted in lower vertical transmission and enhanced protection against cerebral infection in dams and in non-pregnant mice.
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Rico-San Román L, Amieva R, Regidor-Cerrillo J, García-Sánchez M, Collantes-Fernández E, Pastor-Fernández I, Saeij JPJ, Ortega-Mora LM, Horcajo P. NcGRA7 and NcROP40 Play a Role in the Virulence of Neospora caninum in a Pregnant Mouse Model. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11090998. [PMID: 36145430 PMCID: PMC9506596 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11090998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The intraspecific variability among Neospora caninum isolates in their in vitro behaviour and in vivo virulence has been widely studied. In particular, transcriptomic and proteomic analyses have shown a higher expression/abundance of specific genes/proteins in high-virulence isolates. Consequently, the dense granule protein NcGRA7 and the rhoptry protein NcROP40 were proposed as potential virulence factors. The objective of this study was to characterize the role of these proteins using CRISPR/Cas9 knockout (KO) parasites in a well-established pregnant BALB/c mouse model of N. caninum infection at midgestation. The deletion of NcGRA7 and NcROP40 was associated with a reduction of virulence, as infected dams displayed milder clinical signs, lower parasite burdens in the brain, and reduced mortality rates compared to those infected with the wild-type parasite (Nc-Spain7). Specifically, those infected with the NcGRA7 KO parasites displayed significantly milder clinical signs and a lower brain parasite burden. The median survival time of the pups from dams infected with the two KO parasites was significantly increased, but differences in neonatal mortality rates were not detected. Overall, the present study indicates that the disruption of NcGRA7 considerably impairs virulence in mice, while the impact of NcROP40 deletion was more modest. Further research is needed to understand the role of these virulence factors during N. caninum infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Rico-San Román
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Amieva
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Regidor-Cerrillo
- SALUVET-Innova S.L., Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta García-Sánchez
- SALUVET-Innova S.L., Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Esther Collantes-Fernández
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Iván Pastor-Fernández
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jeroen P. J. Saeij
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: (L.M.O.-M.); (P.H.); Tel.: +34-91-3944098 (P.H.)
| | - Pilar Horcajo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: (L.M.O.-M.); (P.H.); Tel.: +34-91-3944098 (P.H.)
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Moreno S, Borrego B, Brun A. Using RVFV as a Vector Platform for the Expression of Ruminant Disease Antigens. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2465:209-225. [PMID: 35118624 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2168-4_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Live attenuated viruses remain as vaccine agents with unparalleled performance in terms of duration, magnitude, and breadth of induced immune responses. As the yellow fever-attenuated vaccine strain Y17D, attenuated Rift Valley fever virus shares features suitable to be used as a viral vector for heterologous antigen expression and bivalent vaccine development. Current reverse genetics technology showed the successful rescue of RVFV carrying foreign antigens with little immunogenicity loss in experimental animal models. We show here the basic experimental protocol to achieve the expression of candidate vaccine antigens from other important diseases of ruminants using RVFV as a vector platform as well as preliminary steps for the characterization of immunogenicity in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Moreno
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), INIA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Belén Borrego
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), INIA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Brun
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), INIA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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Li S, Zhang N, Liu S, Li J, Liu L, Wang X, Li X, Gong P, Zhang X. Protective Immunity Against Neospora caninum Infection Induced by 14-3-3 Protein in Mice. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:638173. [PMID: 33748214 PMCID: PMC7965954 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.638173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan parasite that infects many mammals and remains a threatening disease worldwide because of the lack of effective drugs and vaccines. Our previous studies demonstrated that N. caninum 14-3-3 protein (Nc14-3-3), which is included in N. caninum extracellular vesicles (NEVs), can induce effective immune responses and stimulate cytokine expression in mouse peritoneal macrophages. However, whether Nc14-3-3 has a protective effect and its mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we evaluated the immune responses and protective effects of Nc14-3-3 against exposure to 2 × 107 Nc-1 tachyzoites. Antibody (IgG, IgGl, and IgG2a) levels and Th1-type (IFN-γ and IL-12) and Th2-type (IL-4 and IL-10) cytokines in mouse serum, survival rates, survival times, and parasite burdens were detected. In the present study, the immunostimulatory effect of Nc14-3-3 was confirmed, as it triggered Th1-type cytokine (IFN-γ and IL-12) production in mouse serum 2 weeks after the final immunization. Moreover, the immunization of C57BL/6 mice with Nc14-3-3 induced high IgG antibody levels and significant increases in CD8+ T lymphocytes in the spleens of mice, indicating that the cellular immune response was significantly stimulated. Mouse survival rates and times were significantly prolonged after immunization; the survival rates were 40% for Nc14-3-3 immunization and 60% for NEV immunization, while mice that received GST, PBS, or blank control all died at 13, 9, or 8 days, respectively, after intraperitoneal N. caninum challenge. In addition, qPCR analysis indicated that there was a reduced parasite burden and diminished pathological changes in the mice immunized with Nc14-3-3. Our data demonstrate that vaccination of mice with Nc14-3-3 elicits both cellular and humoral immune responses and provides partial protection against acute neosporosis. Thus, Nc14-3-3 could be an effective antigen candidate for vaccine development for neosporosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Li
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Department of Social Medicine and Public Health, School of Basic Medicine, Jiujiang University, Jiujiang, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Shaoxiong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jianhua Li
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Li Liu
- College of Basic Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xiaocen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xin Li
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Pengtao Gong
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xichen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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7
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Yu G, Liang W, Yang Q, Wang J, Wang Y, Zhang T, Zhang X, Fan H, Zhao P, Cao L, Dong J. Immune Protective Evaluation Elicited by DNA Vaccination With Neospora caninum Dense Granules Proteins in Mice. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:638067. [PMID: 33718474 PMCID: PMC7953147 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.638067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neospora caninum, an obligate intracellular protozoan, is the major cause for neosporosis and brings serious economic losses to cattle breeding industries worldwide. After invasion, dense granules proteins are abundantly secreted and being important components of parasitophorous vacuole and intravacuolar network where N. caninum survives and replicates. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the protective immunity induced by DNA vaccines with genes encoding dense granules proteins 1 (GRA1), GRA4, GRA9, GRA14, GRA17, and GRA23 against N. caninum tachyzoites in BALB/C mice. Eukaryotic expressing plasmids of pcNcGRAs were constructed and the mice were intramuscularly immunized with pcNcGRAs followed by challenging infection with lethal doses of N. caninum. Immune responses were evaluated through monitoring the levels of serum antibodies, measurement of lymphocyte proliferation, and secretion of cytokines. Immune protection assays were carried out through monitoring survival time, body weight, and parasite burden in the brains. Results showed that all the pcNcGRA DNA vaccines could trigger remarkably specific humoral and cellular responses, with higher levels of IgG and IgG2a antibodies as well as obviously increased secretion of Th1-type IFN-γ cytokines. The immune protective efficacy revealed that pcNcGRA4, pcNcGRA14, and pcNcGRA17 DNA vaccines could individually increase the survival rate to 50, 37.5, and 25% in comparison with 0% in the control group; prolong the survival time more than 20.88 ± 11.12, 18.88 ± 10.83, and 16.63 ± 10.66 days compared with the control group of 4 ± 1.31 days; and decrease parasite burden in the brains to 297.63 ± 83.77, 471.5 ± 110.74, and 592.13 ± 102.2 parasites/100 ng comparing with 1221.36 ± 269.59 parasites/100 ng in the control group. These findings indicated that NcGRA4, NcGRA14, and NcGRA17 are potential vaccine candidates; NcGRA4 displayed better performance in immune protective efficacy and could be further combined with other advantageous antigens applied to the development of safe and effective DNA vaccines against N. caninum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guili Yu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biological Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Wei Liang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang City, Lianyungang, China
| | - Qiankun Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biological Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Jinxin Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biological Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biological Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Tianmeng Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biological Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biological Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Hui Fan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biological Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Panpan Zhao
- Department of Parasite, Jilin Academy of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Changchun, China.,Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Lili Cao
- Department of Parasite, Jilin Academy of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Changchun, China.,Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jingquan Dong
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biological Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, China
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Fereig RM, Abdelbaky HH, Nishikawa Y. Vaccination with Neospora GRA6 Interrupts the Vertical Transmission and Partially Protects Dams and Offspring against Neospora caninum Infection in Mice. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9020155. [PMID: 33671937 PMCID: PMC7919036 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9020155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Vaccination is the mainstay of preventative measures for numerous infectious diseases. Neospora caninum infection induces storms of abortion in pregnant cows and ewes, resulting in drastic economic losses because of fetal losses and culling of the dams. Herein, we evaluated the potential of recombinant protein of N. caninum dense granule protein 6 fused with glutathione-S-transferase (NcGRA6+GST) as a vaccine candidate against neosporosis in a pregnant mouse model. The protective efficacy was investigated by subcutaneous inoculation of BALB/c mice with recombinant NcGRA6+GST (25 pmol), and GST alone (25 pmol) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) as the controls. This study revealed the partial ability of NcGRA6+GST to protect the dams and offspring from N. caninum infection during the critical period of pregnancy. This ability was revealed by higher survival rate and lower parasite burden in brains of offspring of the NcGRA6+GST-immunized group in comparison with the control groups. In addition, mouse dams from NcGRA6+GST-immunized groups exhibited lower clinical score and minimum alteration in body weight in comparison with PBS or GST groups after challenge with N. caninum tachyzoites. Taken together, our results suggest the efficacy of recombinant NcGRA6 for interrupting the vertical transmission of N. caninum in mice by reducing the severity of infections in dams and offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ragab M. Fereig
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; (R.M.F.); (H.H.A.)
- Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena City, Qena 83523, Egypt
| | - Hanan H. Abdelbaky
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; (R.M.F.); (H.H.A.)
| | - Yoshifumi Nishikawa
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; (R.M.F.); (H.H.A.)
- Correspondence:
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Bengoa-Luoni SA, Corigliano MG, Sánchez-López E, Albarracín RM, Legarralde A, Ganuza A, Clemente M, Sander VA. The potential of a DIVA-like recombinant vaccine composed by rNcSAG1 and rAtHsp81.2 against vertical transmission in a mouse model of congenital neosporosis. Acta Trop 2019; 198:105094. [PMID: 31323195 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.105094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is the etiological agent of neosporosis, a worldwide infectious disease recognized as the major cause of abortions and reproductive failures in livestock, responsible for significant economic losses in cattle industries. Currently, there are not cost-effective control options for this pathology, and the development of a vaccine involving new and integrated approaches is highly recommended. In this study, we evaluated the immunogenic and protective efficacy, as well as the potential DIVA (Differentiation of Infected from Vaccinated Animals) character of a recombinant subunit vaccine composed by the major surface antigen from N. caninum (NcSAG1) and the carrier/adjuvant heat shock protein 81.2 from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtHsp81.2) in a mouse model of congenital neosporosis. BALB/c female mice were intraperitoneal (i.p.) immunized with a mixture of equimolar quantities of rNcSAG1 and rAtHSP81.2 or each protein alone (rNcSAG1 or rAtHsp81.2). The vaccine containing a mixture of rNcSAG1 and rAtHsp81.2 significantly enhanced the production of specific anti-rNcSAG1 total IgG (tIgG), IgG1 and IgG2a antibodies in immunized mice when compared to control groups (non-vaccinated and rAtHsp81.2 immunized mice) as well as to the group of mice immunized only with the antigen (rNcSAG1). In addition, partial protection against vertical transmission and improvement of the offspring survival time was observed in this group. On the other hand, rAtHsp81.2 induced the production of specific anti-rAtHsp81.2 tIgG, allowing us to differentiate vaccinated from infected mice. Despite further experiments have to be made in cattle to test the capability of this vaccine formulation to differentiate vaccinated from infected animals in the field, our results suggest that the formulation composed by rNcSAG1 and rAtHsp81.2 could serve as a basis for the development of a new vaccine approach against bovine neosporosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ariel Legarralde
- Unidad de Biotecnología 6-UB6, INTECH, CONICET-UNSAM, Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Agustina Ganuza
- Unidad de Biotecnología 2-UB2, INTECH, CONICET-UNSAM, Consejo de Investigaciones Científicas (CIC) de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Marina Clemente
- Unidad de Biotecnología 6-UB6, INTECH, CONICET-UNSAM, Chascomús, Argentina.
| | - Valeria A Sander
- Unidad de Biotecnología 6-UB6, INTECH, CONICET-UNSAM, Chascomús, Argentina.
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Xu J, Hiramatsu R, Suhaimi H, Kato T, Fujimoto A, Tokiwa T, Ike K, Park EY. Neospora caninum antigens displaying virus-like particles as a bivalent vaccine candidate against neosporosis. Vaccine 2019; 37:6426-6434. [PMID: 31515150 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is a causative and transmissible agent of dog and bovine neosporosis. The resulting reproductive failures in infected cattle lead to significant economic losses worldwide. However, there is no satisfactory treatment or vaccine currently available to combat this pathogen. Thus, the development of appropriate vaccines to manage its infection and transmission is urgently needed. In this study, we expressed Rous sarcoma virus-like particles (RSV-LP) that displayed dual N. caninum antigens in silkworms. The antigen candidates are modified by adding a transmembrane domain of GP64 protein from Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) to the C-terminus of surface antigen 1 (NcSAG1) and SAG1-related sequence 2 (NcSRS2). The NcSRS2 alone or the NcSAG1/NcSRS2 bivalent form displaying RSV-LPs were purified using sucrose density gradient centrifugation. These purified VLPs were then used for immunizations in gerbils, Meriones unguiculatus, to evaluate the anti-N. caninum effects in vivo. The results demonstrated that antigens displaying RSV-LPs in immunized gerbils produced the antigen-specific antibody, leading to a relatively lower parasite load after infections of N. caninum. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to present an RSV-LP vaccine displaying bivalent antigens from neosporosis. Taken together, our strategy suggests that silkworm-expressed virus-like particles (VLPs) are promising bivalent vaccine candidates against N. caninum infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Xu
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, Research Institute of Green Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan.
| | - Rikito Hiramatsu
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan.
| | - Hamizah Suhaimi
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan.
| | - Tatsuya Kato
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, Research Institute of Green Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan; Laboratory of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan; Laboratory of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan.
| | - Akari Fujimoto
- Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology, Nippon Veterinary and Life University, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8602, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Tokiwa
- Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology, Nippon Veterinary and Life University, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8602, Japan.
| | - Kazunori Ike
- Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology, Nippon Veterinary and Life University, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8602, Japan.
| | - Enoch Y Park
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, Research Institute of Green Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan; Laboratory of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan; Laboratory of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan.
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11
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C57BL/6 mice immunized with synthetic peptides from Toxoplasma gondii surface and microneme immunodominant antigens are able to decrease parasite burden in the brain tissues. Acta Trop 2019; 196:1-6. [PMID: 31059707 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular protozoan able to infect a wide range of hosts. The infection is particularly severe in immunocompromised patients or during pregnancy, circumstances in which the parasite could find a more favorable microenvironment to replicate and invade host tissues. The current treatment consists in toxic drugs for the patients, being not appropriate for the fetuses and immunodeficient patients. So far, there is a lack of available vaccine to prevent the disease. The present study aimed to evaluate the immune response induced by peptides derived from parasite immunodominant proteins from key components, as surface, rhoptry, microneme and dense granule antigens. A panel of eleven peptides was selected considering the highest scores for B cell epitope prediction by in silico analyses. The peptides were divided in groups, according to the parasite organelle locations, and used to immunize C57BL/6 mice. The animals were submitted to three doses of immunization and infected by 10 cysts of T. gondii ME49 strain. Blood samples were collected and used to measure the production of antibodies and cytokines, while the brains were collected to determine the parasite burden by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). It was found that synthetic peptides from all targets were able to induce IgG synthesis in immunized mice, as well as to modulate the Th1/Th2 cytokine production, particularly the MIC and SRS groups, which presented the IFN-γ/IL-10 and TNF-α/IL-10 ratios 30 and 10 times higher, respectively, when compared with non-immunized group. Interestingly, the animals from MIC and SRS groups had significantly lower levels of T. gondii DNA in their brains. In summary, it can be concluded that peptides mainly from SRS and MIC parasite components constitute relevant targets to design vaccine candidates against parasite burden observed during chronic toxoplasmosis.
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12
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Fereig RM, Shimoda N, Abdelbaky HH, Kuroda Y, Nishikawa Y. Neospora GRA6 possesses immune-stimulating activity and confers efficient protection against Neospora caninum infection in mice. Vet Parasitol 2019; 267:61-68. [PMID: 30878088 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2019.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/09/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Vaccination has the potential to be the most cost-effective control measure for reducing the economic burden of neosporosis in cattle. In this study, the immune-stimulatory effect of recombinant Neospora caninum dense granule protein 6 (NcGRA6) was confirmed via its triggering of IL-12p40 production in murine macrophages. BALB/c mice were immunized with recombinant NcGRA6 fused with glutathione S-transferase (GST) protein with or without oligomannose-coated-liposomes (OMLs) as the potential adjuvant. Specific IgG1 antibody production was observed from 21 and 35 days after the first immunization in NcGRA6+GST- and NcGRA6+GST-OML-immunized mice, respectively. However, specific IgG2a was detected 1 week after the infection, and IgG2a levels of the NcGRA6+GST- group were higher than those of the NcGRA6+GST-OML-group. Moreover, spleen cell proliferation with concomitant interferon-gamma production was detected in mice immunized with NcGRA6+GST, indicating that a significant cellular immune response was induced. Mouse survival rates against N. caninum challenge infection were 91.7% for NcGRA6+GST and 83.3% for NcGRA6+GST-OML, which were significantly higher than those of control groups (GST-OML: 25%, phosphate-buffered saline: 16.7%). This indicates that naked NcGRA6+GST induced protective immunity. Thus, our findings highlight the immune-stimulating potential of NcGRA6 and the ability to induce protective immunity against N. caninum infection in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ragab M Fereig
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; Research Center for Global Agromedicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena City, Qena 83523, Egypt
| | - Naomi Shimoda
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Hanan H Abdelbaky
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Kuroda
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, Tokai University, Kita-kaname, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa 259-1292, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Nishikawa
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
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Sander VA, Corigliano MG, Clemente M. Promising Plant-Derived Adjuvants in the Development of Coccidial Vaccines. Front Vet Sci 2019; 6:20. [PMID: 30809529 PMCID: PMC6379251 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Coccidial parasites cause medical and veterinary diseases worldwide, frequently leading to severe illness and important economic losses. At present, drugs, chemotherapeutics and prophylactic vaccines are still missing for most of the coccidial infections. Moreover, the development and administration of drugs and chemotherapeutics against these diseases would not be adequate in livestock, since they may generate unacceptable residues in milk and meat that would avoid their commercialization. In this scenario, prophylactic vaccines emerge as the most suitable approach. Subunit vaccines have proven to be biologically safe and economically viable, allowing researchers to choose among the best antigens against each pathogen. However, they are generally poorly immunogenic and require the addition of adjuvant compounds to the vaccine formulation. During the last decades, research involving plant immunomodulatory compounds has become an important field of study based on their potential pharmaceutical applications. Some plant molecules such as saponins, polysaccharides, lectins and heat shock proteins are being explored as candidates for adjuvant/carriers formulations. Moreover, plant-derived immune stimulatory compounds open the possibility to attain the main goal in adjuvant research: a safe and non-toxic adjuvant capable of strongly boosting and directing immune responses that could be incorporated into different vaccine formulations, including mucosal vaccines. Here, we review the immunomodulatory properties of several plant molecules and discuss their application and future perspective as adjuvants in the development of vaccines against coccidial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria A Sander
- Unidad de Biotecnología 6-UB6, Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECh), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad Nacional de General San Martín (UNSAM), Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Mariana G Corigliano
- Unidad de Biotecnología 6-UB6, Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECh), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad Nacional de General San Martín (UNSAM), Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Marina Clemente
- Unidad de Biotecnología 6-UB6, Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECh), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad Nacional de General San Martín (UNSAM), Chascomús, Argentina
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14
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Immunization with a cocktail of antigens fused with OprI reduces Neospora caninum vertical transmission and postnatal mortality in mice. Vaccine 2018; 37:473-483. [PMID: 30497830 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.11.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OprI is an outer membrane lipoprotein from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and when fused to a recombinant antigen, will exert adjuvant properties by engaging Toll-like receptor 2, leading to dendritic cell activation. Previous studies have shown that the Neospora caninum (Nc) antigens NcPDI, NcROP2 and NcROP40 are implicated in host cell interactions and are promising vaccine candidates. In two independent experiments, the efficacy of a polyvalent vaccine formulation composed of OprI-NcPDI, OprI-NcROP2 and OprI-NcROP40 (collectively named O-Ags) was assessed in non-pregnant and pregnant Balb/c mouse models challenged with tachyzoites of the high-virulence isolate Nc-Spain7. Parameters that were investigated were clinical signs, fertility, parasite burden in adult mice, humoral and cellular immune responses at different time-points prior to and after challenge infection, vertical transmission and post-natal survival of offspring mice, all to explore potential correlations with efficacy. Vaccination of mice with O-Ags induced a mixed Th1/Th2 immune response in adult mice and led to significantly increased protection against cerebral infection. Vaccination with O-Ags also resulted in reduced vertical transmission, and postnatal disease in offspring was significantly inhibited at a rate not observed in mice infected with a high-virulence isolate to date. However, O-Ags mixed with TLR ligands targeting TLR3 and TLR7, which are known to induce clear Th1-biased responses, or vaccination with OprI fused to the non-N. caninum antigen ovalbumin (OprI-OVA) did not confer protection.
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15
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Association of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis recombinant proteins rCP09720 or rCP01850 with rPLD as immunogens in caseous lymphadenitis immunoprophylaxis. Vaccine 2017; 36:74-83. [PMID: 29174312 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Revised: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) is a chronic disease responsible for significant economic losses in sheep and goat breeding worldwide. The treatment for this disease is not effective, and an intense vaccination schedule would be the best control strategy. In this study, we evaluated the associations of rCP09720 or rCP01850 proteins from Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis with recombinant exotoxin phospholipase D (rPLD) as subunit vaccines in mice. Four experimental groups (10 animals each) were immunized with a sterile 0.9% saline solution (G1), rPLD (G2), rPLD + rCP09720 (G3), and rPLD + rCP01850 (G4). The mice received two doses of each vaccine at a 21-day interval and were challenged 21 days after the last immunization. The animals were evaluated daily for 40 days after the challenge, and mortality rate was recorded. The total IgG production level increased significantly in the experimental groups on day 42 after the first vaccination. Similarly, higher levels of specific IgG2a were observed in experimental groups G2, G3, and G4 compared to the IgG1 levels on day 42. G4 showed a significant (p < .05) humoral response against both antigens of the antigenic formulations. The cellular immune response induced by immunization was characterized by a significant (p < .05) production of interferon-γ compared to that in the control, while the concentrations of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-12 were not significant in any group. A significant increase of tumor necrosis factor was observed only in G4. The survival rates after the challenge were 30% (rPLD), 40% (rPLD + rCP09720), and 50% (rPLD + rCP01850). Thus, the association of rCP01850 with rPLD resulted in the best protection against the challenge with C. pseudotuberculosis and induced a more intense type 1 T-helper cell immune response.
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Aguado-Martínez A, Basto AP, Leitão A, Hemphill A. Neospora caninum in non-pregnant and pregnant mouse models: cross-talk between infection and immunity. Int J Parasitol 2017; 47:723-735. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2017.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2017] [Revised: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Ferreirinha P, Correia A, Teixeira-Coelho M, Osório H, Teixeira L, Rocha A, Vilanova M. Mucosal immunization confers long-term protection against intragastrically established Neospora caninum infection. Vaccine 2016; 34:6250-6258. [PMID: 27814932 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.10.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Revised: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite responsible for heavy economic losses in dairy and beef cattle farms worldwide. Although vaccination is widely regarded as the preferable strategy to prevent neosporosis no commercial vaccine is currently available. We have previously shown that intranasal immunization with an N. caninum antigen extract enriched in hydrophobic proteins plus CpG adjuvant protected mice against intragastrically established neosporosis. Nevertheless, the antigen specificity as well as the long-term protective effect of this immunization strategy were not determined. Here, we show that the protective effect of this intranasal immunization procedure lasted for at least 20weeks. Protection was accompanied by long-lasting elevated levels of parasite-specific serum IgG and intestinal IgA. Moreover, spleen and mesenteric lymph node cells obtained from non-infected long-term immunized mice responded by producing interferon-γ following in vitro parasite-antigen recall. Analysis of serum IgG and intestinal IgA antibody reactivity in immunized mice identified dense granule antigen 7 (NcGRA7) and microneme associated protein 1 (NcMIC1) as immunodominant antigens respectively recognized by those antibody fractions. In summary, this work shows that a previously reported mucosal immunization strategy against N. caninum infection established through the gastrointestinal tract is effective in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Ferreirinha
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Alexandra Correia
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria Teixeira-Coelho
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Hugo Osório
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; IPATIMUP - Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto, Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho, 45, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; FMUP - Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Al. Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Luzia Teixeira
- ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n. 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; UMIB - Unidade Multidisciplinar de Investigação Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - António Rocha
- ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n. 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Manuel Vilanova
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n. 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
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Horcajo P, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Aguado-Martínez A, Hemphill A, Ortega-Mora LM. Vaccines for bovine neosporosis: current status and key aspects for development. Parasite Immunol 2016; 38:709-723. [DOI: 10.1111/pim.12342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- P. Horcajo
- SALUVET; Animal Health Department; Faculty of Veterinary Sciences; Complutense University of Madrid; Madrid Spain
| | - J. Regidor-Cerrillo
- SALUVET; Animal Health Department; Faculty of Veterinary Sciences; Complutense University of Madrid; Madrid Spain
| | - A. Aguado-Martínez
- Institute of Parasitology; Vetsuisse Faculty; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
| | - A. Hemphill
- Institute of Parasitology; Vetsuisse Faculty; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
| | - L. M. Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET; Animal Health Department; Faculty of Veterinary Sciences; Complutense University of Madrid; Madrid Spain
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19
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Pastor-Fernández I, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Álvarez-García G, Marugán-Hernández V, García-Lunar P, Hemphill A, Ortega-Mora LM. The tandemly repeated NTPase (NTPDase) from Neospora caninum is a canonical dense granule protein whose RNA expression, protein secretion and phosphorylation coincides with the tachyzoite egress. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:352. [PMID: 27329357 PMCID: PMC4915099 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1620-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background NTPases (also NTPDases) are enzymes with apyrase activity. They are widely distributed among eukaryotes, and also among members of the family Sarcocystidae. In Toxoplasma gondii, the TgNTPase accumulates in the dense granules, and has been commonly associated with the strain virulence. In the closely related Neospora caninum, the NcNTPase lacks nucleoside diphosphate hydrolase activity and appears to be more abundant in virulent isolates, indicating that it may contribute to the pathogenicity of neosporosis. However, so far no additional information on NcNTPase has been provided. Methods Herein, the NcNTPase coding sequences were analysed by different in silico and de novo sequencing approaches. A comparative analysis of NcNTPase and NcGRA7 in terms of protein dynamics, secretion, phosphorylation, and mRNA expression profiles during the tachyzoite lytic cycle was also carried out. Moreover, NcNTPase immunolocalization was analysed by confocal microscopy techniques over a set number of time-points. Results We describe the presence of three different loci containing three copies of the NcNTPase within the Nc-Liv genome, and report the existence of up to four different NcNTPase alleles in Nc-Liv. We also provide evidence for the occurrence of diverse protein species of the NcNTPase by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Both NcNTPase and NcGRA7 were similarly up-regulated and secreted during the egress and/or early invasion phases, and were phosphorylated. However, its secretion was not affected by the addition of calcium modulators such as A23187 and ethanol. NcNTPase and NcGRA7 localized in dense granules and parasitophorous vacuole membrane throughout the lytic cycle, although differed in their inmunolocalization during early invasion and egress. Conclusions The present study reveals the complexity of the NcNTPase loci in N. caninum. We hypothesize that the expression of different isoforms of the NcNTPase protein could contribute to parasite virulence. Our findings showed regulation of expression, secretion and phosphorylation of NcNTPase suggesting a potential role for progression through the tachyzoites lytic cycle. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1620-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iván Pastor-Fernández
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Regidor-Cerrillo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gema Álvarez-García
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Virginia Marugán-Hernández
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Paula García-Lunar
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andrew Hemphill
- Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, Länggass-Strasse 122, CH-3012, Berne, Switzerland
| | - Luis M Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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Approaches for the vaccination and treatment of Neospora caninum infections in mice and ruminant models. Parasitology 2015; 143:245-59. [PMID: 26626124 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182015001596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is a leading cause of abortion in cattle, and is thus an important veterinary health problem of high economic significance. Vaccination has been considered a viable strategy to prevent bovine neosporosis. Different approaches have been investigated, and to date the most promising results have been achieved with live-attenuated vaccines. Subunit vaccines have also been studied, and most of them represented components that are functionally involved in (i) the physical interaction between the parasite and its host cell during invasion or (ii) tachyzoite-to-bradyzoite stage conversion. Drugs have been considered as an option to limit the effects of vertical transmission of N. caninum. Promising results with a small panel of compounds in small laboratory animal models indicate the potential value of a chemotherapeutical approach for the prevention of neosporosis in ruminants. For both, vaccines and drugs, the key for success in preventing vertical transmission lies in the application of bioactive compounds that limit parasite proliferation and dissemination, without endangering the developing fetus not only during an exogenous acute infection but also during recrudescence of a chronic infection. In this review, the current status of vaccine and drug development is presented and novel strategies against neosporosis are discussed.
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Characterization of the Neospora caninum NcROP40 and NcROP2Fam-1 rhoptry proteins during the tachyzoite lytic cycle. Parasitology 2015; 143:97-113. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182015001511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
SUMMARYVirulence factors from the ROP2-family have been extensively studied in Toxoplasma gondii, but in the closely related Neospora caninum only NcROP2Fam-1 has been partially characterized to date. NcROP40 is a member of this family and was found to be more abundantly expressed in virulent isolates. Both NcROP2Fam-1 and NcROP40 were evaluated as vaccine candidates and exerted a synergistic effect in terms of protection against vertical transmission in mouse models, which suggests that they may be relevant for parasite pathogenicity. NcROP40 is localized in the rhoptry bulbs of tachyzoites and bradyzoites, but in contrast to NcROP2Fam-1, the protein does not associate with the parasitophorous vacuole membrane due to the lack of arginine-rich amphipathic helix in its sequence. Similarly to NcROP2Fam-1, NcROP40 mRNA levels are highly increased during tachyzoite egress and invasion. However, NcROP40 up-regulation does not appear to be linked to the mechanisms triggering egress. In contrast to NcROP2Fam-1, phosphorylation of NcROP40 was not observed during egress. Besides, NcROP40 secretion into the host cell was not successfully detected by immunofluorescence techniques. These findings indicate that NcROP40 and NcROP2Fam-1 carry out different functions, and highlight the need to elucidate the role of NcROP40 within the lytic cycle and to explain its relative abundance in tachyzoites.
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Arranz-Solís D, Aguado-Martínez A, Müller J, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Ortega-Mora LM, Hemphill A. Dose-dependent effects of experimental infection with the virulent Neospora caninum Nc-Spain7 isolate in a pregnant mouse model. Vet Parasitol 2015; 211:133-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2015.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2015] [Revised: 05/15/2015] [Accepted: 05/24/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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