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Wu C, Raheem IT, Nahas DD, Citron M, Kim PS, Montefiori DC, Ottinger EA, Hepler RW, Hrin R, Patel SB, Soisson SM, Joyce JG. Stabilized trimeric peptide immunogens of the complete HIV-1 gp41 N-heptad repeat and their use as HIV-1 vaccine candidates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2317230121. [PMID: 38768344 PMCID: PMC11145295 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317230121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Efforts to develop an HIV-1 vaccine include those focusing on conserved structural elements as the target of broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies. MAb D5 binds to a highly conserved hydrophobic pocket on the gp41 N-heptad repeat (NHR) coiled coil and neutralizes through prevention of viral fusion and entry. Assessment of 17-mer and 36-mer NHR peptides presenting the D5 epitope in rodent immunogenicity studies showed that the longer peptide elicited higher titers of neutralizing antibodies, suggesting that neutralizing epitopes outside of the D5 pocket may exist. Although the magnitude and breadth of neutralization elicited by NHR-targeting antigens are lower than that observed for antibodies directed to other epitopes on the envelope glycoprotein complex, it has been shown that NHR-directed antibodies are potentiated in TZM-bl cells containing the FcγRI receptor. Herein, we report the design and evaluation of covalently stabilized trimeric 51-mer peptides encompassing the complete gp41 NHR. We demonstrate that these peptide trimers function as effective antiviral entry inhibitors and retain the ability to present the D5 epitope. We further demonstrate in rodent and nonhuman primate immunization studies that our 51-mer constructs elicit a broader repertoire of neutralizing antibody and improved cross-clade neutralization of primary HIV-1 isolates relative to 17-mer and 36-mer NHR peptides in A3R5 and FcγR1-enhanced TZM-bl assays. These results demonstrate that sensitive neutralization assays can be used for structural enhancement of moderately potent neutralizing epitopes. Finally, we present expanded trimeric peptide designs which include unique low-molecular-weight scaffolds that provide versatility in our immunogen presentation strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengwei Wu
- Discovery Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA19486
| | | | | | - Michael Citron
- Discovery Biology, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA19486
| | - Peter S. Kim
- Office of the President, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA19486
| | | | | | | | - Renee Hrin
- Discovery Biology, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA19486
| | | | | | - Joseph G. Joyce
- Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA19486
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Gerlach D, Guo Y, De Castro C, Kim SH, Schlatterer K, Xu FF, Pereira C, Seeberger PH, Ali S, Codée J, Sirisarn W, Schulte B, Wolz C, Larsen J, Molinaro A, Lee BL, Xia G, Stehle T, Peschel A. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus alters cell wall glycosylation to evade immunity. Nature 2018; 563:705-709. [PMID: 30464342 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0730-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a frequent cause of difficult-to-treat, often fatal infections in humans1,2. Most humans have antibodies against S. aureus, but these are highly variable and often not protective in immunocompromised patients3. Previous vaccine development programs have not been successful4. A large percentage of human antibodies against S. aureus target wall teichoic acid (WTA), a ribitol-phosphate (RboP) surface polymer modified with N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc)5,6. It is currently unknown whether the immune evasion capacities of MRSA are due to variation of dominant surface epitopes such as those associated with WTA. Here we show that a considerable proportion of the prominent healthcare-associated and livestock-associated MRSA clones CC5 and CC398, respectively, contain prophages that encode an alternative WTA glycosyltransferase. This enzyme, TarP, transfers GlcNAc to a different hydroxyl group of the WTA RboP than the standard enzyme TarS7, with important consequences for immune recognition. TarP-glycosylated WTA elicits 7.5-40-fold lower levels of immunoglobulin G in mice than TarS-modified WTA. Consistent with this, human sera contained only low levels of antibodies against TarP-modified WTA. Notably, mice immunized with TarS-modified WTA were not protected against infection with tarP-expressing MRSA, indicating that TarP is crucial for the capacity of S. aureus to evade host defences. High-resolution structural analyses of TarP bound to WTA components and uridine diphosphate GlcNAc (UDP-GlcNAc) explain the mechanism of altered RboP glycosylation and form a template for targeted inhibition of TarP. Our study reveals an immune evasion strategy of S. aureus based on averting the immunogenicity of its dominant glycoantigen WTA. These results will help with the identification of invariant S. aureus vaccine antigens and may enable the development of TarP inhibitors as a new strategy for rendering MRSA susceptible to human host defences.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Gerlach
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Infection Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Yinglan Guo
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Cristina De Castro
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Sun-Hwa Kim
- National Research Laboratory of Defense Proteins, College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Pusan, South Korea
| | - Katja Schlatterer
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Infection Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Fei-Fei Xu
- Max-Planck-Institute for Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Claney Pereira
- Max-Planck-Institute for Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
| | | | - Sara Ali
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Codée
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Wanchat Sirisarn
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Berit Schulte
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Medical Microbiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Christiane Wolz
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Medical Microbiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jesper Larsen
- Bacteria, Parasites and Fungi, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Antonio Molinaro
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Bok Luel Lee
- National Research Laboratory of Defense Proteins, College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Pusan, South Korea
| | - Guoqing Xia
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Thilo Stehle
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. .,Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Andreas Peschel
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Infection Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. .,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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Kodadek T. Chemical tools to monitor and manipulate the adaptive immune system. CHEMISTRY & BIOLOGY 2014; 21:1066-74. [PMID: 25237855 PMCID: PMC4171709 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2014.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2014] [Revised: 07/14/2014] [Accepted: 07/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The ability to monitor and manipulate antigen-specific immune responses would have a major impact on several areas of biology and medicine. In this perspective, I consider pharmacological methods to do this, with a focus on the development of abiological "antigen surrogates" capable of binding to the antigen-binding sites of antibodies and B cell receptors with high affinity and selectivity. I describe the application of combinatorial library screening to identify antigen surrogates for monoclonal antibodies of therapeutic interest using chronic lymphocytic leukemia as an example. Furthermore, I discuss the use of multiplexed assays for the quantification of antigen surrogate-antibody complexes as diagnostic tools and antigen surrogate discovery via serum screening. Although antigen surrogates are a fairly new concept, I argue that they will open new avenues for both basic and clinical research and that major advances can be expected over the next few years.
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MESH Headings
- Adaptive Immunity
- Antibodies/immunology
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/therapeutic use
- Antigen-Antibody Complex/chemistry
- Antigens/chemistry
- Antigens/immunology
- Antigens/metabolism
- B-Lymphocytes/immunology
- B-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- Humans
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/diagnosis
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/immunology
- Quantum Dots/chemistry
- Recombinant Proteins/biosynthesis
- Recombinant Proteins/genetics
- Recombinant Proteins/therapeutic use
- Small Molecule Libraries/chemistry
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Kodadek
- Departments of Chemistry and Cancer Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.
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