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Gutierrez MDLP, Huckaby AB, Yang E, Weaver KL, Hall JM, Hudson M, Dublin SR, Sen-Kilic E, Rocuskie-Marker CM, Miller SJ, Pritchett CL, Mummadisetti MP, Zhang Y, Driscoll T, Barbier M. Antibody-mediated immunological memory correlates with long-term Lyme veterinary vaccine protection in mice. Vaccine 2024; 42:126084. [PMID: 38937181 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.06.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most common tick-borne illness in the United States. Despite the rise in Lyme disease incidence, there is no vaccine against B. burgdorferi approved for human use. Little is known about the immune correlates of protection needed to prevent Lyme disease. In this work, a mouse model was used to characterize the immune response and compare the protection provided by two USDA-approved vaccines for use in canines: Duramune (bacterin vaccine) and Vanguard crLyme (subunit vaccine composed of two outer surface proteins, OspA and OspC). C3H/HeNCrl mice were immunized with two doses of either Duramune or Vanguard, and immune responses and protection against B. burgdorferi were assessed in short (35 days) and long-term (120 days) studies. Flow cytometry, ELISPOT detection of antibody-producing cells, and antibody affinity studies were performed to identify correlates of vaccine-mediated protection. Both vaccines induced humoral responses, with high IgG titers against B. burgdorferi. However, the levels of anti-B. burgdorferi antibodies decayed over time in Vanguard-vaccinated mice. While both vaccines triggered the production of antibodies against both OspA and OspC, antibody levels against these proteins were also lower in Vanguard-vaccinated mice 120 days post-vaccination. Both vaccines only provided partial protection against B. burgdorferi at the dose used in this model. The protection provided by Duramune was superior to Vanguard 120 days post-vaccination, and was characterized by higher antibody titers, higher abundance of long-lived plasma cells, and higher avidity antibodies than Vanguard. Overall, these studies provide insights into the importance of the humoral memory response to veterinary vaccines against Lyme disease and will help inform the development of future human vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria de la Paz Gutierrez
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA; Vaccine Development Center, West Virginia University, Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Annalisa B Huckaby
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA; Vaccine Development Center, West Virginia University, Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Evita Yang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA; Vaccine Development Center, West Virginia University, Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Kelly L Weaver
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA; Vaccine Development Center, West Virginia University, Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Joshua M Hall
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA; Vaccine Development Center, West Virginia University, Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Matthew Hudson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA; Vaccine Development Center, West Virginia University, Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Spencer R Dublin
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA; Vaccine Development Center, West Virginia University, Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Emel Sen-Kilic
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA; Vaccine Development Center, West Virginia University, Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Carleena M Rocuskie-Marker
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA; Vaccine Development Center, West Virginia University, Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Sarah Jo Miller
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA; Vaccine Development Center, West Virginia University, Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | | | | | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Timothy Driscoll
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Mariette Barbier
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA; Vaccine Development Center, West Virginia University, Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, USA.
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Dattwyler RJ, Arnaboldi PM. Vaccination hesistancy in Lyme borreliosis. THE LANCET. INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2024; 24:945-947. [PMID: 38830376 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(24)00221-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Raymond J Dattwyler
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA.
| | - Paul M Arnaboldi
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
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3
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Johnson EE, Hart TM, Fikrig E. Vaccination to Prevent Lyme Disease: A Movement Towards Anti-Tick Approaches. J Infect Dis 2024; 230:S82-S86. [PMID: 39140718 PMCID: PMC11322886 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiae202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted by Ixodes spp ticks. The rise in Lyme disease cases since its discovery in the 1970s has reinforced the need for a vaccine. A vaccine based on B burgdorferi outer surface protein A (OspA) was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) several decades ago, but was pulled from the market a few years later, reportedly due to poor sales, despite multiple organizations concluding that it was safe and effective. Newer OspA-based vaccines are being developed and are likely to be available in the coming years. More recently, there has been a push to develop vaccines that target the tick vector instead of the pathogen to inhibit tick feeding and thus prevent transmission of tick-borne pathogens to humans and wildlife reservoirs. This review outlines the history of Lyme disease vaccines and this movement to anti-tick vaccine approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily E Johnson
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Thomas M Hart
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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4
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Noh SM, Ujczo J, Alperin DC, Jarvis SM, Solyman MSM, Koku R, Akinsulie OC, Hoffmann EE. Identification of Anaplasma marginale adhesins for entry into Dermacentor andersoni tick cells using phage display. Infect Immun 2024; 92:e0054023. [PMID: 38727242 PMCID: PMC11237752 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00540-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Anaplasma marginale is an obligate, intracellular, tick-borne bacterial pathogen that causes bovine anaplasmosis, an often severe, production-limiting disease of cattle found worldwide. Methods to control this disease are lacking, in large part due to major knowledge gaps in our understanding of the molecular underpinnings of basic host-pathogen interactions. For example, the surface proteins that serve as adhesins and, thus, likely play a role in pathogen entry into tick cells are largely unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we developed a phage display library and screened 66 A. marginale proteins for their ability to adhere to Dermacentor andersoni tick cells. From this screen, 17 candidate adhesins were identified, including OmpA and multiple members of the Msp1 family, including Msp1b, Mlp3, and Mlp4. We then measured the transcript of ompA and all members of the msp1 gene family through time, and determined that msp1b, mlp2, and mlp4 have increased transcript during tick cell infection, suggesting a possible role in host cell binding or entry. Finally, Msp1a, Msp1b, Mlp3, and OmpA were expressed as recombinant protein. When added to cultured tick cells prior to A. marginale infection, all proteins except the C-terminus of Msp1a reduced A. marginale entry by 2.2- to 4.7-fold. Except OmpA, these adhesins lack orthologs in related pathogens of humans and animals, including Anaplasma phagocytophilum and the Ehrlichia spp., thus limiting their utility in a universal tick transmission-blocking vaccine. However, this work greatly advances efforts toward developing methods to control bovine anaplasmosis and, thus, may help improve global food security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan M. Noh
- Animal Disease Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, Washington, USA
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Jessica Ujczo
- Animal Disease Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Debra C. Alperin
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Shelby M. Jarvis
- Animal Disease Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, Washington, USA
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Muna S. M. Solyman
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Roberta Koku
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Olalekan C. Akinsulie
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Elizabeth E. Hoffmann
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
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5
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Vance DJ, Basir S, Piazza CL, Willsey GG, Haque HME, Tremblay JM, Rudolph MJ, Muriuki B, Cavacini L, Weis DD, Shoemaker CB, Mantis NJ. Single-domain antibodies reveal unique borrelicidal epitopes on the Lyme disease vaccine antigen, outer surface protein A (OspA). Infect Immun 2024; 92:e0008424. [PMID: 38470113 PMCID: PMC11003225 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00084-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Camelid-derived, single-domain antibodies (VHHs) have proven to be extremely powerful tools in defining the antigenic landscape of immunologically heterogeneous surface proteins. In this report, we generated a phage-displayed VHH library directed against the candidate Lyme disease vaccine antigen, outer surface protein A (OspA). Two alpacas were immunized with recombinant OspA serotype 1 from Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto strain B31, in combination with the canine vaccine RECOMBITEK Lyme containing lipidated OspA. The phage library was subjected to two rounds of affinity enrichment ("panning") against recombinant OspA, yielding 21 unique VHHs within two epitope bins, as determined through competition enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) with a panel of OspA-specific human monoclonal antibodies. Epitope refinement was conducted by hydrogen exchange-mass spectrometry. Six of the monovalent VHHs were expressed as human IgG1-Fc fusion proteins and shown to have functional properties associated with protective human monoclonal antibodies, including B. burgdorferi agglutination, outer membrane damage, and complement-dependent borreliacidal activity. The VHHs displayed unique reactivity profiles with the seven OspA serotypes associated with B. burgdorferi genospecies in the United States and Europe consistent with there being unique epitopes across OspA serotypes that should be considered when designing and evaluating multivalent Lyme disease vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J. Vance
- Division of Infectious Diseases, New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center, Albany, New York, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Saiful Basir
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Carol Lyn Piazza
- Division of Infectious Diseases, New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Graham G. Willsey
- Division of Infectious Diseases, New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center, Albany, New York, USA
| | | | - Jacque M. Tremblay
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Beatrice Muriuki
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan School of Medicine, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lisa Cavacini
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan School of Medicine, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David D. Weis
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - Charles B. Shoemaker
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nicholas J. Mantis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center, Albany, New York, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, New York, USA
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6
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Schnorenberg M, Hawley KM, Thomas-Toth AT, Watkins EA, Tian Y, Ting JM, Leak LB, Kucera IM, Raczy MM, Kung AL, Hubbell JA, Tirrell MV, LaBelle JL. Targeted Polymersome Delivery of a Stapled Peptide for Drugging the Tumor Protein p53:BCL-2-Family Axis in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma. ACS NANO 2023; 17:23374-23390. [PMID: 37688780 PMCID: PMC10722602 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c04112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remains a formidable diagnosis in need of new treatment paradigms. In this work, we elucidated an opportunity for therapeutic synergy in DLBCL by reactivating tumor protein p53 with a stapled peptide, ATSP-7041, thereby priming cells for apoptosis and enhancing their sensitivity to BCL-2 family modulation with a BH3-mimetic, ABT-263 (navitoclax). While this combination was highly effective at activating apoptosis in DLBCL in vitro, it was highly toxic in vivo, resulting in a prohibitively narrow therapeutic window. We, therefore, developed a targeted nanomedicine delivery platform to maintain the therapeutic potency of this combination while minimizing its toxicity via packaging and targeted delivery of a stapled peptide. We developed a CD19-targeted polymersome using block copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol) disulfide linked to poly(propylene sulfide) (PEG-SS-PPS) for ATSP-7041 delivery into DLBCL cells. Intracellular delivery was optimized in vitro and validated in vivo by using an aggressive human DLBCL xenograft model. Targeted delivery of ATSP-7041 unlocked the ability to systemically cotreat with ABT-263, resulting in delayed tumor growth, prolonged survival, and no overt toxicity. This work demonstrates a proof-of-concept for antigen-specific targeting of polymersome nanomedicines, targeted delivery of a stapled peptide in vivo, and synergistic dual intrinsic apoptotic therapy against DLBCL via direct p53 reactivation and BCL-2 family modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathew
R. Schnorenberg
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Department
of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Medical
Scientist Training Program, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Katrina M. Hawley
- Department
of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Anika T. Thomas-Toth
- Department
of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Elyse A. Watkins
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Yu Tian
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Department
of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Jeffrey M. Ting
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Logan B. Leak
- Department
of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Isadora M. Kucera
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Department
of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Michal M. Raczy
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Andrew L. Kung
- Department
of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering
Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Jeffrey A. Hubbell
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Matthew V. Tirrell
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - James L. LaBelle
- Department
of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
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7
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Rudolph MJ, Davis SA, Haque HME, Ejemel M, Cavacini LA, Vance DJ, Willsey GG, Piazza CL, Weis DD, Wang Y, Mantis NJ. Structure of a transmission blocking antibody in complex with Outer surface protein A from the Lyme disease spirochete, Borreliella burgdorferi. Proteins 2023; 91:1463-1470. [PMID: 37455569 PMCID: PMC10592432 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
319-44 is a human monoclonal antibody capable of passively protecting mice against tick-mediated infection with Borreliella burgdorferi, the bacterial genospecies responsible for Lyme disease in North America. In vitro, 319-44 has complement-dependent borreliacidal activity and spirochete agglutinating properties. Here, we report the 2.2 Å-resolution crystal structure of 319-44 Fab fragments in complex with Outer surface protein A (OspA), the ~30 kDa lipoprotein that was the basis of the first-generation Lyme disease vaccine approved in the United States. The 319-44 epitope is focused on OspA β-strands 19, 20, and 21, and the loops between β-strands 16-17, 18-19, and 20-21. Contact with loop 20-21 explains competition with LA-2, the murine monoclonal antibody used to estimate serum borreliacidal activities in the first-generation Lyme disease vaccine clinical trials. A high-resolution B-cell epitope map of OspA will accelerate structure-based design of second generation OspA-based vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - David J. Vance
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12208
| | - Graham G. Willsey
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12208
| | - Carol Lyn Piazza
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12208
| | - David D. Weis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045
| | | | - Nicholas J Mantis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12208
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8
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Agglutination of Borreliella burgdorferi by Transmission-Blocking OspA Monoclonal Antibodies and Monovalent Fab Fragments. Infect Immun 2022; 90:e0030622. [PMID: 36000876 PMCID: PMC9476992 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00306-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease vaccines based on recombinant Outer surface protein A (OspA) elicit protective antibodies that interfere with tick-to-host transmission of the disease-causing spirochete Borreliella burgdorferi. Another hallmark of OspA antisera and certain OspA monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) is their capacity to induce B. burgdorferi agglutination in vitro, a phenomenon first reported more than 30 years ago but never studied in molecular detail. In this report, we demonstrate that transmission-blocking OspA MAbs, individually and in combination, promote dose-dependent and epitope-specific agglutination of B. burgdorferi. Agglutination occurred within minutes and persisted for hours. Spirochetes in the core of the aggregates exhibited evidence of outer membrane (OM) stress, revealed by propidium iodide uptake. The most potent agglutinator was the mouse MAb LA-2, which targets the OspA C terminus (β-strands 18 to 20). Human MAb 319-44, which also targets the OspA C terminus (β-strand 20), and 857-2, which targets the OspA central β-sheet (strands 8 to 10), were less potent agglutinators, while MAb 221-7, which targets β-strands 10 to 11, had little to no measurable agglutinating activity, even though its affinity for OspA exceeded that of LA-2. Remarkably, monovalent Fab fragments derived from LA-2, and to a lesser degree 319-44, retained the capacity to induce B. burgdorferi aggregation and OM stress, a particularly intriguing observation considering that "LA-2-like" Fabs have been shown to experimentally entrap B. burgdorferi within infected ticks and prevent transmission during feeding to a mammalian host. It is therefore tempting to speculate that B. burgdorferi aggregation triggered by OspA-specific antibodies in vitro may in fact reflect an important biological activity in vivo.
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9
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Combs M, Marcinkiewicz AL, Dupuis AP, Davis AD, Lederman P, Nowak TA, Stout JL, Strle K, Fingerle V, Margos G, Ciota AT, Diuk-Wasser MA, Kolokotronis SO, Lin YP. Phylogenomic Diversity Elucidates Mechanistic Insights into Lyme Borreliae-Host Association. mSystems 2022; 7:e0048822. [PMID: 35938719 PMCID: PMC9426539 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00488-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Host association-the selective adaptation of pathogens to specific host species-evolves through constant interactions between host and pathogens, leaving a lot yet to be discovered on immunological mechanisms and genomic determinants. The causative agents of Lyme disease (LD) are spirochete bacteria composed of multiple species of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, including B. burgdorferi (Bb), the main LD pathogen in North America-a useful model for the study of mechanisms underlying host-pathogen association. Host adaptation requires pathogens' ability to evade host immune responses, such as complement, the first-line innate immune defense mechanism. We tested the hypothesis that different host-adapted phenotypes among Bb strains are linked to polymorphic loci that confer complement evasion traits in a host-specific manner. We first examined the survivability of 20 Bb strains in sera in vitro and/or bloodstream and tissues in vivo from rodent and avian LD models. Three groups of complement-dependent host-association phenotypes emerged. We analyzed complement-evasion genes, identified a priori among all strains and sequenced and compared genomes for individual strains representing each phenotype. The evolutionary history of ospC loci is correlated with host-specific complement-evasion phenotypes, while comparative genomics suggests that several gene families and loci are potentially involved in host association. This multidisciplinary work provides novel insights into the functional evolution of host-adapted phenotypes, building a foundation for further investigation of the immunological and genomic determinants of host association. IMPORTANCE Host association is the phenotype that is commonly found in many pathogens that preferential survive in particular hosts. The Lyme disease (LD)-causing agent, B. burgdorferi (Bb), is an ideal model to study host association, as Bb is mainly maintained in nature through rodent and avian hosts. A widespread yet untested concept posits that host association in Bb strains is linked to Bb functional genetic variation conferring evasion to complement, an innate defense mechanism in vertebrate sera. Here, we tested this concept by grouping 20 Bb strains into three complement-dependent host-association phenotypes based on their survivability in sera and/or bloodstream and distal tissues in rodent and avian LD models. Phylogenomic analysis of these strains further correlated several gene families and loci, including ospC, with host-specific complement-evasion phenotypes. Such multifaceted studies thus pave the road to further identify the determinants of host association, providing mechanistic insights into host-pathogen interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Combs
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Institute for Genomics in Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, USA
| | - Ashley L. Marcinkiewicz
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Alan P. Dupuis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - April D. Davis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Patricia Lederman
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Tristan A. Nowak
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, SUNY Albany, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Jessica L. Stout
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Klemen Strle
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, SUNY Albany, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Volker Fingerle
- German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | - Gabriele Margos
- German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | - Alexander T. Ciota
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, SUNY Albany, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Maria A. Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Institute for Genomics in Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, USA
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, SUNY Albany, Albany, New York, USA
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10
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Dattwyler RJ, Gomes-Solecki M. The year that shaped the outcome of the OspA vaccine for human Lyme disease. NPJ Vaccines 2022; 7:10. [PMID: 35087055 PMCID: PMC8795424 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-022-00429-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The expansion of Lyme borreliosis endemic areas and the corresponding increase of disease incidence have opened the possibility for greater acceptance of a vaccine. In this perspective article, we discuss the discovery of outer surface protein A (OspA) of B. burgdorferi, and the subsequent pre-clinical testing and clinical trials of a recombinant OspA vaccine for human Lyme disease. We also discuss in detail the open public hearings of the FDA Lyme disease vaccine advisory panel held in 1998 where concerns of molecular mimicry induced autoimmunity to native OspA were raised, the limitations of those studies, and the current modifications of recombinant OspA to develop a multivalent subunit vaccine for Lyme disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond J. Dattwyler
- grid.260917.b0000 0001 0728 151XDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY USA
| | - Maria Gomes-Solecki
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA.
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11
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Phillip K, Nair N, Samanta K, Azevedo JF, Brown GD, Petersen CA, Gomes-Solecki M. Maternal transfer of neutralizing antibodies to B. burgdorferi OspA after oral vaccination of the rodent reservoir. Vaccine 2021; 39:4320-4327. [PMID: 34172332 PMCID: PMC8495753 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Lyme Disease presents unique challenges for public health. Transfer of protective antibodies between mothers and offspring should occur after vaccination of mice. We present new evidence for maternal transfer of oral vaccine induced neutralizing anti-OspA IgG antibodies to mouse pups mainly through ingestion of colostrum. We found a strong statistical correlation of antibody transfer between mothers that produced the most robust IgG response to OspA and their respective pups. OspA-specific antibody was detected as early as 24 h after birth and protective levels of antibodies lasted until ~5 weeks of age in the majority of pups but persisted in some mice until 9 weeks. This was further supported by detection of neutralizing antibodies in serum of all pups at 2-3 weeks after birth and in some offspring adult mice at 9 weeks of age. A clear association was found between robust antibody responses in mothers and the length of time antibody persisted in the respective pups using a novel longitudinal Bayesian model. These factors are likely to impact the enzootic cycle of B. burgdorferi if reservoir targeted OspA-based vaccination interventions are implemented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Phillip
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center Department of Comparative Medicine
| | - Nisha Nair
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry
| | - Kamalika Samanta
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry
| | - Jose F. Azevedo
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry
| | | | - Christine A. Petersen
- University of Iowa Department of Epidemiology, Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases
| | - Maria Gomes-Solecki
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, United States.
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12
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Schiller ZA, Rudolph MJ, Toomey JR, Ejemel M, LaRochelle A, Davis SA, Lambert HS, Kern A, Tardo AC, Souders CA, Peterson E, Cannon RD, Ganesa C, Fazio F, Mantis NJ, Cavacini LA, Sullivan-Bolyai J, Hu LT, Embers ME, Klempner MS, Wang Y. Blocking Borrelia burgdorferi transmission from infected ticks to nonhuman primates with a human monoclonal antibody. J Clin Invest 2021; 131:144843. [PMID: 33914704 PMCID: PMC8159683 DOI: 10.1172/jci144843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Disrupting transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex (B. burgdorferi) from infected ticks to humans is one strategy to prevent the significant morbidity from Lyme disease. We have previously shown that an anti-OspA human mAb, 2217, prevents transmission of B. burgdorferi from infected ticks in animal models. Maintenance of a protective plasma concentration of a human mAb for tick season presents a significant challenge for a preexposure prophylaxis strategy. Here, we describe the optimization of mAb 2217 by amino acid substitutions (2217LS: M428L and N434S) in the Fc domain. The LS mutation led to a 2-fold increase in half-life in cynomolgus monkeys. In a rhesus macaque model, 2217LS protected animals from tick transmission of spirochetes at a dose of 3 mg/kg. Crystallographic analysis of Fab in complex with OspA revealed that 2217 bound an epitope that was highly conserved among the B. burgdorferi, B. garinii, and B. afzelii species. Unlike most vaccines that may require boosters to achieve protection, our work supports the development of 2217LS as an effective preexposure prophylaxis in Lyme-endemic regions, with a single dose at the beginning of tick season offering immediate protection that remains for the duration of exposure risk.
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MESH Headings
- Amino Acid Substitution
- Animals
- Antibodies, Bacterial/genetics
- Antibodies, Bacterial/immunology
- Antibodies, Bacterial/pharmacology
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/genetics
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/pharmacology
- Antigens, Surface/genetics
- Antigens, Surface/immunology
- Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/genetics
- Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/immunology
- Bacterial Vaccines/genetics
- Bacterial Vaccines/immunology
- Borrelia burgdorferi/genetics
- Borrelia burgdorferi/immunology
- Disease Models, Animal
- Humans
- Lipoproteins/genetics
- Lipoproteins/immunology
- Lyme Disease/drug therapy
- Lyme Disease/genetics
- Lyme Disease/immunology
- Lyme Disease/transmission
- Macaca fascicularis
- Macaca mulatta
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Transgenic
- Mutation, Missense
- Ticks/immunology
- Ticks/microbiology
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary A. Schiller
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Jacqueline R. Toomey
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Monir Ejemel
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Simon A. Davis
- New York Structural Biology Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Havard S. Lambert
- Division of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, Covington, Louisiana, USA
| | - Aurélie Kern
- Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Amanda C. Tardo
- Division of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, Covington, Louisiana, USA
| | - Colby A. Souders
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Eric Peterson
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rebecca D. Cannon
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Chandrashekar Ganesa
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Frank Fazio
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nicholas J. Mantis
- Division of Infectious Disease, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Lisa A. Cavacini
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - John Sullivan-Bolyai
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Linden T. Hu
- Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Monica E. Embers
- Division of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, Covington, Louisiana, USA
| | - Mark S. Klempner
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yang Wang
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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13
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Vaccination with meningococcal outer membrane vesicles carrying Borrelia OspA protects against experimental Lyme borreliosis. Vaccine 2021; 39:2561-2567. [PMID: 33812741 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.03.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Currently there is no human vaccine against Lyme borreliosis, and most research focuses on recombinant protein vaccines, as such a vaccine has been proven to be successful in the past. The expression of recombinant antigens in meningococcal Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMVs), with the OMV functioning both as adjuvant and delivery vehicle, greatly enhances their potential. Immunization studies in mice have shown that OMV-based vaccines can protect against various pathogens and an OMV-based meningococcal vaccine is approved and available for human use. Because of its surface localization in Borrelia and the detailed knowledge regarding its immunogenicity and structure, OspA was chosen as a suitable lipoprotein to be tested as an OMV-based vaccine against Lyme borreliosis. We have previously shown that the OMV-OspA vaccine was immunogenic in mice and here we assessed the efficacy of OMV-OspA. We generated a second-generation OMV-OspA vaccine and vaccinated C3H/HeN mice with (EDTA extracted) meningococcal OMVs expressing OspA from B. burgdorferi strain B31. The adjuvant effect of empty OMVs on recombinant OspA was tested as well. We subsequently challenged mice with a subcutaneous injection of B. burgdorferi. Average antibody end-point titers against the OspA-OMV construct were high, although lower compared to the antibodies raised against recombinant OspA. Interestingly, antibody titers between recombinant OspA adjuvanted with aluminum hydroxide and recombinant OspA with OMV as adjuvant were comparable. Finally, qPCR and culture data show that both the OspA-OMV and the vaccine based on recombinant OspA with OMV as adjuvant provided significant, yet partial protection, against Borrelia infection. OMV-based vaccines using Borrelia (lipo)proteins are an easy and feasible vaccination method protecting against B. burgdorferi infection and could be a promising strategy in humans.
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14
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Guibinga GH, Sahay B, Brown H, Cooch N, Chen J, Yan J, Reed C, Mishra M, Yung B, Pugh H, Schultheis K, Esquivel RN, Weiner DB, Humeau LH, Broderick KE, Smith TR. Protection against Borreliella burgdorferi infection mediated by a synthetically engineered DNA vaccine. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2020; 16:2114-2122. [PMID: 32783701 PMCID: PMC7553707 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2020.1789408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in North America. The etiological agent is the spirochete Borreliella burgdorferi, transmitted to mammalian hosts by the Ixodes tick. In recent years there has been an increase in the number of cases of Lyme disease. Currently, there is no vaccine on the market for human use. We describe the development of a novel synthetically engineered DNA vaccine, pLD1 targeting the outer-surface protein A (OspA) of Borreliella burgdorferi. Immunization of C3 H/HeN mice with pLD1 elicits robust humoral and cellular immune responses that confer complete protection against a live Borreliella burgdorferi bacterial challenge. We also assessed intradermal (ID) delivery of pLD1 in Hartley guinea pigs, demonstrating the induction of robust and durable humoral immunity that lasts at least 1 year. We provide evidence of the potency of pLD1 by showing that antibodies targeting the OspA epitopes which have been associated with protection are prominently raised in the immunized guinea pigs. The described study provides the basis for the advancement of pDL1 as a potential vaccine for Lyme disease control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghiabe H. Guibinga
- Department of Research and Development, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, PA, USA
| | - Bikash Sahay
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Heather Brown
- Department of Research and Development, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, PA, USA
| | - Neil Cooch
- Department of Research and Development, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, PA, USA
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Research and Development, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, PA, USA
| | - Jian Yan
- Department of Research and Development, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, PA, USA
| | - Charles Reed
- Department of Research and Development, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, PA, USA
| | - Meerambika Mishra
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Bryan Yung
- Department of Research and Development, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, PA, USA
| | - Holly Pugh
- Department of Research and Development, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, PA, USA
| | - Katherine Schultheis
- Department of Research and Development, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, PA, USA
| | - Rianne N. Esquivel
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David B. Weiner
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Laurent H. Humeau
- Department of Research and Development, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, PA, USA
| | - Kate E. Broderick
- Department of Research and Development, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, PA, USA
| | - Trevor R.F. Smith
- Department of Research and Development, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, PA, USA,CONTACT Trevor R.F. Smith Inovio Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, CA92121
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15
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Broadly Protective Multivalent OspA Vaccine against Lyme Borreliosis, Developed Based on Surface Shaping of the C-Terminal Fragment. Infect Immun 2020; 88:IAI.00917-19. [PMID: 31932330 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00917-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of vaccines for prevention of diseases caused by pathogenic species can encounter major obstacles if high sequence diversity is observed between individual strains. Therefore, development might be restricted either to conserved antigens, which are often rare, or to multivalent vaccines, which renders the production more costly and cumbersome. In light of this complexity, we applied a structure-based surface shaping approach for the development of a Lyme borreliosis (LB) vaccine suitable for the United States and Europe. The surface of the C-terminal fragment of outer surface protein A (OspA) was divided into distinct regions, based primarily on binding sites of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). In order to target the six clinically most relevant OspA serotypes (ST) in a single protein, exposed amino acids of the individual regions were exchanged to corresponding amino acids of a chosen OspA serotype. Six chimeric proteins were constructed, and, based on their immunogenicity, four of these chimeras were tested in mouse challenge models. Significant protection could be demonstrated for all four proteins following challenge with infected ticks (OspA ST1, OspA ST2, and OspA ST4) or with in vitro-grown spirochetes (OspA ST1 and OspA ST5). Two of the chimeric proteins were linked to form a fusion protein, which provided significant protection against in vitro-grown spirochetes (OspA ST1) and infected ticks (OspA ST2). This article presents the proof-of-concept study for a multivalent OspA vaccine targeting a wide range of pathogenic LB Borrelia species with a single recombinant antigen for prevention of Lyme borreliosis.
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16
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Wang Y, Esquivel R, Flingai S, Schiller ZA, Kern A, Agarwal S, Chu J, Patel A, Sullivan K, Wise MC, Broderick KE, Hu L, Weiner DB, Klempner MS. Anti-OspA DNA-Encoded Monoclonal Antibody Prevents Transmission of Spirochetes in Tick Challenge Providing Sterilizing Immunity in Mice. J Infect Dis 2020; 219:1146-1150. [PMID: 30476132 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiy627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We recently developed anti-OspA human immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibodies (HuMAbs) that are effective in preventing Borrelia transmission from ticks in a murine model. Here, we investigated a novel approach of DNA-mediated gene transfer of HuMAbs that provide protection against Lyme disease. Plasmid DNA-encoded anti-OspA HuMAbs inoculated in mice achieved a serum antibody concentration of >6 μg/mL. Among mice injected with DNA-encoded monoclonal antibodies, 75%-77% were protected against an acute challenge by Borrelia-infected ticks. Our results represent the first demonstration of employing DNA transfer as a delivery system for antibodies that block transmission of Borrelia in animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Wang
- MassBiologics of University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston
| | - Rianne Esquivel
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Seleeke Flingai
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Aurélie Kern
- Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sangya Agarwal
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jacqueline Chu
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Ami Patel
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Megan C Wise
- Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Linden Hu
- Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - David B Weiner
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Mark S Klempner
- MassBiologics of University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston
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17
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Federizon J, Frye A, Huang WC, Hart TM, He X, Beltran C, Marcinkiewicz AL, Mainprize IL, Wills MKB, Lin YP, Lovell JF. Immunogenicity of the Lyme disease antigen OspA, particleized by cobalt porphyrin-phospholipid liposomes. Vaccine 2019; 38:942-950. [PMID: 31727504 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.10.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Outer surface protein A (OspA) is a Borrelia lipoprotein and an established Lyme disease vaccine target. Admixing non-lipidated, recombinant B. burgdorferi OspA with liposomes containing cobalt porphyrin-phospholipid (CoPoP) resulted in rapid, particulate surface display of the conformationally intact antigen. Particleization was serum-stable and led to enhanced antigen uptake in murine macrophages in vitro. Mouse immunization using CoPoP liposomes that also contained a synthetic monophosphoryl lipid A (PHAD) elicited a Th1-biased OspA antibody response with higher IgG production compared to other vaccine adjuvants. Antibodies were reactive with intact B. burgdorferi spirochetes and Borrelia lysates, and induced complement-mediated borreliacidal activity in vitro. One year after initial immunization, mice maintained high levels of circulating borreliacidal antibodies capable of blocking B. burgdorferi transmission from infected ticks to human blood in a feeding chamber.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmin Federizon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Amber Frye
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12208, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Wei-Chiao Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Thomas M Hart
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12208, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Xuedan He
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Christopher Beltran
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Ashley L Marcinkiewicz
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Iain L Mainprize
- G. Magnotta Lyme Disease Research Lab, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Melanie K B Wills
- G. Magnotta Lyme Disease Research Lab, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12208, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Jonathan F Lovell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA.
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18
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Delineating Surface Epitopes of Lyme Disease Pathogen Targeted by Highly Protective Antibodies of New Zealand White Rabbits. Infect Immun 2019; 87:IAI.00246-19. [PMID: 31085705 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00246-19] [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: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease (LD), the most prevalent vector-borne illness in the United States and Europe, is caused by Borreliella burgdorferi No vaccine is available for humans. Dogmatically, B. burgdorferi can establish a persistent infection in the mammalian host (e.g., mice) due to a surface antigen, VlsE. This antigenically variable protein allows the spirochete to continually evade borreliacidal antibodies. However, our recent study has shown that the B. burgdorferi spirochete is effectively cleared by anti-B. burgdorferi antibodies of New Zealand White rabbits, despite the surface expression of VlsE. Besides homologous protection, the rabbit antibodies also cross-protect against heterologous B. burgdorferi spirochetes and significantly reduce the pathology of LD arthritis in persistently infected mice. Thus, this finding that NZW rabbits develop a unique repertoire of very potent antibodies targeting the protective surface epitopes, despite abundant VlsE, prompted us to identify the specificities of the protective rabbit antibodies and their respective targets. By applying subtractive reverse vaccinology, which involved the use of random peptide phage display libraries coupled with next-generation sequencing and our computational algorithms, repertoires of nonprotective (early) and protective (late) rabbit antibodies were identified and directly compared. Consequently, putative surface epitopes that are unique to the protective rabbit sera were mapped. Importantly, the relevance of newly identified protection-associated epitopes for their surface exposure has been strongly supported by prior empirical studies. This study is significant because it now allows us to systematically test the putative epitopes for their protective efficacy with an ultimate goal of selecting the most efficacious targets for development of a long-awaited LD vaccine.
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19
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Federizon J, Lin YP, Lovell JF. Antigen Engineering Approaches for Lyme Disease Vaccines. Bioconjug Chem 2019; 30:1259-1272. [PMID: 30987418 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.9b00167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Increasing rates of Lyme disease necessitate preventive measures such as immunization to mitigate the risk of contracting the disease. At present, there is no human Lyme disease vaccine available on the market. Since the withdrawal of the first and only licensed Lyme disease vaccine based on lipidated recombinant OspA, vaccine and antigen research has aimed to overcome its risks and shortcomings. Replacement of the putative cross-reactive T-cell epitope in OspA via mutation or chimerism addresses the potential risk of autoimmunity. Multivalent approaches in Lyme disease vaccines have been pursued to address sequence heterogeneity of Lyme borreliae antigens and to induce a repertoire of functional antibodies necessary for efficient heterologous protection. This Review summarizes recent antigen engineering strategies that have paved the way for the development of next generation vaccines against Lyme disease, some of which have reached clinical testing. Bioconjugation methods that incorporate antigens to self-assembling nanoparticles for immune response potentiation are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmin Federizon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering , University at Buffalo, State University of New York , Buffalo , New York 14260 , United States
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health , Albany , New York 12208 , United States.,Department of Biomedical Sciences , State University of New York at Albany , Albany , New York 12222 , United States
| | - Jonathan F Lovell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering , University at Buffalo, State University of New York , Buffalo , New York 14260 , United States
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20
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Bhatia B, Hillman C, Carracoi V, Cheff BN, Tilly K, Rosa PA. Infection history of the blood-meal host dictates pathogenic potential of the Lyme disease spirochete within the feeding tick vector. PLoS Pathog 2018; 14:e1006959. [PMID: 29621350 PMCID: PMC5886588 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease in humans is caused by several genospecies of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) complex of spirochetal bacteria, including B. burgdorferi, B. afzelii and B. garinii. These bacteria exist in nature as obligate parasites in an enzootic cycle between small vertebrate hosts and Ixodid tick vectors, with humans representing incidental hosts. During the natural enzootic cycle, infected ticks in endemic areas feed not only upon naïve hosts, but also upon seropositive infected hosts. In the current study, we considered this environmental parameter and assessed the impact of the immune status of the blood-meal host on the phenotype of the Lyme disease spirochete within the tick vector. We found that blood from a seropositive host profoundly attenuates the infectivity (>104 fold) of homologous spirochetes within the tick vector without killing them. This dramatic neutralization of vector-borne spirochetes was not observed, however, when ticks and blood-meal hosts carried heterologous B. burgdorferi s.l. strains, or when mice lacking humoral immunity replaced wild-type mice as blood-meal hosts in similar experiments. Mechanistically, serum-mediated neutralization does not block induction of host-adapted OspC+ spirochetes during tick feeding, nor require tick midgut components. Significantly, this study demonstrates that strain-specific antibodies elicited by B. burgdorferi s.l. infection neutralize homologous bacteria within feeding ticks, before the Lyme disease spirochetes enter a host. The blood meal ingested from an infected host thereby prevents super-infection by homologous spirochetes, while facilitating transmission of heterologous B. burgdorferi s.l. strains. This finding suggests that Lyme disease spirochete diversity is stably maintained within endemic populations in local geographic regions through frequency-dependent selection of rare alleles of dominant polymorphic surface antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bharti Bhatia
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT United States of America
| | - Chad Hillman
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT United States of America
| | - Valentina Carracoi
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT United States of America
| | - Britney N. Cheff
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT United States of America
| | - Kit Tilly
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT United States of America
| | - Patricia A. Rosa
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Guarino C, Asbie S, Rohde J, Glaser A, Wagner B. Vaccination of horses with Lyme vaccines for dogs induces short-lasting antibody responses. Vaccine 2017; 35:4140-4147. [PMID: 28668566 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.06.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi can induce Lyme disease. Approved Lyme vaccines for horses are currently not available. In an effort to protect horses, veterinarians are using Lyme vaccines licensed for dogs. However, data to assess the response of horses to, or determine the efficacy of this off-label vaccine use are missing. Here, antibodies against outer surface protein A (OspA), OspC, and OspF were quantified in diagnostic serum submissions from horses with a history of vaccination with canine Lyme vaccines. The results suggested that many horses respond with low and often short-lasting antibody responses. Subsequently, four experimental vaccination trials were performed. First, we investigated antibody responses to three canine vaccines in B. burgdorferi-naïve horses. One killed bacterin vaccine induced antibodies against OspC. OspA antibodies were low for all three vaccines and lasted less than 16weeks. The second trial tested the impact of the vaccine dose using the OspA/OspC inducing bacterin vaccine in horses. A 2mL dose produced higher OspA and OspC antibody values than a 1mL dose. However, the antibody response again quickly declined, independent of dose. Third, the horses were vaccinated with 2 doses of a recombinant OspA vaccine. Previous vaccination and/or environmental exposure enhanced the magnitude and longevity of the OspA antibody response to about 20weeks. Last, the influence of intramuscular versus subcutaneous vaccine administration was investigated for the recombinant OspA vaccine. OspA antibody responses were not influenced by injection route. The current work highlights that commercial Lyme vaccines for dogs induce only transient antibody responses in horses which can also be of low magnitude. Protection from infection with B. burgdorferi should not be automatically assumed after vaccinating horses with Lyme vaccines for dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra Guarino
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Sanda Asbie
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Jennifer Rohde
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Amy Glaser
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Bettina Wagner
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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Shandilya S, Kurt Yilmaz N, Sadowski A, Monir E, Schiller ZA, Thomas WD, Klempner MS, Schiffer CA, Wang Y. Structural and molecular analysis of a protective epitope of Lyme disease antigen OspA and antibody interactions. J Mol Recognit 2016; 30. [PMID: 27859766 DOI: 10.1002/jmr.2595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Revised: 09/24/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The murine monoclonal antibody LA-2 recognizes a clinically protective epitope on outer surface protein (OspA) of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease in North America. Human antibody equivalence to LA-2 is the best serologic correlate of protective antibody responses following OspA vaccination. Understanding the structural and functional basis of the LA-2 protective epitope is important for developing OspA-based vaccines and discovering prophylactic antibodies against Lyme disease. Here, we present a detailed structure-based analysis of the LA-2/OspA interaction interface and identification of residues mediating antibody recognition. Mutations were introduced into both OspA and LA-2 on the basis of computational predictions on the crystal structure of the complex and experimentally tested for in vitro binding and borreliacidal activity. We find that Y32 and H49 on the LA-2 light chain, N52 on the LA-2 heavy chain and residues A208, N228 and N251 on OspA were the key constituents of OspA/LA-2 interface. These results reveal specific residues that may be exploited to modulate recognition of the protective epitope of OspA and have implications for developing prophylactic passive antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivender Shandilya
- Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nese Kurt Yilmaz
- Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andrew Sadowski
- MassBiologics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ejemel Monir
- MassBiologics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Zachary A Schiller
- MassBiologics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - William D Thomas
- MassBiologics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mark S Klempner
- MassBiologics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Celia A Schiffer
- Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yang Wang
- MassBiologics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Iqbal H, Kenedy MR, Lybecker M, Akins DR. The TamB ortholog of Borrelia burgdorferi interacts with the β-barrel assembly machine (BAM) complex protein BamA. Mol Microbiol 2016; 102:757-774. [PMID: 27588694 PMCID: PMC5582053 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Two outer membrane protein (OMP) transport systems in diderm bacteria assist in assembly and export of OMPs. These two systems are the β-barrel assembly machine (BAM) complex and the translocation and assembly module (TAM). The BAM complex consists of the OMP component BamA along with several outer membrane associated proteins. The TAM also consists of an OMP, designated TamA, and a single inner membrane (IM) protein, TamB. Together TamA and TamB aid in the secretion of virulence-associated OMPs. In this study we characterized the hypothetical protein BB0794 in Borrelia burgdorferi. BB0794 contains a conserved DUF490 domain, which is a motif found in all TamB proteins. All spirochetes lack a TamA ortholog, but computational and physicochemical characterization of BB0794 revealed it is a TamB ortholog. Interestingly, BB0794 was observed to interact with BamA and a BB0794 regulatable mutant displayed altered cellular morphology and antibiotic sensitivity. The observation that B. burgdorferi contains a TamB ortholog that interacts with BamA and is required for proper outer membrane biogenesis not only identifies a novel role for TamB-like proteins, but also may explain why most diderms harbor a TamB-like protein while only a select group encodes TamA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henna Iqbal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73104, USA
| | - Melisha R Kenedy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73104, USA
| | - Meghan Lybecker
- Department of Biology, University of Colorado - Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO, 80918, USA
| | - Darrin R Akins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73104, USA
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Wang Y, Kern A, Boatright NK, Schiller ZA, Sadowski A, Ejemel M, Souders CA, Reimann KA, Hu L, Thomas WD, Klempner MS. Pre-exposure Prophylaxis With OspA-Specific Human Monoclonal Antibodies Protects Mice Against Tick Transmission of Lyme Disease Spirochetes. J Infect Dis 2016; 214:205-11. [PMID: 27338767 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiw151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tick transmission of Borrelia spirochetes to humans results in significant morbidity from Lyme disease worldwide. Serum concentrations of antibodies against outer surface protein A (OspA) were shown to correlate with protection from infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, the primary cause of Lyme disease in the United States. METHODS Mice transgenic for human immunoglobulin genes were immunized with OspA from B. burgdorferi to generate human monoclonal antibodies (HuMabs) against OspA. HuMabs were generated and tested in in vitro borreliacidal assays and animal protection assays. RESULTS Nearly 100 unique OspA-specific HuMabs were generated, and 4 HuMabs (221-7, 857-2, 319-44, and 212-55) were selected as lead candidates on the basis of borreliacidal activity. HuMabs 319-44, 857-2, and 212-55 were borreliacidal against 1 or 2 Borrelia genospecies, whereas 221-7 was borreliacidal (half maximal inhibitory concentration, < 1 nM) against B. burgdorferi, Borrelia afzelii, and Borrelia garinii, the 3 main genospecies endemic in the United States, Europe, and Asia. All 4 HuMabs completely protected mice from infection at 10 mg/kg in a murine model of tick-mediated transmission of B. burgdorferi CONCLUSIONS Our study indicates that OspA-specific HuMabs can prevent the transmission of Borrelia and that administration of these antibodies could be employed as preexposure prophylaxis for Lyme disease.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antibodies, Bacterial/administration & dosage
- Antibodies, Bacterial/isolation & purification
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/administration & dosage
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/isolation & purification
- Antigens, Surface
- Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors
- Bacterial Vaccines/antagonists & inhibitors
- Disease Models, Animal
- Disease Transmission, Infectious/prevention & control
- Immunization, Passive/methods
- Immunologic Factors/administration & dosage
- Immunologic Factors/isolation & purification
- Lipoproteins/antagonists & inhibitors
- Lyme Disease/prevention & control
- Lyme Disease/transmission
- Mice, Inbred C3H
- Mice, Transgenic
- Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis/methods
- Tick Bites/complications
- Treatment Outcome
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Wang
- MassBiologics, University of Massachusetts Medical School
| | - Aurélie Kern
- Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | | | | | - Monir Ejemel
- MassBiologics, University of Massachusetts Medical School
| | | | | | - Linden Hu
- Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
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Krajacich BJ, Lopez JE, Raffel SJ, Schwan TG. Vaccination with the variable tick protein of the relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia hermsii protects mice from infection by tick-bite. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:546. [PMID: 26490040 PMCID: PMC4618142 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-1170-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Tick-borne relapsing fevers of humans are caused by spirochetes that must adapt to both warm-blooded vertebrates and cold-blooded ticks. In western North America, most human cases of relapsing fever are caused by Borrelia hermsii, which cycles in nature between its tick vector Ornithodoros hermsi and small mammals such as tree squirrels and chipmunks. These spirochetes alter their outer surface by switching off one of the bloodstream-associated variable major proteins (Vmps) they produce in mammals, and replacing it with the variable tick protein (Vtp) following their acquisition by ticks. Based on this reversion to Vtp in ticks, we produced experimental vaccines comprised on this protein and tested them in mice challenged by infected ticks. Methods The vtp gene from two isolates of B. hermsii that encoded antigenically distinct types of proteins were cloned, expressed, and the recombinant Vtp proteins were purified and used to vaccinate mice. Ornithodoros hermsi ticks that were infected with one of the two strains of B. hermsii from which the vtp gene originated were used to challenge mice that received one of the two Vtp vaccines or only adjuvant. Mice were then followed for infection and seroconversion. Results The Vtp vaccines produced protective immune responses in mice challenged with O. hermsi ticks infected with B. hermsii. However, polymorphism in Vtp resulted in mice being protected only from the spirochete strain that produced the same Vtp used in the vaccine; mice challenged with spirochetes producing the antigenically different Vtp than the vaccine succumbed to infection. Conclusions We demonstrate that by having knowledge of the phenotypic changes made by B. hermsii as the spirochetes are acquired by ticks from infected mammals, an effective vaccine was developed that protected mice when challenged with infected ticks. However, the Vtp vaccines only protected mice from infection when challenged with that strain producing the identical Vtp. A vaccine containing multiple Vtp types may have promise as an oral vaccine for wild mammals if applied to geographic settings such as small islands where the mammal diversity is low and the Vtp types in the B. hermsii population are defined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Krajacich
- Present address: Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
| | - Job E Lopez
- Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Sandra J Raffel
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 903 S. 4th Street, Hamilton, MT, 59840-2932, USA.
| | - Tom G Schwan
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 903 S. 4th Street, Hamilton, MT, 59840-2932, USA.
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Šmit R, Postma MJ. Lyme borreliosis: reviewing potential vaccines, clinical aspects and health economics. Expert Rev Vaccines 2015; 14:1549-61. [DOI: 10.1586/14760584.2015.1091313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Comstedt P, Hanner M, Schüler W, Meinke A, Lundberg U. Design and development of a novel vaccine for protection against Lyme borreliosis. PLoS One 2014; 9:e113294. [PMID: 25409015 PMCID: PMC4237411 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2014] [Accepted: 10/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
There is currently no Lyme borreliosis vaccine available for humans, although it has been shown that the disease can be prevented by immunization with an OspA-based vaccine (LYMErix). Outer surface protein A (OspA) is one of the dominant antigens expressed by the spirochetes when present in a tick. The Borrelia species causing Lyme borreliosis in Europe express different OspA serotypes on their surface, B. burgdorferi (serotype 1), B. afzelii (serotype 2), B. garinii (serotypes, 3, 5 and 6) and B. bavariensis (serotype 4), while only B. burgdorferi is present in the US. In order to target all these pathogenic Borrelia species, we have designed a multivalent OspA-based vaccine. The vaccine includes three proteins, each containing the C-terminal half of two OspA serotypes linked to form a heterodimer. In order to stabilize the C-terminal fragment and thus preserve important structural epitopes at physiological temperature, disulfide bonds were introduced. The immunogenicity was increased by introduction of a lipidation signal which ensures the addition of an N-terminal lipid moiety. Three immunizations with 3.0 µg adjuvanted vaccine protected mice from a challenge with spirochetes expressing either OspA serotype 1, 2 or 5. Mice were protected against both challenge with infected ticks and in vitro grown spirochetes. Immunological analyses (ELISA, surface binding and growth inhibition) indicated that the vaccine can provide protection against the majority of Borrelia species pathogenic for humans. This article presents the approach which allows for the generation of a hexavalent vaccine that can potentially protect against a broad range of globally distributed Borrelia species causing Lyme borreliosis.
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Lyme disease vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-1-4557-0090-5.00055-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Priest HL, Irby NL, Schlafer DH, Divers TJ, Wagner B, Glaser AL, Chang YF, Smith MC. Diagnosis of Borrelia-associated uveitis in two horses. Vet Ophthalmol 2012; 15:398-405. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-5224.2012.01000.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi OspA, OspC, OspF, and C6 antigens as markers for early and late infection in dogs. CLINICAL AND VACCINE IMMUNOLOGY : CVI 2012; 19:527-35. [PMID: 22336289 DOI: 10.1128/cvi.05653-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Lyme disease in the United States is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, which is transmitted to mammals by infected ticks. Borrelia spirochetes differentially express immunogenic outer surface proteins (Osp). Our aim was to evaluate antibody responses to Osp antigens to aid the diagnosis of early infection and the management of Lyme disease. We analyzed antibody responses during the first 3 months after the experimental infection of dogs using a novel multiplex assay. Results were compared to those obtained with two commercial assays detecting C6 antigen. Multiplex analysis identified antibodies to OspC and C6 as early as 3 weeks postinfection (p.i.) and those to OspF by 5 weeks p.i. Antibodies to C6 and OspF increased throughout the study, while antibodies to OspC peaked between 7 and 11 weeks p.i. and declined thereafter. A short-term antibody response to OspA was observed in 3/8 experimentally infected dogs on day 21 p.i. Quant C6 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results matched multiplex results during the first 7 weeks p.i.; however, antibody levels subsequently declined by up to 29%. Immune responses then were analyzed in sera from 125 client-owned dogs and revealed high agreement between antibodies to OspF and C6 as robust markers for infection. Results from canine patient sera supported that OspC is an early infection marker and antibodies to OspC decline over time. The onset and decline of antibody responses to B. burgdorferi Osp antigens and C6 reflect their differential expression during infection. They provide valuable tools to determine the stage of infection, treatment outcomes, and vaccination status in dogs.
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Probst C, Ott A, Scheper T, Meyer W, Stöcker W, Komorowski L. N-terminal disulfide-bridging of Borrelia outer surface protein C increases its diagnostic and vaccine potentials. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2012; 3:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2011.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2011] [Revised: 10/04/2011] [Accepted: 10/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Wagner B, Freer H, Rollins A, Erb HN, Lu Z, Gröhn Y. Development of a multiplex assay for the detection of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi in horses and its validation using Bayesian and conventional statistical methods. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2011; 144:374-81. [PMID: 21890217 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2011.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2011] [Revised: 08/02/2011] [Accepted: 08/08/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Lyme disease is a zoonotic, vector-borne disease and occurs in mammals including horses. The disease is induced by infection with spirochetes of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato group. Infection of mammalian hosts requires transmission of spirochetes by infected ticks during tick bites. Lyme disease diagnosis is based on clinical signs, possible exposure to infected ticks, and antibody testing which is traditionally performed by ELISA and Western blotting (WB). This report describes the development and validation of a new fluorescent bead-based multiplex assay for the detection of antibodies to B. burgdorferi outer surface protein A (OspA), OspC and OspF antigens in horse serum. Testing of 562 equine sera was performed blindly and in parallel by using WB and the new multiplex assay. Because a true gold standard is missing for Lyme antibody testing, we performed and compared different statistical approaches to validate the new Lyme multiplex assay. One approach was to use WB results as a 'relative gold standard' in ROC-curve and likelihood-ratio analyses of the new test. Cut-off values and interpretation ranges of the multiplex assay were established by the analysis. The second statistical approach used a Bayesian model for the calculation of diagnostic sensitivities and specificities of the multiplex assay. The Bayesian analysis takes into consideration that no true gold standard exists for detecting antibodies to B. burgdorferi and estimated sensitivities and specificities of both tests that were compared. Therefore, the Bayesian analysis also resulted in an evaluation of diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of WB. Overall, the new assay was characterized by low background values and a wide dynamic quantification range for the detection of antibodies to OspA, OspC and OspF antigens of B. burgdorferi. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for the OspA bead-based assay were calculated as 49% and 85%, respectively, and by a standard ROC curve analysis only because the Bayesian model could not be run on this parameter. The Bayesian-derived diagnostic sensitivities of the OspC and OspF assays were 80% and 86%, respectively. For comparison, the Bayesian-derived estimates for WB resulted in sensitivities of 72% for OspC and 80% for OspF. The Bayesian diagnostic specificities of the multiplex assay were 79% and 69% for OspC and OspF, respectively. WB analysis had specificities of 92% for OspC and 77% for OspF. Although the analysis of a new assay in the absence of a true gold standard remains challenging, the approach used here can help to address this problem when new technologies and traditionally used test standards differ significantly in their analytical sensitivities, which consequently causes problems in the calculation of diagnostic sensitivity and sensitivity values for the new assay. In summary, the new multiplex assay for the detection of antibodies to B. burgdorferi OspA, OspC and OspF antigens in horse serum has improved analytical and diagnostic sensitivities compared to WB analysis. Multiplex analysis is a valuable quantitative tool that simultaneously detects antibodies indicative for natural infection with and/or vaccination against the Lyme pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Wagner
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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Prevention of Lyme Disease: Promising Research or Sisyphean Task? Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz) 2011; 59:261-75. [DOI: 10.1007/s00005-011-0128-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2010] [Accepted: 03/02/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Wagner B, Freer H, Rollins A, Erb H. A fluorescent bead-based multiplex assay for the simultaneous detection of antibodies to B. burgdorferi outer surface proteins in canine serum. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2011; 140:190-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2010.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2010] [Revised: 11/22/2010] [Accepted: 12/02/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Grosskinsky S, Schott M, Brenner C, Cutler SJ, Simon MM, Wallich R. Human complement regulators C4b-binding protein and C1 esterase inhibitor interact with a novel outer surface protein of Borrelia recurrentis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2010; 4:e698. [PMID: 20532227 PMCID: PMC2879370 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0000698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2009] [Accepted: 04/06/2010] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The spirochete Borrelia recurrentis is the causal agent of louse-borne relapsing fever and is transmitted to humans by the infected body louse Pediculus humanus. We have recently demonstrated that the B. recurrentis surface receptor, HcpA, specifically binds factor H, the regulator of the alternative pathway of complement activation, thereby inhibiting complement mediated bacteriolysis. Here, we show that B. recurrentis spirochetes express another potential outer membrane lipoprotein, termed CihC, and acquire C4b-binding protein (C4bp) and human C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-Inh), the major inhibitors of the classical and lectin pathway of complement activation. A highly homologous receptor for C4bp was also found in the African tick-borne relapsing fever spirochete B. duttonii. Upon its binding to B. recurrentis or recombinant CihC, C4bp retains its functional potential, i.e. facilitating the factor I-mediated degradation of C4b. The additional finding that ectopic expression of CihC in serum sensitive B. burgdorferi significantly increased spirochetal resistance against human complement suggests this receptor to substantially contribute, together with other known strategies, to immune evasion of B. recurrentis. Borrelia recurrentis, the causal agent of louse-borne relapsing fever is transmitted to humans via infected body lice. Infection with B. recurrentis has been achieved only in humans and is accompanied by a systemic inflammatory disease, multiple relapses of fever and massive spirochetemia. A key virulence factor of B. recurrentis is their potential to undergo antigenic variation. However, for survival in the blood during the early phase of infection and for persistence in human tissues, spirochetes must be endowed with robust tools to escape innate immunity. We have recently shown that B. recurrentis acquires the serum-derived regulator factor H, thereby blocking the alternative complement pathway. Here, we show that B. recurrentis expresses in addition a novel outer surface lipoprotein that selectively binds serum-derived C4b-binding protein and C1 esterase inhibitor, two endogenous regulators of the classical and lectin pathway of complement activation. The combined data underscore the versatility of B. recurrentis to effectively evade innate and adaptive immunity, including serum resistance. Thus, the present study elucidates a new mechanism of B. recurrentis important for its evasion from complement attack and will be helpful for the development of new drugs against this fatal infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Grosskinsky
- Infectious Immunology Group, Institute for Immunology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Melanie Schott
- Infectious Immunology Group, Institute for Immunology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christiane Brenner
- Infectious Immunology Group, Institute for Immunology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sally J. Cutler
- School of Health and Bioscience, University of East London, Stratford, London, United Kingdom
| | - Markus M. Simon
- Infectious Immunology Group, Institute for Immunology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Reinhard Wallich
- Infectious Immunology Group, Institute for Immunology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Hartiala P, Hytönen J, Yrjänäinen H, Honkinen M, Terho P, Söderström M, Penttinen MA, Viljanen MK. TLR2 Utilization ofBorreliaDoes Not Induce p38- and IFN-β Autocrine Loop-Dependent Expression of CD38, Resulting in Poor Migration and Weak IL-12 Secretion of Dendritic Cells. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2010; 184:5732-42. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.0803944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Nardelli DT, Munson EL, Callister SM, Schell RF. Human Lyme disease vaccines: past and future concerns. Future Microbiol 2009; 4:457-69. [PMID: 19416014 DOI: 10.2217/fmb.09.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of a vaccine for Lyme disease was intensely pursued in the 1990s. However, citing a lack of demand, the first human Lyme disease vaccine was withdrawn from the market less than 5 years after its approval. The public's concerns about the vaccine's safety also likely contributed to the withdrawal of the vaccine. Nearly a decade later, no vaccine for human Lyme disease exists. The expansion of Lyme disease's endemic range, as well as the difficulty of diagnosing infection and the disease's steady increase in incidence in the face of proven preventative measures, make the pursuit of a Lyme disease vaccine a worthwhile endeavor. Many believe that the negative public perception of the Lyme disease vaccine will have tarnished any future endeavors towards its development. Importantly, many of the drawbacks of the Lyme disease vaccine were apparent or foreseeable prior to its approval. These pitfalls must be confronted before the construction of a new, effective and safe human Lyme disease vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dean T Nardelli
- University of Wisconsin, Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, 465 Henry Mall, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
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Lyme-Borreliose: Forschungsbedarf und Forschungsansätze. Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz 2008; 51:1329-39. [DOI: 10.1007/s00103-008-0703-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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40
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Walker A, Skamel C, Vorreiter J, Nassal M. Internal core protein cleavage leaves the hepatitis B virus capsid intact and enhances its capacity for surface display of heterologous whole chain proteins. J Biol Chem 2008; 283:33508-15. [PMID: 18826949 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m805211200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Virus capsids find increasing use as nanoparticulate platforms for the surface display of heterologous ligands, including as multivalent vaccine carriers. Presentation on the icosahedral hepatitis B virus capsid (HBcAg) is known to strongly enhance immunogenicity of foreign sequences, most efficiently if they are inserted into the dominant c/e1 B cell epitope, a surface-exposed loop in the center of the constituent core protein primary sequence. Even some complete proteins were successfully inserted but others, e.g. the outer surface protein A (OspA) of the Lyme disease agent Borrelia burgdorferi, impaired formation of capsid-like particles (CLPs). This difference can be rationalized by the requirement for the termini of the insert to fit into the predetermined geometry of the two acceptor sites in the carrier. We reasoned that cleavage of one of the two bonds connecting insert and carrier should relieve these constraints, provided the cleaved protein fragments remain competent to support the particle structure. Indeed, HBcAg CLPs containing a recognition site for tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease in the c/e1 loop remained intact after cleavage, as did CLPs carrying a 65-residue peptide insertion. Most importantly, in situ cleavage of a core-OspA fusion protein by coexpressed TEV protease strongly enhanced CLP formation compared with the uncleaved protein. These data attest to the high structural stability of the HBcAg CLP and they significantly widen its applicability as a carrier for heterologous proteins. This approach should be adaptable to any protein-based particle with surface-exposed yet sequence-internal loops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Walker
- Department of Internal Medicine 2/Molecular Biology, University Hospital Freiburg, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany
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The Important and Diverse Roles of Antibodies in the Host Response to Borrelia Infections. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2008; 319:63-103. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-540-73900-5_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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42
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Steere AC. Lyme disease vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-1-4160-3611-1.50055-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
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Wang X, Ma Y, Yoder A, Crandall H, Zachary JF, Fujinami RS, Weis JH, Weis JJ. T cell infiltration is associated with increased Lyme arthritis in TLR2-/- mice. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 52:124-33. [PMID: 18081848 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-695x.2007.00356.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
C57BL/6 mice deficient in TLR2 develop more severe arthritis following infection with Borrelia burgdorferi than do wild-type C57BL/6 mice, and this increase is suppressed by the simultaneous presence of the scid mutation. This suggested a requirement for lymphocytes in the development of subacute Lyme arthritis in TLR2(-/-) mice, a feature not commonly associated with this arthritis. The increased pathology of B. burgdorferi-infected TLR2(-/-) mice was also accompanied by an increase in mononuclear cell infiltration. In this study, T cells were found to be responsible for the increase in mononuclear cells in infected TLR2(-/-) C3H mice. Accordingly, transcripts for the IFN-inducible T cell chemokines, CXCL9 and CXCL10, were greatly enhanced in joint tissue from TLR2(-/-) mice, as were transcripts for a prototypical IFN-inducible gene IFN-gamma-induced GTPase (igtp). Treatment of murine synovial cells with sonicated B. burgdorferi resulted in induction of transcripts for chemokines and other IFN-inducible genes, irrespective of the presence of TLR2. The presence of T lymphocytes greatly enhanced the transcriptional response of synovial cells. These results suggest that the increased inflammatory cell infiltration in TLR2(-/-) C3H mice is the result of localized overproduction of T cell attracting chemokines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Wang
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-5650, USA
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44
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Nassal M, Skamel C, Vogel M, Kratz PA, Stehle T, Wallich R, Simon MM. Development of hepatitis B virus capsids into a whole-chain protein antigen display platform: new particulate Lyme disease vaccines. Int J Med Microbiol 2007; 298:135-42. [PMID: 17888729 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2007.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The immunogenicity of peptides and small protein fragments can be considerably enhanced by their presentation on particulate carriers such as capsid-like particles (CLPs) from hepatitis B virus (HBV). HBV CLPs are icosahedral nanoparticles formed by 90 or 120 core protein dimers. Insertions into the immunodominant c/e1 B cell epitope, a surface-exposed loop on the HBV capsid protein, are especially immunogenic. Here we investigated whether the HBV core protein can be exploited as a vaccine carrier for whole-chain protein antigens, using two clinically relevant proteins derived from a bacterial human pathogen, the Lyme disease agent Borrelia burgdorferi. For this purpose we analyzed CLP formation by core fusions with the entire 255-amino-acid ectodomain of outer surface lipoprotein A (OspA), and with two distinct, 189 amino acid long variants of the dimeric OspC (OspC(a), OspC(b)) of B. burgdorferi. OspA appropriately inserted into the HBV core protein yielded a multimerization-competent fusion protein, termed coreOspA. Although only partially assembling into regular CLPs, coreOspA induced antibodies to OspA, including the Ig isotype profile and specificity for the protective epitope "LA-2", with an efficiency similar to that of recombinant lipidated OspA, the first generation vaccine against Lyme disease. Moreover, coreOspA actively and passively protected mice against subsequent challenge with B. burgdorferi. Fusions with the two OspC variants were found to efficiently form regular CLPs, most probably by OspC dimerization across different core protein dimers. In mice, both coreOspC preparations induced high-titered antibody responses to the homologous but also to the heterologous OspC variant, which conferred protection against challenge with B. burgdorferi. The data demonstrate the principal applicability of HBV CLPs to act as potent immunomodulator even for structurally complex full-length polypeptide chains, and thus open new avenues for novel vaccine designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Nassal
- Department of Internal Medicine II/Molecular Biology, University Hospital Freiburg, Hugstetter Strasse 55, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany.
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Yang X, Li Y, Dunn JJ, Luft BJ. Characterization of a unique borreliacidal epitope on the outer surface protein C ofBorrelia burgdorferi. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006; 48:64-74. [PMID: 16965353 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-695x.2006.00122.x] [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: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The outer surface protein C (OspC) of the Lyme disease agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, is an immunoprotective antigen in laboratory models of infection. However, to understand its protective effects, it is important to identify the key epitopes of this protein. We produced a borreliacidal anti-OspC monoclonal antibody specific to the B31 strain and identified its binding site. The specificity of MAb 16.22 was determined by Western blot reactivity using OspC derived from different Borrelia isolates which had varying amino acid sequences. Comparison of the OspC sequences and binding data suggested that MAb 16.22 binds to amino acids 133-147 of the OspC protein. To test this hypothesis, we synthesized a 15-amino acid peptide containing the target sequence and, using competition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we found that this peptide included the epitope of MAb 16.22. In addition, we determined that MAb 16.22 is able to kill of B. burgdorferi in a complement-independent fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohua Yang
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, State University of New York Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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Töpfer KH, Straubinger RK. Characterization of the humoral immune response in dogs after vaccination against the Lyme borreliosis agent A study with five commercial vaccines using two different vaccination schedules. Vaccine 2006; 25:314-26. [PMID: 16930782 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2006.07.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2005] [Revised: 04/20/2006] [Accepted: 07/20/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Using five commercially available vaccines, groups of dogs were vaccinated against Lyme borreliosis and followed for 13 months. A modified vaccination schedule was included in the study in an attempt to induce higher and therefore longer-lasting protective antibody levels during the first year of immunization. Following vaccination antibodies were monitored using ELISA and Western blotting. Serum samples were examined either with antigen preparations derived from either Borrelia burgdorferi s. s., B. garinii or B. afzelii lysates or separately with recombinant OspA derived from the three species. Regardless of the vaccine used the third vaccination induced significantly higher antibody levels. Further analyses of the sera with homologue and heterologue detection systems showed in vitro only a minor cross-reactivity of vaccinal antibodies towards antigens derived from heterologous Borrelia species in vitro and consequently only minimal cross-protection can be expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina H Töpfer
- Institute for Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 11, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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47
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Skamel C, Ploss M, Böttcher B, Stehle T, Wallich R, Simon MM, Nassal M. Hepatitis B virus capsid-like particles can display the complete, dimeric outer surface protein C and stimulate production of protective antibody responses against Borrelia burgdorferi infection. J Biol Chem 2006; 281:17474-17481. [PMID: 16621801 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m513571200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus capsid-like particles (CLPs), icosahedral assemblies formed by 90 or 120 core protein dimers, hold promise as immune-enhancing vaccine carriers for heterologous antigens. Insertions into the immunodominant c/e1 B cell epitope, a surface-exposed loop, are especially immunogenic. However, display of whole proteins, desirable to induce multispecific and possibly neutralizing antibody responses, can be restrained by an unsuitable structure of the foreign protein and by its propensity to undergo homomeric interactions. Here we analyzed CLP formation by core fusions with two distinct variants of the dimeric outer surface lipoprotein C (OspC) of the Lyme disease agent Borrelia burgdorferi. Although the topology of the termini in the OspC dimer does not match that of the insertion sites in the carrier dimer, both fusions, coreOspCa and coreOspCb, efficiently formed stable CLPs. Electron cryomicroscopy clearly revealed the surface disposition of the OspC domains, possibly with OspC dimerization occurring across different core protein dimers. In mice, both CLP preparations induced high-titered antibody responses against the homologous OspC variant, but with substantial cross-reactivity against the other variant. Importantly, both conferred protection to mice challenged with B. burgdorferi. These data show the principal applicability of hepatitis B virus CLPs for the display of dimeric proteins, demonstrate the presence in OspC of hitherto uncharacterized epitopes, and suggest that OspC, despite its genetic variability, may be a valid vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Skamel
- University Hospital Freiburg, Internal Medicine II/Molecular Biology, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Martin Ploss
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bettina Böttcher
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Stehle
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology, D-79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Reinhard Wallich
- University Hospital Heidelberg, Institute of Immunology, D-61920 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Markus M Simon
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology, D-79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Michael Nassal
- University Hospital Freiburg, Internal Medicine II/Molecular Biology, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany.
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Munson EL, Nardelli DT, Luk KHK, Remington MC, Callister SM, Schell RF. Interleukin-6 promotes anti-OspA borreliacidal antibody production in vitro. CLINICAL AND VACCINE IMMUNOLOGY : CVI 2006; 13:19-25. [PMID: 16425995 PMCID: PMC1356618 DOI: 10.1128/cvi.13.1.19-25.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Determination of the immunological mediators responsible for promoting the production of borreliacidal antibody may facilitate the development of an improved borreliosis vaccine for human and veterinary use. Previously, we developed an in vitro assay to determine if borreliacidal antibody production could be augmented by treatment with different cytokines. In this study, in vitro treatment of lymph node cells producing borreliacidal antibody with recombinant interleukin-6 (rIL-6) resulted in a fourfold enhancement of anti-OspA borreliacidal antibody. Moreover, rIL-6 enhanced Western immunoblot titers and increased the number of B lymphocytes. In contrast, treatment of anti-OspA borreliacidal antibody-producing cells with anti-IL-6 resulted in a fourfold reduction in borreliacidal activity. Treatment with anti-IL-6 also inhibited enhanced borreliacidal antibody production induced by anti-gamma interferon. These data suggest that IL-6 plays a significant role in the production of anti-OspA borreliacidal antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik L Munson
- University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, 465 Henry Mall, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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Schulte-Spechtel U, Fingerle V, Goettner G, Rogge S, Wilske B. Molecular analysis of decorin-binding protein A (DbpA) reveals five major groups among European Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato strains with impact for the development of serological assays and indicates lateral gene transfer of the dbpA gene. Int J Med Microbiol 2006; 296 Suppl 40:250-66. [PMID: 16530482 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2006.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The Borrelia (B.) burgdorferi adhesin DbpA (decorin-binding protein A) is a valuable antigen for serodiagnosis of Lyme borreliosis and a promising candidate for a vaccine. To investigate the heterogeneity of DbpA, we aligned DNA sequences of 83 different dbpA genes (37 from the database, where the majority of sequences belong to B. burgdorferi sensu stricto and 46 were newly sequenced). Analysis of 25 sequences from the species B. burgdorferi s.s., 16 from B. afzelii, 40 from B. garinii, and two from the recently described human pathogenic genospecies A14S revealed five distinct DbpA groups. Group I comprises B. burgdorferi s.s. and group II B. afzelii. B. garinii is divided into groups III and IV, whereas A14S strains form group V. Formation of groups is mainly due to insertions of whole sequence sections. Comparison of dbpA sequences with ospC sequences from a subset of 59 strains revealed all kinds of cross-connections indicating processes of lateral gene transfer among strains. The extent of sequence identity within the dbpA genes decreases from the DNA (67%) to the amino acid (AA) level (44%) by about 23%, in contrast ospC sequence identities differed only by about 10%. This might be an indication that DbpA plays an important role in immune escape. Immunoblots using four recombinant DbpAs representing groups I-IV show that DbpA proteins are sensitive and specific antigens and complement one another in their reactivity. Part of the sera showed group-specific reactivity which could also be demonstrated with monoclonal antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Schulte-Spechtel
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Hygiene, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, D-80336 Munich, Germany.
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50
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Crowley H, Alroy J, Sproule TJ, Roopenian D, Huber BT. The MHC class I-related FcRn ameliorates murine Lyme arthritis. Int Immunol 2006; 18:409-14. [PMID: 16415101 DOI: 10.1093/intimm/dxh380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of the neonatal FcR (FcRn) as an IgG homeostasis regulator has led to research aimed at delineating a role for FcRn in humorally mediated disease. FcRn is a class I-related molecule that prolongs the half-life of serum IgG by preferentially binding IgG at low pH and inhibiting its degradation. Its role in protective immunity to infectious organisms is unknown. We investigated the function of FcRn in the murine model of Lyme arthritis, caused by infection with Borrelia burgdorferi. We infected FcRn(-/-) and wild-type mice with B. burgdorferi and monitored the development of arthritis. Infected FcRn(-/-) mice demonstrated decreased serum levels of anti-B. burgdorferi antibodies and borreliacidal activity. Moreover, these mutant mice developed increased ankle swelling and joint histopathology following infection. Our data suggest that FcRn ameliorates murine Lyme arthritis by preventing the degradation of protective borreliacidal antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Crowley
- Department of Pathology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA
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