1
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Andreacchio G, Longo Y, Moreno Mascaraque S, Anandasothy K, Tofan S, Özün E, Wilschrey L, Ptok J, Huynh DT, Luirink J, Drexler I. Viral Vector-Based Chlamydia trachomatis Vaccines Encoding CTH522 Induce Distinct Immune Responses in C57BL/6J and HLA Transgenic Mice. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:944. [PMID: 39204067 PMCID: PMC11360449 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12080944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2024] [Revised: 08/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis remains a major global health problem with increasing infection rates, requiring innovative vaccine solutions. Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara (MVA) is a well-established, safe and highly immunogenic vaccine vector, making it a promising candidate for C. trachomatis vaccine development. In this study, we evaluated two novel MVA-based recombinant vaccines expressing spCTH522 and CTH522:B7 antigens. Our results show that while both vaccines induced CD4+ T-cell responses in C57BL/6J mice, they failed to generate antigen-specific systemic CD8+ T cells. Only the membrane-anchored CTH522 elicited strong IgG2b and IgG2c antibody responses. In an HLA transgenic mouse model, both recombinant MVAs induced Th1-directed CD4+ T cell and multifunctional CD8+ T cells, while only the CTH522:B7 vaccine generated antibody responses, underscoring the importance of antigen localization. Collectively, our data indicate that distinct antigen formulations can induce different immune responses depending on the mouse strain used. This research contributes to the development of effective vaccines by highlighting the importance of careful antigen design and the selection of appropriate animal models to study specific vaccine-induced immune responses. Future studies should investigate whether these immune responses provide protection in humans and should explore different routes of immunization, including mucosal and systemic immunization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Andreacchio
- Institute of Virology, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (G.A.)
| | - Ylenia Longo
- Institute of Virology, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (G.A.)
| | - Sara Moreno Mascaraque
- Institute of Virology, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (G.A.)
| | - Kartikan Anandasothy
- Institute of Virology, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (G.A.)
| | - Sarah Tofan
- Institute of Virology, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (G.A.)
| | - Esma Özün
- Institute of Virology, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (G.A.)
| | - Lena Wilschrey
- Institute of Virology, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (G.A.)
| | - Johannes Ptok
- Institute of Virology, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (G.A.)
| | - Dung T. Huynh
- R&D Department, Abera Bioscience AB, 75184 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Joen Luirink
- R&D Department, Abera Bioscience AB, 75184 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ingo Drexler
- Institute of Virology, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (G.A.)
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2
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Yount KS, Darville T. Immunity to Sexually Transmitted Bacterial Infections of the Female Genital Tract: Toward Effective Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:863. [PMID: 39203989 PMCID: PMC11359697 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12080863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2024] [Revised: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) caused by bacterial pathogens Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Treponema pallidum present significant public health challenges. These infections profoundly impact reproductive health, leading to pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and increased susceptibility to other infections. Prevention measures, including antibiotic treatments, are limited by the often-asymptomatic nature of these infections, the need for repetitive and continual screening of sexually active persons, antibiotic resistance for gonorrhea, and shortages of penicillin for syphilis. While vaccines exist for viral STIs like human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV), there are no vaccines available for bacterial STIs. This review examines the immune responses in the female genital tract to these bacterial pathogens and the implications for developing effective vaccines against bacterial STIs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Toni Darville
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA;
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3
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Knapp K, Klasinc R, Koren A, Siller M, Dingelmaier-Hovorka R, Drach M, Sanchez J, Chromy D, Kranawetter M, Grimm C, Bergthaler A, Kubicek S, Stockinger H, Stary G. Combination of compound screening with an animal model identifies pentamidine to prevent Chlamydia trachomatis infection. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101643. [PMID: 38981484 PMCID: PMC11293347 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101643] [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: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) is the most common cause for bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) worldwide with a tremendous impact on public health. With the aim to unravel novel targets of the chlamydia life cycle, we screen a compound library and identify 28 agents to significantly reduce Ct growth. The known anti-infective agent pentamidine-one of the top candidates of the screen-shows anti-chlamydia activity in low concentrations by changing the metabolism of host cells impairing chlamydia growth. Furthermore, it effectively decreases the Ct burden upon local or systemic application in mice. Pentamidine also inhibits the growth of Neisseria gonorrhea (Ng), which is a common co-infection of Ct. The conducted compound screen is powerful in exploring antimicrobial compounds against Ct in a medium-throughput format. Following thorough in vitro and in vivo assessments, pentamidine emerges as a promising agent for topical prophylaxis or treatment against Ct and possibly other bacterial STIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Knapp
- Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria; CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Romana Klasinc
- Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Anna Koren
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Magdalena Siller
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1090, Austria; Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | | | - Mathias Drach
- Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Juan Sanchez
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - David Chromy
- Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Marlene Kranawetter
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Christoph Grimm
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Andreas Bergthaler
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1090, Austria; Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Stefan Kubicek
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Hannes Stockinger
- Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Georg Stary
- Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria; CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1090, Austria.
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4
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Kiekens C, Morré SA, Vanrompay D. Advances in Chlamydia trachomatis Vaccination: Unveiling the Potential of Major Outer Membrane Protein Derivative Constructs. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1196. [PMID: 38930578 PMCID: PMC11205628 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia (C.) trachomatis, a leading cause of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) worldwide, continues to be a significant public health concern. The majority of infections are asymptomatic and, when left untreated, severe sequelae such as infertility and chronic pelvic pain can occur. Despite decades of research, an effective vaccine remains elusive. This review focuses on the potential of Major Outer Membrane Protein (MOMP)-derived constructs as promising candidates for C. trachomatis vaccination. MOMP, the most abundant protein in the outer membrane of C. trachomatis, has been a focal point of vaccine research over the years due to its antigenic properties. To overcome issues associated with the use of full MOMP as a vaccine antigen, derivative constructs have been studied. As these constructs are often not sufficiently immunogenic, antigen delivery systems or accompanying adjuvants are required. Additionally, several immunization routes have been explored with these MOMP-derived vaccine antigens, and determining the optimal route remains an ongoing area of research. Future directions and challenges in the field of C. trachomatis vaccination are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celien Kiekens
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Servaas A. Morré
- Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Microbe&Lab BV, 1105 AG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Dutch Chlamydia trachomatis Reference Laboratory, Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Engineering, Jacob Institute of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Allahabad 211007, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Daisy Vanrompay
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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5
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Cervantes PW, Segelke BW, Lau EY, Robinson BV, Abisoye-Ogunniyan A, Pal S, de la Maza LM, Coleman MA, D’haeseleer P. Sequence, structure prediction, and epitope analysis of the polymorphic membrane protein family in Chlamydia trachomatis. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0304525. [PMID: 38861498 PMCID: PMC11166332 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The polymorphic membrane proteins (Pmps) are a family of autotransporters that play an important role in infection, adhesion and immunity in Chlamydia trachomatis. Here we show that the characteristic GGA(I,L,V) and FxxN tetrapeptide repeats fit into a larger repeat sequence, which correspond to the coils of a large beta-helical domain in high quality structure predictions. Analysis of the protein using structure prediction algorithms provided novel insight to the chlamydial Pmp family of proteins. While the tetrapeptide motifs themselves are predicted to play a structural role in folding and close stacking of the beta-helical backbone of the passenger domain, we found many of the interesting features of Pmps are localized to the side loops jutting out from the beta helix including protease cleavage, host cell adhesion, and B-cell epitopes; while T-cell epitopes are predominantly found in the beta-helix itself. This analysis more accurately defines the Pmp family of Chlamydia and may better inform rational vaccine design and functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick W. Cervantes
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, United States of America
| | - Brent W. Segelke
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, United States of America
| | - Edmond Y. Lau
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, United States of America
| | - Beverly V. Robinson
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, United States of America
| | - Abisola Abisoye-Ogunniyan
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, United States of America
| | - Sukumar Pal
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Luis M. de la Maza
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Matthew A. Coleman
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, United States of America
| | - Patrik D’haeseleer
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, United States of America
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6
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Slepenkin A, Pal S, Rasley A, Coleman MA, de la Maza LM. Safety and efficacy of C. muridarum vaccines adjuvanted with CpG-1826 and four concentrations of Montanide-ISA-720-VG. NPJ Vaccines 2024; 9:104. [PMID: 38858418 PMCID: PMC11164897 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-024-00880-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
It is recommended that the adjuvant Montanide ISA 720 VG be used at a concentration of 70% v/v. At this concentration, Montanide causes at the site of immunization a local granuloma that can last for several weeks. To determine the safety and protective efficacy of a Chlamydia muridarum MOMP vaccine, formulated with CpG-1826 and four different concentrations of Montanide (70%, 50%, 30% and 10%), BALB/c (H-2d) female mice were immunized twice intramuscularly. Local reactogenicity was significant for vaccines formulated with 70% or 50% Montanide but not for those inoculated with 30% or 10% Montanide. Robust humoral and cell mediated memory immune responses were elicited by the 70%, 50% and 30% Montanide formulations. Mice were challenged intranasally with 104 C. muridarum inclusion forming units (IFU). Based on changes in body weight, lungs's weight and number of IFU recovered, mice vaccinated with the 70%, 50% and 30% Montanide formulations were significantly protected, but not mice receiving 10% Montanide. To conclude, we recommend the 30% Montanide concentration to be tested in humans and animal models to determine its safety and efficacy, in comparison to the 70% Montanide concentration currently used. The 30% Montanide formulation could significantly facilitate licensing of this adjuvant for human use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anatoli Slepenkin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical Sciences I, Room D440, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697-4800, USA
| | - Sukumar Pal
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical Sciences I, Room D440, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697-4800, USA
| | - Amy Rasley
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, 94550-9234, USA
| | - Matthew A Coleman
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, 94550-9234, USA
- University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, Sacramento, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Luis M de la Maza
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical Sciences I, Room D440, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697-4800, USA.
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7
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Hoang-Phou S, Pal S, Slepenkin A, Abisoye-Ogunniyun A, Zhang Y, Gilmore SF, Shelby M, Bourguet F, Mohagheghi M, Noy A, Rasley A, de la Maza LM, Coleman MA. Evaluation in mice of cell-free produced CT584 as a Chlamydia vaccine antigen. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.04.597210. [PMID: 38895407 PMCID: PMC11185655 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.04.597210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis is the most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted pathogen worldwide. Since chlamydial infection is largely asymptomatic with the potential for serious complications, a preventative vaccine is likely the most viable long-term answer to this public health threat. Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) utilizes the cellular protein manufacturing machinery decoupled from the requirement for maintaining cellular viability, offering the potential for flexible, rapid, and de-centralized production of recombinant protein vaccine antigens. Here, we use CFPS to produce the putative chlamydial type three secretion system (T3SS) needle-tip protein, CT584, for use as a vaccine antigen in mouse models. High-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) imaging and computer simulations confirm that CFPS-produced CT584 retains a native-like structure prior to immunization. Female mice were primed with CT584 adjuvanted with CpG-1826 intranasally (i.n.) or CpG-1826 + Montanide ISA 720 intramuscularly (i.m.), followed four-weeks later by an i.m. boost before respiratory challenge with 104 inclusion forming units (IFU) of Chlamydia muridarum. Immunization with CT584 generated robust antibody responses but weak cell mediated immunity and failed to protect against i.n. challenge as demonstrated by body weight loss, increased lungs' weights and the presence of high numbers of IFUs in the lungs. While CT584 alone may not be the ideal vaccine candidate, the speed and flexibility with which CFPS can be used to produce other potential chlamydial antigens makes it an attractive technique for antigen production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Hoang-Phou
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551, USA
| | - Sukumar Pal
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Anatoli Slepenkin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Abisola Abisoye-Ogunniyun
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551, USA
| | - Yuliang Zhang
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551, USA
| | - Sean F Gilmore
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551, USA
| | - Megan Shelby
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551, USA
| | - Feliza Bourguet
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551, USA
| | - Mariam Mohagheghi
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551, USA
| | - Aleksandr Noy
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551, USA
| | - Amy Rasley
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551, USA
| | - Luis M de la Maza
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Matthew A Coleman
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551, USA
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8
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Steiert B, Andersen SE, McCaslin PN, Elwell CA, Faris R, Tijerina X, Smith P, Eldridge Q, Imai BS, Arrington JV, Yau PM, Mirrashidi KM, Johnson JR, Verschueren E, Von Dollen J, Jang GM, Krogan NJ, Engel JN, Weber MM. Global mapping of the Chlamydia trachomatis conventional secreted effector - host interactome reveals CebN interacts with nucleoporins and Rae1 to impede STAT1 nuclear translocation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.25.587017. [PMID: 38712050 PMCID: PMC11071493 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.25.587017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis (C.t.), the leading cause of bacterial sexually transmitted infections, employs a type III secretion system (T3SS) to translocate two classes of effectors, inclusion membrane proteins and conventional T3SS (cT3SS) effectors, into the host cell to counter host defense mechanisms. Here we employed three assays to directly evaluate secretion during infection, validating secretion for 23 cT3SS effectors. As bioinformatic analyses have been largely unrevealing, we conducted affinity purification-mass spectrometry to identify host targets and gain insights into the functions of these effectors, identifying high confidence interacting partners for 21 cT3SS effectors. We demonstrate that CebN localizes to the nuclear envelope in infected and bystander cells where it interacts with multiple nucleoporins and Rae1, blocking STAT1 nuclear import following IFN-γ stimulation. By building a cT3SS effector-host interactome, we have identified novel pathways that are targeted during bacterial infection and have begun to address how C.t. effectors combat cell autonomous immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna Steiert
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Shelby E. Andersen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Present address: Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Paige N. McCaslin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Cherilyn A. Elwell
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Robert Faris
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Xavier Tijerina
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Parker Smith
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Quinn Eldridge
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Brian S. Imai
- Protein Sciences Facility, Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Justine V. Arrington
- Protein Sciences Facility, Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Peter M. Yau
- Protein Sciences Facility, Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | | | - Jeffrey R. Johnson
- QB3, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, San Francisco, CA 94148, USA
| | - Erik Verschueren
- QB3, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, San Francisco, CA 94148, USA
| | - John Von Dollen
- QB3, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, San Francisco, CA 94148, USA
| | - Gwendolyn M. Jang
- QB3, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, San Francisco, CA 94148, USA
| | - Nevan J. Krogan
- QB3, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, San Francisco, CA 94148, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Joanne N. Engel
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mary M. Weber
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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9
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Tanner T, Medhavi FNU, Richardson S, Omosun YO, Eko FO. In silico design and analysis of a multiepitope vaccine against Chlamydia. Pathog Dis 2024; 82:ftae015. [PMID: 38889932 PMCID: PMC11234648 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftae015] [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: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial infection worldwide, potentially leading to severe pathologies including pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and tubal infertility if left untreated. Current strategies, including screening and antibiotics, have limited effectiveness due to high rates of asymptomatic cases and logistical challenges. A multiepitope prophylactic vaccine could afford long-term protection against infection. Immunoinformatic analyses were employed to design a multiepitope Chlamydia vaccine antigen. B- and T-cell epitopes from five highly conserved and immunogenic Ct antigens were predicted and selected for the vaccine design. The final construct, adjuvanted with cholera toxin A1 subunit (CTA1), was further screened for immunogenicity. CTA1-MECA (multiepitope Chlamydia trachomatis antigen) was identified as antigenic and nonallergenic. A tertiary structure was predicted, refined, and validated as a good quality model. Molecular docking exhibited strong interactions between the vaccine and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). Additionally, immune responses consistent with protection including IFN-γ, IgG + IgM antibodies, and T- and B-cell responses were predicted following vaccination in an immune simulation. Expression of the construct in an Escherichia coli expression vector proved efficient. To further validate the vaccine efficacy, we assessed its immunogenicity in mice. Immunization with CTA1-MECA elicited high levels of Chlamydia-specific antibodies in mucosal and systemic compartments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tayhlor Tanner
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine. 720 Westview Drive, Atlanta, GA 30310, United States
| | - F N U Medhavi
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine. 720 Westview Drive, Atlanta, GA 30310, United States
| | - Shakyra Richardson
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine. 720 Westview Drive, Atlanta, GA 30310, United States
| | - Yusuf O Omosun
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine. 720 Westview Drive, Atlanta, GA 30310, United States
| | - Francis O Eko
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine. 720 Westview Drive, Atlanta, GA 30310, United States
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10
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Poston TB. Advances in vaccine development for Chlamydia trachomatis. Pathog Dis 2024; 82:ftae017. [PMID: 39043447 PMCID: PMC11338180 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftae017] [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: 04/25/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis is the most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted infection globally. Antibiotic treatment is highly effective, but infection is often asymptomatic resulting in most individuals going undetected and untreated. This untreated infection can ascend to the upper female genital tract to cause pelvic inflammatory disease, tubal factor infertility, and ectopic pregnancy. Chlamydia screening and treatment programs have failed to control this epidemic and demonstrate the need for an efficacious vaccine to prevent transmission and disease. Animal models and human epidemiological data reveal that natural immunity can provide partial or short-lived sterilizing immunity. These data further demonstrate the importance of eliciting interferon gamma (IFNγ)-producing cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) T cells (Th1 and Th1/17 cells) that can likely synergize with antibody-mediated opsonophagocytosis to provide optimal protection. These studies have guided preclinical rational vaccine design for decades and the first Phase 1 clinical trials have recently been completed. Recent advances have led to improvements in vaccine platforms and clinically safe adjuvants that help provide a path forward. This review describes vaccine models, correlates of immunity, antigen and adjuvant selection, and future clinical testing for Chlamydia vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor B Poston
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States
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11
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Campos M, Galán JC, Rodríguez-Domínguez M, Sempere JM, Llorens C, Baquero F. Membrane computing simulation of sexually transmitted bacterial infections in hotspots of individuals with various risk behaviors. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0272823. [PMID: 38197662 PMCID: PMC10845966 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02728-23] [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: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is complex due to the coexistence of various pathogens, the variety of transmission modes derived from sexual orientations and behaviors at different ages and genders, and sexual contact hotspots resulting in network transmission. There is also a growing proportion of recreational drug users engaged in high-risk sexual activities, as well as pharmacological self-protection routines fostering non-condom practices. The frequency of asymptomatic patients makes it difficult to develop a comprehensive approach to STI epidemiology. Modeling approaches are required to deal with such complexity. Membrane computing is a natural computing methodology for the virtual reproduction of epidemics under the influence of deterministic and stochastic events with an unprecedented level of granularity. The application of the LOIMOS program to STI epidemiology illustrates the possibility of using it to shape appropriate interventions. Under the conditions of our basic landscape, including sexual hotspots of individuals with various risk behaviors, an increase in condom use reduces STIs in a larger proportion of heterosexuals than in same-gender sexual contacts and is much more efficient for reducing Neisseria gonorrhoeae than Chlamydia and lymphogranuloma venereum infections. Amelioration from diagnostic STI screening could be instrumental in reducing N. gonorrhoeae infections, particularly in men having sex with men (MSM), and Chlamydia trachomatis infections in the heterosexual population; however, screening was less effective in decreasing lymphogranuloma venereum infections in MSM. The influence of STI epidemiology of sexual contacts between different age groups (<35 and ≥35 years) and in bisexual populations was also submitted for simulation.IMPORTANCEThe epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is complex and significantly influences sexual and reproductive health worldwide. Gender, age, sexual orientation, sexual behavior (including recreational drug use and physical and pharmacological protection practices), the structure of sexual contact networks, and the limited application or efficiency of diagnostic screening procedures create variable landscapes in different countries. Modeling techniques are required to deal with such complexity. We propose the use of a simulation technology based on membrane computing, mimicking in silico STI epidemics under various local conditions with an unprecedented level of detail. This approach allows us to evaluate the relative weight of the various epidemic drivers in various populations at risk and the possible outcomes of interventions in particular epidemiological landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelino Campos
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, IRYCIS, Madrid, Spain
- Valencian Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence (VRAIN), Polytechnic University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Galán
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, IRYCIS, Madrid, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health Network (CIBERESP) Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mario Rodríguez-Domínguez
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, IRYCIS, Madrid, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health Network (CIBERESP) Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - José M. Sempere
- Valencian Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence (VRAIN), Polytechnic University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Carlos Llorens
- Biotechvana, Valencia, Scientific Park University of Valencia, Paterna, Spain
| | - Fernando Baquero
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, IRYCIS, Madrid, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health Network (CIBERESP) Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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12
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Walker FC, Derré I. Contributions of diverse models of the female reproductive tract to the study of Chlamydia trachomatis-host interactions. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 77:102416. [PMID: 38103413 PMCID: PMC10922760 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102416] [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: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis is a common cause of sexually transmitted infections in humans with devastating sequelae. Understanding of disease on all scales, from molecular details to the immunology underlying pathology, is essential for identifying new ways of preventing and treating chlamydia. Infection models of various complexity are essential to understand all aspects of chlamydia pathogenesis. Cell culture systems allow for research into molecular details of infection, including characterization of the unique biphasic Chlamydia developmental cycle and the role of type-III-secreted effectors in modifying the host environment to allow for infection. Multicell type and organoid culture provide means to investigate how cells other than the infected cells contribute to the control of infection. Emerging comprehensive three-dimensional biomimetic systems may fill an important gap in current models to provide information on complex phenotypes that cannot be modeled in simpler in vitro models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Forrest C Walker
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - Isabelle Derré
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America.
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13
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He Y, Wang Y, He R, Abdelsalam AM, Zhong G. IL-23 receptor signaling licenses group 3-like innate lymphoid cells to restrict a live-attenuated oral Chlamydia vaccine in the gut. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0037123. [PMID: 37850749 PMCID: PMC10652955 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00371-23] [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: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
An IFNγ-susceptible mutant of Chlamydia muridarum is attenuated in pathogenicity in the genital tract and was recently licensed as an intracellular Oral vaccine vector or intrOv. Oral delivery of intrOv induces transmucosal protection in the genital tract, but intrOv itself is cleared from the gut (without shedding any infectious particles externally) by IFNγ from group 3-like innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s). We further characterized the intrOv interactions with ILC3s in the current study, since the interactions may impact both the safety and efficacy of intrOv as an oral Chlamydia vaccine. Intracolonic inoculation with intrOv induced IFNγ that in return inhibited intrOv. The intrOv-IFNγ interactions were dependent on RORγt, a signature transcriptional factor of ILC3s. Consistently, the transfer of oral intrOv-induced ILC3s from RORγt-GFP reporter mice to IFNγ-deficient mice rescued the inhibition of intrOv. Thus, IFNγ produced by intrOv-induced ILC3s is likely responsible for inhibiting intrOv, which is further supported by the observation that oral intrOv did induce significant levels of IFNγ-producing LC3s (IFNγ+ILC3s). Interestingly, IL-23 receptor knockout (IL-23R-/-) mice no longer inhibited intrOv, which was accompanied by reduced colonic IFNγ. Transfer of oral intrOv-induced ILC3s rescued the IL-23R-/- mice to inhibit intrOv, validating the dependence of ILC3s on IL-23R signaling for inhibiting intrOv. Clearly, intrOv induces intestinal IFNγ+ILC3s for its own inhibition in the gut, which is facilitated by IL-23R signaling. These findings have provided a mechanism for ensuring the safety of intrOv as an oral Chlamydia vaccine and a platform for investigating how oral intrOv induces transmucosal protection in the genital tract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying He
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Department of Gastroenterology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yihui Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Rongze He
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Ahmed Mohamed Abdelsalam
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Guangming Zhong
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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14
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Lu C, Wang J, Zhong G. Preclinical screen for protection efficacy of chlamydial antigens that are immunogenic in humans. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0034923. [PMID: 37889004 PMCID: PMC10652899 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00349-23] [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: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
To search for subunit vaccine candidates, immunogenic chlamydial antigens identified in humans were evaluated for protection against both infection and pathology in a mouse genital tract infection model under three different immunization regimens. The intramuscular immunization regimen was first used to evaluate 106 chlamydial antigens, which revealed that two antigens significantly reduced while 11 increased genital chlamydial burden. The two infection-reducing antigens failed to prevent pathology and 23 additional antigens even exacerbated pathology. Thus, intranasal mucosal immunization was tested next since intranasal inoculation with live Chlamydia muridarum prevented both genital infection and pathology. Two of the 29 chlamydial antigens evaluated were found to prevent genital infection but not pathology and three exacerbate pathology. To further improve protection efficacy, a combinational regimen (intranasal priming + intramuscular boosting + a third intraperitoneal/subcutaneous boost) was tested. This regimen identified four infection-reducing antigens, but only one of them prevented pathology. Unfortunately, this protective antigen was not advanced further due to its amino acid sequence homology with several human molecules. Two pathology-exacerbating antigens were also found. Nevertheless, intranasal mucosal priming with viable C. muridarum in control groups consistently prevented both genital infection and pathology regardless of the subsequent boosters. Thus, screening 140 different chlamydial antigens with 21 repeated multiple times in 17 experiments failed to identify a subunit vaccine candidate but demonstrated the superiority of viable chlamydial organisms in inducing immunity against both genital infection and pathology, laying the foundation for developing a live-attenuated Chlamydia vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunxue Lu
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Jie Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Department of Immunology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Guangming Zhong
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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15
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Deng H, Chen T, Li P, Zhao W, Zhu C, Zhang Y, Wang H, Hou S. Evaluation of the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a Chlamydia muridarum protein OmcB and its C segment in BALB/c mice. Chin Med J (Engl) 2023; 136:2638-2640. [PMID: 37247619 PMCID: PMC10617847 DOI: 10.1097/cm9.0000000000002624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Han Deng
- Department of Dermatovenereology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital/Tianjin Institute of Sexually Transmitted Disease, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Tudi Chen
- Department of Dermatovenereology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital/Tianjin Institute of Sexually Transmitted Disease, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Pinglu Li
- Department of Dermatovenereology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital/Tianjin Institute of Sexually Transmitted Disease, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Wanxing Zhao
- Department of Dermatovenereology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital/Tianjin Institute of Sexually Transmitted Disease, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Congzhong Zhu
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Yuyang Zhang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325015, China
| | - Huiping Wang
- Department of Dermatovenereology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital/Tianjin Institute of Sexually Transmitted Disease, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Shuping Hou
- Department of Dermatovenereology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital/Tianjin Institute of Sexually Transmitted Disease, Tianjin 300052, China
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16
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Gökengin D, Noori T, Alemany A, Bienkowski C, Liegon G, İnkaya AÇ, Carrillo J, Stary G, Knapp K, Mitja O, Molina JM. Prevention strategies for sexually transmitted infections, HIV, and viral hepatitis in Europe. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. EUROPE 2023; 34:100738. [PMID: 37927439 PMCID: PMC10625023 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
The current prevention efforts for STIs, HIV and viral hepatitis in the WHO European Region, especially in the Central and Eastern subregions, are hindered by healthcare disparities, data gaps, and limited resources. In this comprehensive narrative review, we aim to highlight both achievements and persisting challenges while also exploring new developments that could significantly impact the prevention of these infections in the near future. While pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV has been broadly approved and implemented in 38 out of 53 countries in the region, challenges remain, including cost, limited licensing, and incomplete adherence. We explore innovative approaches like on-demand PrEP, long-acting injectable cabotegravir, and intravaginal rings that have shown promising results, alongside the use of six-monthly lenacapavir, the outcomes of which are pending. Additionally, the potential of doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis has been discussed, revealing efficacy in reducing chlamydia and syphilis risk, but effectiveness against gonorrhoea being contingent on tetracycline resistance rates, and the need of further data to determine potential resistance development in other bacteria and its impact on the gut microbiome. We examine successful vaccination campaigns against HBV and HPV, the ongoing development of vaccines for chlamydia, syphilis, herpesvirus, and gonorrhoea, and challenges in HIV vaccine research, including lines of research with significant potential like sequential immunization, T-cell responses, and mRNA technology. This review underscores the research endeavors that pave the way for a more resilient and robust approach to combating STIs, HIV, and viral hepatitis in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deniz Gökengin
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkiye
- Ege University HIV/AIDS Practice and Research Center, Izmir, Turkiye
| | - Teymur Noori
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control STI, Blood-Borne Viruses and TB DPR, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andrea Alemany
- Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases and Sexually Transmitted Infections Section, Fight Infectious Diseases Foundation, University Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Carlo Bienkowski
- Department of Adults' Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland and Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Warsaw, Poland
| | - Geoffroy Liegon
- Section of Infectious Diseases and Global Health University of Chicago Medicine Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Ahmet Çağkan İnkaya
- Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine Department of Infectious Diseases Ankara, Turkey
| | - Jorge Carrillo
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, Instituto de Salud Carlos IIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Georg Stary
- Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katja Knapp
- Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Oriol Mitja
- Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases and Sexually Transmitted Infections Section, Fight Infectious Diseases Foundation, University Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Jean-Michel Molina
- University of Paris Cité and Department of Infectious Diseases Saint-Louis and Lariboisiére Hospitals, APHP, Paris, France
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17
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Feodorova VA, Zaitsev SS, Lyapina AM, Kichemazova NV, Saltykov YV, Khizhnyakova MA, Evstifeev VV, Larionova OS. Whole genome sequencing characteristics of Chlamydia psittaci caprine AMK-16 strain, a promising killed whole cell veterinary vaccine candidate against chlamydia infection. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293612. [PMID: 37903115 PMCID: PMC10615304 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia psittaci is a primary zoonotic pathogen with a broad host range causing severe respiratory and reproductive system infection in animals and humans. To reduce the global burden of C. psittaci-associated diseases on animal welfare and health and to control the pathogen spread in husbandry, effective vaccines based on promising vaccine candidate(s) are required. Recently, the caprine C. psittaci AMK-16 strain (AMK-16) demonstrated a high level of protection (up to 80-100%) in outbred mice and pregnant rabbits immunized with these formaldehyde-inactivated bacteria against experimental chlamydial wild-type infection. This study investigated the molecular characteristics of AMK-16 by whole-genome sequencing followed by molecular typing, phylogenetic analysis and detection of main immunodominant protein(s) eliciting the immune response in mouse model. Similarly to other C. psittaci, AMK-16 harbored an extrachromosomal plasmid. The whole-genome phylogenetic analysis proved that AMK-16 strain belonging to ST28 clustered with only C. psittaci but not with Chlamydia abortus strains. However, AMK-16 possessed the insert which resulted from the recombination event as the additional single chromosome region of a 23,100 bp size with higher homology to C. abortus (98.38-99.94%) rather than to C. psittaci (92.06-92.55%). At least six of 16 CDSs were absent in AMK-16 plasticity zone and 41 CDSs in other loci compared with the reference C. psittaci 6BC strain. Two SNPs identified in the AMK-16 ompA sequence resulted in MOMP polymorphism followed by the formation of a novel genotype/subtype including three other C. psittaci strains else. AMK-16 MOMP provided marked specific cellular and humoral immune response in 100% of mice immunized with the inactivated AMK-16 bacteria. Both DnaK and GrpE encoded by the recombination region genes were less immunoreactive, inducing only a negligible T-cell murine immune response, while homologous antibodies could be detected in 50% and 30% of immunized mice, respectively. Thus, AMK-16 could be a promising vaccine candidate for the development of a killed whole cell vaccine against chlamydiosis in livestock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina A. Feodorova
- Laboratory for Fundamental and Applied Research, Department for Microbiology and Biotechnology, Saratov State University of Genetics, Biotechnology and Engineering Named After N.I. Vavilov, Saratov, Russia
| | - Sergey S. Zaitsev
- Laboratory for Fundamental and Applied Research, Saratov State University of Genetics, Biotechnology and Engineering Named After N.I. Vavilov, Saratov, Russia
| | - Anna M. Lyapina
- Laboratory for Fundamental and Applied Research, Saratov State University of Genetics, Biotechnology and Engineering Named After N.I. Vavilov, Saratov, Russia
| | - Natalya V. Kichemazova
- Laboratory for Fundamental and Applied Research, Saratov State University of Genetics, Biotechnology and Engineering Named After N.I. Vavilov, Saratov, Russia
| | - Yury V. Saltykov
- Laboratory for Fundamental and Applied Research, Saratov State University of Genetics, Biotechnology and Engineering Named After N.I. Vavilov, Saratov, Russia
| | - Mariya A. Khizhnyakova
- Laboratory for Fundamental and Applied Research, Saratov State University of Genetics, Biotechnology and Engineering Named After N.I. Vavilov, Saratov, Russia
| | - Vitaliy V. Evstifeev
- Laboratory of Viral and Chlamydial Infections, Federal Center for Toxicological, Radiation and Biological Safety, Kazan, Russia
- Department of Microbiology, Virology and Immunology, Kazan State Academy of Veterinary Medicine by N.E. Bauman, Kazan City, Russia
| | - Olga S. Larionova
- Laboratory for Fundamental and Applied Research, Department for Microbiology and Biotechnology, Saratov State University of Genetics, Biotechnology and Engineering Named After N.I. Vavilov, Saratov, Russia
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18
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Wang Y, He R, Winner H, Gauduin MC, Zhang N, He C, Zhong G. Induction of Transmucosal Protection by Oral Vaccination with an Attenuated Chlamydia. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0004323. [PMID: 37036335 PMCID: PMC10187116 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00043-23] [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: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia muridarum has been used to study chlamydial pathogenesis because it induces mice to develop hydrosalpinx, a pathology observed in C. trachomatis-infected women. We identified a C. muridarum mutant that is no longer able to induce hydrosalpinx. In the current study, we evaluated the mutant as an attenuated vaccine. Following an intravaginal immunization with the mutant, mice were protected from hydrosalpinx induced by wild-type C. muridarum. However, the mutant itself productively colonized the mouse genital tract and produced infectious organisms in vaginal swabs. Nevertheless, the mutant failed to produce infectious shedding in the rectal swabs following an oral inoculation. Importantly, mice orally inoculated with the mutant mounted transmucosal immunity against challenge infection of wild-type C. muridarum in the genital tract. The protection was detected as early as day 3 following the genital challenge infection and the orally immunized mice were protected from any significant pathology in the upper genital tract. However, the same orally immunized mice failed to prevent the colonization of wild-type C. muridarum in the gastrointestinal tract. The transmucosal immunity induced by the oral mutant was further validated in the airway. The orally vaccinated mice were protected from both lung infection and systemic toxicity caused by intranasally inoculated wild-type C. muridarum although the same mice still permitted the gastrointestinal colonization by the wild-type C. muridarum. These observations suggest that the mutant C. muridarum may be developed into an intracellular oral vaccine vector (or IntrOv) for selectively inducing transmucosal immunity in extra-gut tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Rongze He
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Halah Winner
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Marie-Claire Gauduin
- Department of Virology, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Nu Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Cheng He
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guangming Zhong
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas, USA
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Zhao L, Shu M, Chen H, Shi K, Li Z. Preparation of graphene oxide-stabilized Pickering emulsion adjuvant for Pgp3 recombinant vaccine and enhanced immunoprotection against Chlamydia Trachomatis infection. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1148253. [PMID: 37143655 PMCID: PMC10152066 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1148253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Traditional emulsion adjuvants are limited in clinical application because of their surfactant dependence. Graphene oxide (GO) has unique amphiphilic properties and therefore has potential to be used as a surfactant substitute to stabilize Pickering emulsions. Methods In this study, GO-stabilized Pickering emulsion (GPE) was prepared and used as an adjuvant to facilitate an enhanced immune response to the Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) Pgp3 recombinant vaccine. Firstly, GPE was prepared by optimizing the sonication conditions, pH, salinity, GO concentration, and water/oil ratio. GPE with small-size droplets was characterized and chosen as the candidate. Subsequently, controlled-release antigen delivery by GPE was explored. Cellular uptake behaviors, M1 polarization, and cytokine stimulation by GPE + Pgp3 was considered in terms of the production of macrophages. Finally, GPE's adjuvant effect was evaluated by vaccination with Pgp3 recombinant in BALB/c mouse models. Results GPE with the smallest droplet sizes was prepared by sonication under 163 W for 2 min at 1 mg/mL GO in natural salinity with a pH of 2 when the water/oil ratio was 10:1 (w/w). The optimized average GPE droplet size was 1.8 μm and the zeta potential was -25.0 ± 1.3 mv. GPE delivered antigens by adsorption onto the droplet surface, demonstrating the controlled release of antigens both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, GPE promoted antigen uptake, which stimulated proinflammatory tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), enhancing the M1 polarization of macrophages in vitro. Macrophage recruitment was also significantly promoted by GPE at the injection site. In the GPE + Pgp3 treatment group, higher levels of immunoglobin (IgG), immunoglobin G1 (IgG1), immunoglobin G2a (IgG2a) sera, and immunoglobin A (IgA) were detected in vaginal fluid, and higher levels of IFN-γ and IL-2 secretion were stimulated, than in the Pgp3 group, showing a significant type 1 T helper (Th1)-type cellular immune response. Chlamydia muridarum challenging showed that GPE enhanced Pgp3's immunoprotection through its advanced clearance of bacterial burden and alleviation of chronic pathological damage in the genital tract. Conclusion This study enabled the rational design of small-size GPE, shedding light on antigen adsorption and control release, macrophage uptake, polarization and recruitment, which enhanced augmented humoral and cellular immunity and ameliorated chlamydial-induced tissue damage in the genital tract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanhua Zhao
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Mingyi Shu
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Hongliang Chen
- ILaboratory Department of Chenzhou First People's Hospital, Chenzhou, Hunan, China
| | - Keliang Shi
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Zhongyu Li
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, The School of Nursing, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
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20
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Zhao L, Shu M, Shi K, Tang S, Li Z. Novel use of graphene oxide quantum dots in a pickering emulsion as a Chlamydia trachomatis vaccine adjuvant. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 118:110035. [PMID: 36958212 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.110035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
Graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs), which are graphene-based nanoparticles, are potential surfactant substitutes for stabilizing Pickering emulsions, due to their high surface area, biodegradability, and reasonable biocompatibility. In the present study, GOQDs stabilized Pickering emulsion (GQPE) was prepared by simple sonication and then used as an adjuvant to enhance immune responses to the Chlamydia trachomatis Pgp3 recombinant vaccine. Immunization of mice showed that GQPE robustly activates adaptive immunity by efficiently stimulating IgG, sIgA, IFN-γ, IL-4, and TNF-α production. Controlled release repository of antigens both in vivo and in vitro prolonged the immune response. In addition, GQPE enhanced dendritic cell recruitment at the injection site, ensuring rapid and efficient innate immunity. Safety assessment revealed that GQPE does not cause liver, kidney, and myocardial damage in mice, suggesting its favorable biocompatibility. This study provides evidence for the use of GOPE as a facile, effective, and safe strategy to enhance the immune response to Pgp3 recombinant vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanhua Zhao
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, the School of Nuring, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001 Hunan, PR China
| | - Mingyi Shu
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, the School of Nuring, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001 Hunan, PR China
| | - Keliang Shi
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, the School of Nuring, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001 Hunan, PR China
| | - Shuangyang Tang
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, the School of Nuring, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001 Hunan, PR China
| | - Zhongyu Li
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, the School of Nuring, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001 Hunan, PR China.
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21
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Homologues of the Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia muridarum Inclusion Membrane Protein IncS Are Interchangeable for Early Development but Not for Inclusion Stability in the Late Developmental Cycle. mSphere 2023; 8:e0000323. [PMID: 36853051 PMCID: PMC10117133 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00003-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterium, which undergoes a biphasic developmental cycle inside a vacuole termed the inclusion. Chlamydia-specific effector proteins embedded into the inclusion membrane, the Inc proteins, facilitate inclusion interaction with cellular organelles. A subset of Inc proteins engages with specific host factors at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-inclusion membrane contact site (MCS), which is a discrete point of contact between the inclusion membrane and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Here, we report that the C. trachomatis Inc protein CTL0402/IncSCt is a novel component of the ER-inclusion MCS that specifically interacts with and recruits STIM1, a previously identified host component of the ER-inclusion MCS with an unassigned interacting partner at the inclusion membrane. In comparison, the Chlamydia muridarum IncS homologue (TC0424/IncSCm) does not interact with or recruit STIM1 to the inclusion, indicating species specificity. To further investigate IncS function and overcome the recently reported early developmental defect of the incS mutant, we achieved temporal complementation by expressing IncS exclusively during the early stages of the developmental cycle. Additionally, we used allelic exchange to replace the incSCt open reading frame with incSCm in the C. trachomatis chromosome. Inclusions harboring either of these strains progressed through the developmental cycle but were STIM1 negative and displayed increased inclusion lysis 48 h postinfection. Expression of incSCt in trans complemented these phenotypes. Altogether, our results indicate that IncS is necessary and sufficient to recruit STIM1 to C. trachomatis inclusion and that IncS plays an early developmental role conserved in C. trachomatis and C. muridarum and a late role in inclusion stability specific to C. trachomatis. IMPORTANCE Obligate intracellular pathogens strictly rely on the host for replication. Specialized pathogen-encoded effector proteins play a central role in sophisticated mechanisms of host cell manipulation. In Chlamydia, a subset of these effector proteins, the inclusion membrane proteins, are embedded in the membrane of the vacuole in which the bacteria replicate. Chlamydia encodes 50 to 100 putative Inc proteins. Many are conserved among species, including the human and mouse pathogens Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia muridarum, respectively. However, whether the function(s) of Inc proteins is indeed conserved among species is poorly understood. Here, we characterized the function of the Inc protein IncS conserved in C. trachomatis and C. muridarum. Our work reveals that a single effector protein can play multiple functions at various stages of the developmental cycle. However, these functions are not necessarily conserved across species, suggesting a complex evolutionary path among Chlamydia species.
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22
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Steiert B, Faris R, Weber MM. In Search of a Mechanistic Link between Chlamydia trachomatis-Induced Cellular Pathophysiology and Oncogenesis. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0044322. [PMID: 36695575 PMCID: PMC9933725 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00443-22] [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] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Centrosome duplication and cell cycle progression are essential cellular processes that must be tightly controlled to ensure cellular integrity. Despite their complex regulatory mechanisms, microbial pathogens have evolved sophisticated strategies to co-opt these processes to promote infection. While misregulation of these processes can greatly benefit the pathogen, the consequences to the host cell can be devastating. During infection, the obligate intracellular pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis induces gross cellular abnormalities, including supernumerary centrosomes, multipolar spindles, and defects in cytokinesis. While these observations were made over 15 years ago, identification of the bacterial factors responsible has been elusive due to the genetic intractability of Chlamydia. Recent advances in techniques of genetic manipulation now allows for the direct linking of bacterial virulence factors to manipulation of centrosome duplication and cell cycle progression. In this review, we discuss the impact, both immediate and downstream, of C. trachomatis infection on the host cell cycle regulatory apparatus and centrosome replication. We highlight links between C. trachomatis infection and cervical and ovarian cancers and speculate whether perturbations of the cell cycle and centrosome are sufficient to initiate cellular transformation. We also explore the biological mechanisms employed by Inc proteins and other secreted effector proteins implicated in the perturbation of these host cell pathways. Future work is needed to better understand the nuances of each effector's mechanism and their collective impact on Chlamydia's ability to induce host cellular abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna Steiert
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Robert Faris
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Mary M. Weber
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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23
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Wang Y, He R, Winner H, Gauduin MC, Zhang N, He C, Zhong G. Induction of transmucosal protection by oral vaccination with an attenuated Chlamydia. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.30.526385. [PMID: 36778293 PMCID: PMC9915634 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.30.526385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Chlamydia muridarum has been used to study chlamydial pathogenesis since it induces mice to develop hydrosalpinx, a pathology observed in C. trachomatis -infected women. We identified a C. muridarum mutant that is no longer able to induce hydrosalpinx. In the current study, we evaluated the mutant as an attenuated vaccine. Following an intravaginal immunization with the mutant, mice were protected from hydrosalpinx induced by wild type C. muridarum . However, the mutant itself productively colonized the mouse genital tract and produced infectious organisms in vaginal swabs. Nevertheless, the mutant failed to produce infectious shedding in the rectal swabs following an oral inoculation. Importantly, mice orally inoculated with the mutant mounted transmucosal immunity against challenge infection of wild type C. muridarum in the genital tract. The protection was detected as early as day 3 following the challenge infection and the immunized mice were protected from any significant pathology in the upper genital tract. However, the same orally immunized mice failed to prevent the colonization of wild type C. muridarum in the gastrointestinal tract. The transmucosal immunity induced by the oral mutant was further validated in the airway. The orally vaccinated mice were protected from both lung infection and systemic toxicity caused by intranasally inoculated wild type C. muridarum although the same mice still permitted the gastrointestinal colonization by the wild type C. muridarum . These observations suggest that the mutant C. muridarum may be developed into an intr acellular o ral v accine vector (or IntrOv) for selectively inducing transmucosal immunity in extra-gut tissues.
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A modular vaccine platform enabled by decoration of bacterial outer membrane vesicles with biotinylated antigens. Nat Commun 2023; 14:464. [PMID: 36709333 PMCID: PMC9883832 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36101-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Engineered outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) derived from Gram-negative bacteria are a promising technology for the creation of non-infectious, nanoparticle vaccines against diverse pathogens. However, antigen display on OMVs can be difficult to control and highly variable due to bottlenecks in protein expression and localization to the outer membrane of the host cell, especially for bulky and/or complex antigens. Here, we describe a universal approach for avidin-based vaccine antigen crosslinking (AvidVax) whereby biotinylated antigens are linked to the exterior of OMVs whose surfaces are remodeled with multiple copies of a synthetic antigen-binding protein (SNAP) comprised of an outer membrane scaffold protein fused to a biotin-binding protein. We show that SNAP-OMVs can be readily decorated with a molecularly diverse array of biotinylated subunit antigens, including globular and membrane proteins, glycans and glycoconjugates, haptens, lipids, and short peptides. When the resulting OMV formulations are injected in mice, strong antigen-specific antibody responses are observed that depend on the physical coupling between the antigen and SNAP-OMV delivery vehicle. Overall, these results demonstrate AvidVax as a modular platform that enables rapid and simplified assembly of antigen-studded OMVs for application as vaccines against pathogenic threats.
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Shu M, Zhao L, Shi K, Lei W, Yang Y, Li Z. Chitosan particle stabilized Pickering emulsion/interleukin-12 adjuvant system for Pgp3 subunit vaccine elicits immune protection against genital chlamydial infection in mice. Front Immunol 2022; 13:989620. [PMID: 36505424 PMCID: PMC9727174 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.989620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Considering the shortcomings in current chlamydia infection control strategies, a major challenge in curtailing infection is the implementation of an effective vaccine. The immune response induced by C. trachomatis plasmid encoded Pgp3 was insufficient against C. trachomatis infection, which requires adjuvant applications to achieve the robust immune response induced by Pgp3. There is increasing promising in developing adjuvant systems relying on the delivery potential of Pickering emulsions and the immunomodulatory effects of interleukin (IL)-12. Here, owing to the polycationic nature, chitosan particles tended to absorb on the oil/water interphase to prepare the optimized chitosan particle-stabilized Pickering emulsion (CSPE), which was designed as a delivery system for Pgp3 protein and IL-12. Our results showed that the average droplets size of CSPE was 789.47 ± 44.26 nm after a series of optimizations and about 90% antigens may be absorbed by CSPE owing to the positively charged surface (33.2 ± 3mV), and CSPE promoted FITC-BSA proteins uptake by macrophages. Furthermore, as demonstrated by Pgp3-specific antibody production and cytokine secretion, CSPE/IL-12 system enhanced significantly higher levels of Pgp3-specific IgG, IgG1, IgG2a, sIgA and significant cytokines secretion of IFN-γ, IL-2, TNF-α, IL-4. Similarly, vaginal chlamydial shedding and hydrosalpinx pathologies were markedly reduced in mice immunized with Pgp3/CSPE/IL-12. Collectively, vaccination with Pgp3/CSPE/IL-12 regimen elicited robust cellular and humoral immune response in mice resulting in an obvious reduction of live chlamydia load in the vaginal and inflammatory pathologies in the oviduct, which further propells the development of vaccines against C. trachomatis infection.
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26
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Cortina ME, Bishop RC, DeVasure BA, Coppens I, Derré I. The inclusion membrane protein IncS is critical for initiation of the Chlamydia intracellular developmental cycle. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010818. [PMID: 36084160 PMCID: PMC9491573 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
All Chlamydia species are obligate intracellular bacteria that undergo a unique biphasic developmental cycle strictly in the lumen of a membrane bound compartment, the inclusion. Chlamydia specific Type III secreted effectors, known as inclusion membrane proteins (Inc), are embedded into the inclusion membrane. Progression through the developmental cycle, in particular early events of conversion from infectious (EB) to replicative (RB) bacteria, is important for intracellular replication, but poorly understood. Here, we identified the inclusion membrane protein IncS as a critical factor for Chlamydia development. We show that a C. trachomatis conditional mutant is impaired in transition from EB to RB in human cells, and C. muridarum mutant bacteria fail to develop in a mouse model of Chlamydia infection. Thus, IncS represents a promising target for therapeutic intervention of the leading cause of sexually transmitted infections of bacterial origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Eugenia Cortina
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - R. Clayton Bishop
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Brittany A. DeVasure
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Isabelle Coppens
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Isabelle Derré
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
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Borges ÁH, Follmann F, Dietrich J. Chlamydia trachomatis vaccine development - a view on the current challenges and how to move forward. Expert Rev Vaccines 2022; 21:1555-1567. [PMID: 36004386 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2022.2117694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial pathogen in the world. A licensed vaccine is not yet available, but the first vaccines have entered clinical trials. AREAS COVERED : We describe the progress that has been made in our understanding of the type of immunity that a protective vaccine should induce, and the challenges that vaccine developers face. We also focus on the clinical development of a chlamydia vaccine. The first chlamydia vaccine candidate has now been tested in a clinical phase-I trial, and another phase-I trial is currently running. We discuss what it will take to continue this development and what future trial setups could look like. EXPERT OPINION The chlamydia field is coming of age and the first phase I clinical trial of a C. trachomatis vaccine has been successfully completed. We expect and hope that this will motivate various stakeholders to support further development of chlamydia vaccines in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro H Borges
- Statens Serum Institut, Department of Infectious Diseases Immunology, Kobenhavn, 2300 Denmark
| | | | - Jes Dietrich
- Statens Serum Institut, Department of Infectious Diseases Immunology, Kobenhavn, 2300 Denmark
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Chlamydia trachomatis as a Current Health Problem: Challenges and Opportunities. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12081795. [PMID: 35892506 PMCID: PMC9331119 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12081795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted bacterial infections (STIs) worldwide. It is caused by Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), which is an obligate intracellular bacterium. In some cases, it can occur in coinfection with other parasites, increasing the pathologic potential of the infection. The treatment is based on antibiotic prescription; notwithstanding, the infection is mostly asymptomatic, which increases the risk of transmission. Therefore, some countries have implemented Chlamydia Screening Programs in order to detect undiagnosed infections. However, in Portugal, there is no CT screening plan within the National Health Service. There is no awareness in the general healthcare about the true magnitude of this issue because most of the methods used are not Nucleic Acid Amplification Technology-based and, therefore, lack sensitivity, resulting in underreporting infection cases. CT infections are also associated with possible long-term severe injuries. In detail, persistent infection triggers an inflammatory milieu and can be related to severe sequels, such as infertility. This infection could also trigger gynecologic tumors in women, evidencing the urgent need for cost-effective screening programs worldwide in order to detect and treat these individuals adequately. In this review, we have focused on the success of an implemented screening program that has been reported in the literature, the efforts made concerning the vaccine discovery, and what is known regarding CT infection. This review supports the need for further fundamental studies in this area in order to eradicate this infection and we also suggest the implementation of a Chlamydia Screening Program in Portugal.
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Overexpression of the Bam Complex Improves the Production of Chlamydia trachomatis MOMP in the E. coli Outer Membrane. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23137393. [PMID: 35806397 PMCID: PMC9266984 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23137393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A licensed Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) vaccine is not yet available. Recombinant Chlamydia trachomatis major outer membrane protein (Ct-MOMP), the most abundant constituent of the chlamydial outer membrane complex, is considered the most attractive candidate for subunit-based vaccine formulations. Unfortunately, Ct-MOMP is difficult to express in its native structure in the E. coli outer membrane (OM). Here, by co-expression of the Bam complex, we improved the expression and localization of recombinant Ct-MOMP in the E. coli OM. Under these conditions, recombinant Ct-MOMP appeared to assemble into a β-barrel conformation and express domains at the cell surface indicative of correct folding. The data indicate that limited availability of the Bam complex can be a bottleneck for the production of heterologous OM vaccine antigens, information that is also relevant for strategies aimed at producing recombinant OMV-based vaccines.
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30
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Favaroni A, Hegemann JH. Chlamydia trachomatis Polymorphic Membrane Proteins (Pmps) Form Functional Homomeric and Heteromeric Oligomers. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:709724. [PMID: 34349750 PMCID: PMC8326573 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.709724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chlamydiae are Gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacteria, which infect animals and humans. Adhesion to host cells, the first step in the infection process, is mediated by polymorphic membrane proteins (Pmps). Pmps constitute the largest chlamydial protein family, with 9 members (subdivided into six subtypes) in C. trachomatis and 21 in C. pneumoniae, and are characterized by the presence of multiple copies of GGA(I,L,V) and FxxN motifs. Motif-rich fragments of all nine C. trachomatis Pmps act as adhesins and are essential for infection. As autotransporters, most Pmp proteins are secreted through their β-barrel domain and localize on the surface of the chlamydial cell, where most of them are proteolytically processed. Classical autotransporters are monomeric proteins, which can function as toxins, proteases, lipases and monoadhesive adhesins. Here we show that selected recombinant C. trachomatis Pmp fragments form functional adhesion-competent multimers. They assemble into homomeric and heteromeric filaments, as revealed by non-denaturing gel electrophoresis, size-exclusion chromatography and electron microscopy. Heteromeric filaments reach 2 μm in length, significantly longer than homomeric structures. Filament formation was independent of the number of motifs present in the fragment(s) concerned and their relative affinity for host cells. Our functional studies demonstrated that only adhesion-competent oligomers were able to block a subsequent infection. Pre-loading of infectious chlamydial cells with adhesion-competent Pmp oligomers maintained the subsequent infection, while adhesion-incompetent structures reduced infectivity, presumably by blocking the function of endogenous Pmps. The very large number of possible heteromeric and homomeric Pmp complexes represents a novel mechanism to ensure stable adhesion and possibly host cell immune escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Favaroni
- Institute of Functional Microbial Genomics, Heinrich-Heine-University, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Johannes H Hegemann
- Institute of Functional Microbial Genomics, Heinrich-Heine-University, Duesseldorf, Germany
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