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Scheutz F, Nielsen CH, von Mentzer A. Construction of the ETECFinder database for the characterization of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) and revision of the VirulenceFinder web tool at the CGE website. J Clin Microbiol 2024; 62:e0057023. [PMID: 38656142 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.00570-23] [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: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The identification of pathogens is essential for effective surveillance and outbreak detection, which lately has been facilitated by the decreasing cost of whole-genome sequencing (WGS). However, extracting relevant virulence genes from WGS data remains a challenge. In this study, we developed a web-based tool to predict virulence-associated genes in enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), which is a major concern for human and animal health. The database includes genes encoding the heat-labile toxin (LT) (eltA and eltB), heat-stable toxin (ST) (est), colonization factors CS1 through 30, F4, F5, F6, F17, F18, and F41, as well as toxigenic invasion and adherence loci (tia, tibAC, etpBAC, eatA, yghJ, and tleA). To construct the database, we revised the existing ETEC nomenclature and used the VirulenceFinder webtool at the CGE website [VirulenceFinder 2.0 (dtu.dk)]. The database was tested on 1,083 preassembled ETEC genomes, two BioProjects (PRJNA421191 with 305 and PRJNA416134 with 134 sequences), and the ETEC reference genome H10407. In total, 455 new virulence gene alleles were added, 50 alleles were replaced or renamed, and two were removed. Overall, our tool has the potential to greatly facilitate ETEC identification and improve the accuracy of WGS analysis. It can also help identify potential new virulence genes in ETEC. The revised nomenclature and expanded gene repertoire provide a better understanding of the genetic diversity of ETEC. Additionally, the user-friendly interface makes it accessible to users with limited bioinformatics experience. IMPORTANCE Detecting colonization factors in enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is challenging due to their large number, heterogeneity, and lack of standardized tests. Therefore, it is important to include these ETEC-related genes in a more comprehensive VirulenceFinder database in order to obtain a more complete coverage of the virulence gene repertoire of pathogenic types of E. coli. ETEC vaccines are of great importance due to the severity of the infections, primarily in children. A tool such as this could assist in the surveillance of ETEC in order to determine the prevalence of relevant types in different parts of the world, allowing vaccine developers to target the most prevalent types and, thus, a more effective vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flemming Scheutz
- The International Escherichia and Klebsiella Centre, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Bacteria, Parasites and Fungi, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Camilla Hald Nielsen
- The International Escherichia and Klebsiella Centre, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Bacteria, Parasites and Fungi, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Astrid von Mentzer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Brumwell A, Sutton G, Lantos PM, Hoffman K, Ruffin F, Brinkac L, Clarke TH, Adams MD, Fowler VG, Fouts DE, Thaden JT. Escherichia coli ST131 Associated with Increased Mortality in Bloodstream Infections from Urinary Tract Source. J Clin Microbiol 2023; 61:e0019923. [PMID: 37338371 PMCID: PMC10358158 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.00199-23] [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: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131) is a globally dominant multidrug-resistant clone, although its clinical impact on patients with bloodstream infection (BSI) is incompletely understood. This study aims to further define the risk factors, clinical outcomes, and bacterial genetics associated with ST131 BSI. A prospectively enrolled cohort study of adult inpatients with E. coli BSI was conducted from 2002 to 2015. Whole-genome sequencing was performed with the E. coli isolates. Of the 227 patients with E. coli BSI in this study, 88 (39%) were infected with ST131. Patients with E. coli ST131 BSI and those with non-ST131 BSI did not differ with respect to in-hospital mortality (17/82 [20%] versus 26/145 [18%]; P = 0.73). However, in patients with BSI from a urinary tract source, ST131 was associated with a numerically higher in-hospital mortality than patients with non-ST131 BSI (8/42 [19%] versus 4/63 [6%]; P = 0.06) and increased mortality in an adjusted analysis (odds ratio of 5.85; 95% confidence interval of 1.44 to 29.49; P = 0.02). Genomic analyses showed that ST131 isolates primarily had an H4:O25 serotype, had a higher number of prophages, and were associated with 11 flexible genomic islands as well as virulence genes involved in adhesion (papA, kpsM, yfcV, and iha), iron acquisition (iucC and iutA), and toxin production (usp and sat). In patients with E. coli BSI from a urinary tract source, ST131 was associated with increased mortality in an adjusted analysis and contained a distinct repertoire of genes influencing pathogenesis. These genes could contribute to the higher mortality observed in patients with ST131 BSI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Brumwell
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Granger Sutton
- J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA
- Noblis, Inc., Washington, DC, USA
| | - Paul M. Lantos
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kate Hoffman
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Felicia Ruffin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | | | | | - Mark D. Adams
- J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Vance G. Fowler
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Clinical Research Institute, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Joshua T. Thaden
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Tamjid N, Eskandari S, Karimi Z, Nezafat N, Negahdaripour M. Vaccinomics strategy to design an epitope peptide vaccine against Helicobacter pylori. Process Biochem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2022.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Zalem D, Juhás M, Terrinoni M, King-Lyons N, Lebens M, Varrot A, Connell TD, Teneberg S. Characterization of the ganglioside recognition profile of Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin LT-IIc. Glycobiology 2022; 32:391-403. [PMID: 34972864 PMCID: PMC9022906 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwab133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The heat-labile enterotoxins of Escherichia coli and cholera toxin of Vibrio cholerae are related in structure and function. Each of these oligomeric toxins is comprised of one A polypeptide and five B polypeptides. The B-subunits bind to gangliosides, which are followed by uptake into the intoxicated cell and activation of the host's adenylate cyclase by the A-subunits. There are two antigenically distinct groups of these toxins. Group I includes cholera toxin and type I heat-labile enterotoxin of E. coli; group II contains the type II heat-labile enterotoxins of E. coli. Three variants of type II toxins, designated LT-IIa, LT-IIb and LT-IIc have been described. Earlier studies revealed the crystalline structure of LT-IIb. Herein the carbohydrate binding specificity of LT-IIc B-subunits was investigated by glycosphingolipid binding studies on thin-layer chromatograms and in microtiter wells. Binding studies using a large variety of glycosphingolipids showed that LT-IIc binds with high affinity to gangliosides with a terminal Neu5Acα3Gal or Neu5Gcα3Gal, e.g. the gangliosides GM3, GD1a and Neu5Acα3-/Neu5Gcα3--neolactotetraosylceramide and Neu5Acα3-/Neu5Gcα3-neolactohexaosylceramide. The crystal structure of LT-IIc B-subunits alone and with bound LSTd/sialyl-lacto-N-neotetraose d pentasaccharide uncovered the molecular basis of the ganglioside recognition. These studies revealed common and unique functional structures of the type II family of heat-labile enterotoxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dani Zalem
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Sahlgrenska Academy, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Martin Juhás
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Sahlgrenska Academy, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Akademika Heyrovského 1203, Hradec Králové 500 05, Czech Republic
| | - Manuela Terrinoni
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sahlgrenska Academy, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Natalie King-Lyons
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology and The Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, The Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
| | - Michael Lebens
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sahlgrenska Academy, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Terry D Connell
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology and The Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, The Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
| | - Susann Teneberg
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Sahlgrenska Academy, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
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Zhang Y, Tan P, Zhao Y, Ma X. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli: intestinal pathogenesis mechanisms and colonization resistance by gut microbiota. Gut Microbes 2022; 14:2055943. [PMID: 35358002 PMCID: PMC8973357 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2022.2055943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a major cause of diarrhea in children and travelers in developing countries. ETEC is characterized by the ability to produce major virulence factors including colonization factors (CFs) and enterotoxins, that bind to specific receptors on epithelial cells and induce diarrhea. The gut microbiota is a stable and sophisticated ecosystem that performs a range of beneficial functions for the host, including protection against pathogen colonization. Understanding the pathogenic mechanisms of ETEC and the interaction between the gut microbiota and ETEC represents not only a research need but also an opportunity and challenge to develop precautions for ETEC infection. Herein, this review focuses on recent discoveries about ETEC etiology, pathogenesis and clinical manifestation, and discusses the colonization resistances mediated by gut microbiota, as well as preventative strategies against ETEC with an aim to provide novel insights that can reduce the adverse effect on human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yucheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xi Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China,CONTACT Xi Ma State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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6
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Sanami S, Zandi M, Pourhossein B, Mobini GR, Safaei M, Abed A, Arvejeh PM, Chermahini FA, Alizadeh M. Design of a multi-epitope vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 using immunoinformatics approach. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 164:871-883. [PMID: 32682041 PMCID: PMC7362859 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.07.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused COVID-19 disease in China. So far, no vaccine has licensed to protect against infection with COVID-19, therefore an effective COVID-19 vaccine needed. The aim of this study was to predict antigenic peptides of SARS-CoV-2 for designing the COVID-19 vaccine using immunoinformatic analysis. In this study, T and B-cell epitopes of S protein were predicted and screened based on the antigenicity, toxicity, allergenicity, and cross-reactivity with human proteomes. The epitopes were joined by the appropriate linker. LT-IIc as an adjuvant was attached to the end of the structure. The secondary and 3D structure of the vaccine was predicted. The refinement process was performed to improve the quality of the 3D model structure; the validation process is performed using the Ramachandran plot and ProSA z-score. The proposed vaccine's binding affinity to the HLA-A11:01 and HLA-DRB1_01:01 molecule was evaluated by molecular docking. Using molecular dynamics, the stability of vaccine-HLA complexes was also evaluated. Finally, in silico gene cloning was performed in the pET30a (+) vector. The findings suggest that the current vaccine may be a promising vaccine to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samira Sanami
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Milad Zandi
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Behzad Pourhossein
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Gholam-Reza Mobini
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Mohsen Safaei
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Atena Abed
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Pooria Mohammadi Arvejeh
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Amini Chermahini
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Morteza Alizadeh
- Department of Tissue Engineering, School of Advanced Technologies, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.
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7
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Duan Q, Xia P, Nandre R, Zhang W, Zhu G. Review of Newly Identified Functions Associated With the Heat-Labile Toxin of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:292. [PMID: 31456954 PMCID: PMC6700299 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Heat-labile toxin (LT) is a well-characterized powerful enterotoxin produced by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). This toxin is known to contribute to diarrhea in young children in developing countries, international travelers, as well as many different species of young animals. Interestingly, it has also been revealed that LT is involved in other activities in addition to its role in enterotoxicity. Recent studies have indicated that LT toxin enhances enteric pathogen adherence and subsequent intestinal colonization. LT has also been shown to act as a powerful adjuvant capable of upregulating vaccine antigenicity; it also serves as a protein or antigenic peptide display platform for new vaccine development, and can be used as a naturally derived cell targeting and protein delivery tool. This review summarizes the epidemiology, secretion, delivery, and mechanisms of action of LT, while also highlighting new functions revealed by recent studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiangde Duan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Comparative Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education of China, Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, China
| | - Pengpeng Xia
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Comparative Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education of China, Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, China
| | - Rahul Nandre
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Weiping Zhang
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Guoqiang Zhu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Comparative Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education of China, Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, China
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8
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Nosrati M, Behbahani M, Mohabatkar H. Towards the first multi-epitope recombinant vaccine against Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus: A computer-aided vaccine design approach. J Biomed Inform 2019; 93:103160. [PMID: 30928513 PMCID: PMC7106074 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbi.2019.103160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 03/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is considered one of the major public health concerns with case fatality rates of up to 80%. Currently, there is no effective approved vaccine for CCHF. In this study, we used a computer-aided vaccine design approach to develop the first multi-epitope recombinant vaccine for CCHF. For this purpose, linear B-cell and T-cell binding epitopes from two structural glycoproteins of CCHF virus including Gc and Gn were predicted. The epitopes were further studied regarding their antigenicity, allergenicity, hydrophobicity, stability, toxicity and population coverage. A total number of seven epitopes including five T-cell and two B-cell epitopes were screened for the final vaccine construct. Final vaccine construct composed of 382 amino acid residues which were organized in four domains including linear B-cell, T-cell epitopes and cholera toxin B-subunit (CTxB) along with heat labile enterotoxin IIc B subunit (LT-IIc) as adjuvants. All the segments were joined using appropriate linkers. The physicochemical properties as well as the presence of IFN-γ inducing epitopes in the proposed vaccine, was also checked to determining the vaccine stability, solubility and its ability to induce cell-mediated immune responses. The 3D structure of proposed vaccine was subjected to the prediction of computational B-cell epitopes and molecular docking studies with MHC-I and II molecules. Furthermore, molecular dynamics stimulations were performed to study the vaccine-MHCs complexes stability during stimulation time. The results suggest that our proposed vaccine was stable, well soluble in water and potentially antigenic. Results also demonstrated that the vaccine can induce both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses and could serve as a promising anti-CCHF vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mokhtar Nosrati
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Sciences and Technologies, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mandana Behbahani
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Sciences and Technologies, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Hassan Mohabatkar
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Sciences and Technologies, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
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Masso-Welch P, Girald Berlingeri S, King-Lyons ND, Mandell L, Hu J, Greene CJ, Federowicz M, Cao P, Connell TD, Heakal Y. LT-IIc, A Bacterial Type II Heat-Labile Enterotoxin, Induces Specific Lethality in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells by Modulation of Autophagy and Induction of Apoptosis and Necroptosis. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 20:ijms20010085. [PMID: 30587795 PMCID: PMC6337683 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20010085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains a serious health problem with poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options. To discover novel approaches to treat TNBC, we screened cholera toxin (CT) and the members of the bacterial type II heat-labile enterotoxin family (LT-IIa, LT-IIb, and LT-IIc) for cytotoxicity in TNBC cells. Only LT-IIc significantly reduced viability of the TNBC cell lines BT549 and MDA-MB-231 (IC50 = 82.32 nM). LT-IIc had no significant cytotoxic effect on MCF10A (IC50 = 2600 nM), a non-tumorigenic breast epithelial cell line, and minimal effects on MCF7 and T47D, ER+ cells, or SKBR-3 cells, HER2+ cells. LT-IIc stimulated autophagy through inhibition of the mTOR pathway, while simultaneously inhibiting autophagic progression, as seen by accumulation of LC3B-II and p62. Morphologically, LT-IIc induced the formation of enlarged LAMP2+ autolysosomes, which was blocked by co-treatment with bafilomycin A1. LT-IIc induced apoptosis as demonstrated by the increase in caspase 3/7 activity and Annexin V staining. Co-treatment with necrostatin-1, however, demonstrated that the lethal response of LT-IIc is elicited, in part, by concomitant induction of necroptosis. Knockdown of ATG-5 failed to rescue LT-IIc-induced cytotoxicity, suggesting LT-IIc can exert its cytotoxic effects downstream or independently of autophagophore initiation. Collectively, these experiments demonstrate that LT-IIc acts bifunctionally, inducing autophagy, while simultaneously blocking autolysosomal progression in TNBC cells, inducing a specific cytotoxicity in this breast cancer subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Masso-Welch
- Department of Biotechnical and Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, 3435 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA.
| | - Sofia Girald Berlingeri
- Department of Biotechnical and Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, 3435 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA.
- Department of Pharmaceutical, Social and Administrative Sciences, School of Pharmacy, D'Youville College, 320 Porter Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14201, USA.
| | - Natalie D King-Lyons
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The University at Buffalo, 955 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
| | - Lorrie Mandell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The University at Buffalo, 955 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
| | - John Hu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The University at Buffalo, 955 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
| | - Christopher J Greene
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The University at Buffalo, 955 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
| | - Matthew Federowicz
- Department of Pharmaceutical, Social and Administrative Sciences, School of Pharmacy, D'Youville College, 320 Porter Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14201, USA.
| | - Peter Cao
- Department of Pharmaceutical, Social and Administrative Sciences, School of Pharmacy, D'Youville College, 320 Porter Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14201, USA.
| | - Terry D Connell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The University at Buffalo, 955 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
| | - Yasser Heakal
- Department of Pharmaceutical, Social and Administrative Sciences, School of Pharmacy, D'Youville College, 320 Porter Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14201, USA.
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10
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ADP-ribosylating enterotoxins as vaccine adjuvants. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2018; 41:42-51. [PMID: 29702466 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2018.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Most infections are caused by pathogens that access the body at mucosal sites. Hence, development of mucosal vaccines to prevent local infection or invasion of pathogens appears highly warranted, especially since only mucosal immunization will stimulate strong local IgA responses and tissue resident memory CD4 and CD8 T cells. The most significant obstacle to developing such vaccines is the lack of approved adjuvants that can effectively and safely enhance relevant mucosal and systemic immune responses. The most potent mucosal adjuvants known today are the adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribosylating bacterial enterotoxins cholera toxin (CT) and Escherichia coli heat-labile toxins (LTs). Unfortunately, these molecules are also very toxic, which precludes their clinical use. However, much effort has been devoted to developing derivatives of these enterotoxins with low or no toxicity and retained adjuvant activity. Although it is fair to say that we know more about how these toxins affect the immune system than ever before, we still lack a detailed understanding of how and why these toxins are effective adjuvants. In the present review, we provide a state-of-the-art overview of the mechanism of action of the holotoxins and the strategies used for improving the toxin-based adjuvants.
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Nezafat N, Eslami M, Negahdaripour M, Rahbar MR, Ghasemi Y. Designing an efficient multi-epitope oral vaccine against Helicobacter pylori using immunoinformatics and structural vaccinology approaches. MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS 2017; 13:699-713. [PMID: 28194462 DOI: 10.1039/c6mb00772d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Helicobacter pylori is the cunning bacterium that can live in the stomachs of many people without any symptoms, but gradually can lead to gastric cancer. Due to various obstacles, which are related to anti-H. pylori antibiotic therapy, recently developing an anti-H. pylori vaccine has attracted more attention. In this study, different immunoinformatics and computational vaccinology approaches were employed to design an efficient multi-epitope oral vaccine against H. pylori. Our multi-epitope vaccine is composed of heat labile enterotoxin IIc B (LT-IIc) that is used as a mucosal adjuvant to enhance vaccine immunogenicity for oral immunization, cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) to increase vaccine stability in acidic pH of gut, one experimentally protective antigen, OipA, and two hypothetical protective antigens, HP0487 and HP0906, and "CTGKSC" peptide motif that target epithelial microfold cells (M cells) to enhance vaccine uptake from the gut barrier. All the aforesaid segments were joined to each other by proper linkers. The vaccine construct was modeled, validated, and refined by different programs to achieve a high-quality 3D structure. The resulting high-quality model was applied for conformational B-cell epitopes selection and docking analyses with a toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). Moreover, molecular dynamics studies demonstrated that the protein-TLR2 docked model was stable during simulation time. We believe that our vaccine candidate can induce mucosal sIgA and IgG antibodies, and Th1/Th2/Th17-mediated protective immunity that are crucial for eradicating H. pylori infection. In sum, the computational results suggest that our newly designed vaccine could serve as a promising anti-H. pylori vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navid Nezafat
- Pharmaceutical Science Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Science, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mahboobeh Eslami
- Pharmaceutical Science Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Science, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Manica Negahdaripour
- Pharmaceutical Science Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Science, Shiraz, Iran and Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Reza Rahbar
- Pharmaceutical Science Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Science, Shiraz, Iran and Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Younes Ghasemi
- Pharmaceutical Science Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Science, Shiraz, Iran and Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. and Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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12
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Gomes TAT, Elias WP, Scaletsky ICA, Guth BEC, Rodrigues JF, Piazza RMF, Ferreira LCS, Martinez MB. Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli. Braz J Microbiol 2016; 47 Suppl 1:3-30. [PMID: 27866935 PMCID: PMC5156508 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjm.2016.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 239] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Most Escherichia coli strains live harmlessly in the intestines and rarely cause disease in healthy individuals. Nonetheless, a number of pathogenic strains can cause diarrhea or extraintestinal diseases both in healthy and immunocompromised individuals. Diarrheal illnesses are a severe public health problem and a major cause of morbidity and mortality in infants and young children, especially in developing countries. E. coli strains that cause diarrhea have evolved by acquiring, through horizontal gene transfer, a particular set of characteristics that have successfully persisted in the host. According to the group of virulence determinants acquired, specific combinations were formed determining the currently known E. coli pathotypes, which are collectively known as diarrheagenic E. coli. In this review, we have gathered information on current definitions, serotypes, lineages, virulence mechanisms, epidemiology, and diagnosis of the major diarrheagenic E. coli pathotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tânia A T Gomes
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Waldir P Elias
- Instituto Butantan, Laboratório de Bacterologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Isabel C A Scaletsky
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Beatriz E C Guth
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Juliana F Rodrigues
- Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Departamento de Microbiologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Roxane M F Piazza
- Instituto Butantan, Laboratório de Bacterologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Luís C S Ferreira
- Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Departamento de Microbiologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Marina B Martinez
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Biochemical and structural characterization of the novel sialic acid-binding site of Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin LT-IIb. Biochem J 2016; 473:3923-3936. [DOI: 10.1042/bcj20160575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The structurally related AB5-type heat-labile enterotoxins of Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae are classified into two major types. The type I group includes cholera toxin (CT) and E. coli LT-I, whereas the type II subfamily comprises LT-IIa, LT-IIb and LT-IIc. The carbohydrate-binding specificities of LT-IIa, LT-IIb and LT-IIc are distinctive from those of cholera toxin and E. coli LT-I. Whereas CT and LT-I bind primarily to the GM1 ganglioside, LT-IIa binds to gangliosides GD1a, GD1b and GM1, LT-IIb binds to the GD1a and GT1b gangliosides, and LT-IIc binds to GM1, GM2, GM3 and GD1a. These previous studies of the binding properties of type II B-subunits have been focused on ganglio core chain gangliosides. To further define the carbohydrate binding specificity of LT-IIb B-subunits, we have investigated its binding to a collection of gangliosides and non-acid glycosphingolipids with different core chains. A high-affinity binding of LT-IIb B-subunits to gangliosides with a neolacto core chain, such as Neu5Gcα3- and Neu5Acα3-neolactohexaosylceramide, and Neu5Gcα3- and Neu5Acα3-neolactooctaosylceramide was detected. An LT-IIb-binding ganglioside was isolated from human small intestine and characterized as Neu5Acα3-neolactohexaosylceramide. The crystal structure of the B-subunit of LT-IIb with the pentasaccharide moiety of Neu5Acα3-neolactotetraosylceramide (Neu5Ac-nLT: Neu5Acα3Galβ4GlcNAcβ3Galβ4Glc) was determined providing the first information for a sialic-binding site in this subfamily, with clear differences from that of CT and LT-I.
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Ma Y. Recent advances in nontoxicEscherichia coliheat-labile toxin and its derivative adjuvants. Expert Rev Vaccines 2016; 15:1361-1371. [DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2016.1182868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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15
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Jobling MG. The chromosomal nature of LT-II enterotoxins solved: a lambdoid prophage encodes both LT-II and one of two novel pertussis-toxin-like toxin family members in type II enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. Pathog Dis 2016; 74:ftw001. [PMID: 26755534 PMCID: PMC4957749 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftw001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Heat-labile enterotoxins (LT) of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) are structurally and functionally related to cholera toxin (CT). LT-I toxins are plasmid-encoded and flanked by IS elements, while LT-II toxins of type II ETEC are chromosomally encoded with flanking genes that appear phage related. Here, I determined the complete genomic sequence of the locus for the LT-IIa type strain SA53, and show that the LT-IIa genes are encoded by a 51 239 bp lambdoid prophage integrated at the rac locus, the site of a defective prophage in E. coli K12 strains. Of 50 LT-IIa and LT-IIc, 46 prophages also encode one member of two novel two-gene ADP-ribosyltransferase toxin families that are both related to pertussis toxin, which I named eplBA or ealAB, respectively. The eplBA and ealAB genes are syntenic with the Shiga toxin loci in their lambdoid prophages of the enteric pathogen enterohemorrhagic E. coli. These novel AB5 toxins show pertussis-toxin-like activity on tissue culture cells, and like pertussis toxin bind to sialic acid containing glycoprotein ligands. Type II ETEC are the first mucosal pathogens known to simultaneously produce two ADP-ribosylating toxins predicted to act on and modulate activity of both stimulatory and inhibitory alpha subunits of host cell heterotrimeric G-proteins. Two novel pertussis-toxin-like toxins are also present in the genome of the prophage that also encodes the LT-II enterotoxin genes in type II enterotoxigenic Escherichi coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Jobling
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12800 E 19th Ave, Aurora CO 80045, USA
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16
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Hu JC, Greene CJ, King-Lyons ND, Connell TD. The Divergent CD8+ T Cell Adjuvant Properties of LT-IIb and LT-IIc, Two Type II Heat-Labile Enterotoxins, Are Conferred by Their Ganglioside-Binding B Subunits. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0142942. [PMID: 26565800 PMCID: PMC4643920 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Poor immune responses elicited by vaccine antigens can be enhanced by the use of appropriate adjuvants. Type II heat-labile enterotoxins (HLT) produced by Escherichia coli are extremely potent adjuvants that augment both humoral and cellular immunity to co-administered antigens. Recent findings demonstrate that LT-IIb and LT-IIc, two type II HLT adjuvants, exhibit potent, yet distinguishable CD8+ T cell adjuvant properties. While LT-IIc elicits a robust and rapid response at one week after administration, LT-IIb engenders a more gradual and slower expansion of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells that correlates with improved immunity. The variations in immune effects elicited by the HLT adjuvants have been generally attributed to their highly divergent B subunits that mediate binding to various gangliosides on cell surfaces. Yet, HLT adjuvants with point mutations in the B subunit that significantly alter ganglioside binding retain similar adjuvant functions. Therefore, the contribution of the B subunits to adjuvanticity remains unclear. To investigate the influence of the B subunits on the enhancement of immune responses by LT-IIb and LT-IIc, chimeric HLT were engineered in which the B subunits of the two adjuvants were exchanged. Comparing the immune potentiating characteristics of both native and chimeric HLT adjuvants, it was found that not all the adjuvant characteristics of the HLT adjuvants were modulated by the respective B subunits. Specifically, the differences in the CD8+ T cell kinetics and protective responses elicited by LT-IIb and LT-IIc did indeed followed their respective B subunits. However, induction of IL-1 from macrophages and the capacity to intoxicate cells in a mouse Y1 adrenal cell bioassay did not correlate with the B subunits. Therefore, it is likely that additional factors other than the B subunits contribute to the effects elicited by the HLT adjuvants.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C. Hu
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, The Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, The University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Christopher J. Greene
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, The Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, The University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Natalie D. King-Lyons
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, The Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, The University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Terry D. Connell
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, The Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, The University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Heat-labile enterotoxin of Escherichia coli promotes intestinal colonization of Salmonella enterica. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2015; 43:1-7. [PMID: 26616654 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2015.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2015] [Revised: 08/31/2015] [Accepted: 09/12/2015] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is an important cause of infantile and travellers' diarrhoea, which poses a serious health burden, especially in developing countries. In addition, ETEC bacteria are a major cause of illness and death in neonatal and recently weaned pigs. The production of a heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) promotes the colonization and pathogenicity of ETEC and may exacerbate co-infections with other enteric pathogens such as Salmonella enterica. We showed that the intraintestinal presence of LT dramatically increased the intestinal Salmonella Typhimurium load in experimentally inoculated pigs. This could not be explained by direct alteration of the invasion or survival capacity of Salmonella in enterocytes, in vitro. However, we demonstrated that LT affects the enteric mucus layer composition in a mucus-secreting goblet cell line by significantly decreasing the expression of mucin 4. The current results show that LT alters the intestinal mucus composition and aggravates a Salmonella Typhimurium infection, which may result in the exacerbation of the diarrhoeal illness.
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Intradermal administration of the Type II heat-labile enterotoxins LT-IIb and LT-IIc of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli enhances humoral and CD8+ T cell immunity to a co-administered antigen. PLoS One 2014; 9:e113978. [PMID: 25536061 PMCID: PMC4275187 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2014] [Accepted: 11/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Vaccinations are extremely effective at combating infectious diseases. Many conserved antigen (Ag) targets, however, are poorly immunogenic. Protein subunit vaccines frequently elicit only humoral immune responses and fail to confer protection against serious intracellular pathogens. These barriers to vaccine development are often overcome by the use of appropriate adjuvants. Heat-labile enterotoxins (HLT) produced by enterotoxigenic strains of Escherichia coli are potent adjuvants when administered by mucosal or systemic routes. The efficacy of the type II HLT, however, has not been well-defined when administered by the intradermal (ID) route. Using a murine ID immunization model, the adjuvant properties of LT-IIb and LT-IIc, two type II HLTs, were compared with those of LT-I, a prototypical type I HLT. While all three HLT adjuvants enhanced Ag-specific humoral responses to similar levels, LT-IIb and LT-IIc, in contrast to LT-I, induced a more vigorous Ag-specific CD8+ T cell response and proffered faster clearance of Listeria monocytogenes in a challenge model. Additionally, LT-IIb and LT-IIc induced distinct differences in the profiles of the Ag-specific CD8+ T cell responses. While LT-IIc stimulated a robust and rapid primary CD8+ T cell response, LT-IIb exhibited slower CD8+ T cell expansion and contraction kinetics with the formation of higher percentages of effector memory cells. In comparison to LT-I and LT-IIc, LT-IIb evoked better long-term protection after immunization. Furthermore, LT-IIb and LT-IIc enhanced the total number of dendritic cells (DC) in the draining lymph node (DLN) and expression of costimulatory molecules CD80, CD86, and CD40 on DCs. In contrast to LT-I, LT-IIb and LT-IIc induced less edema, cellular infiltrates, and general inflammation at the site of ID injection. Thus, LT-IIb and LT-IIc are attractive comprehensive ID adjuvants with unique characteristic that enhance humoral and cellular immunity to a co-administered protein Ag.
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Croxen MA, Law RJ, Scholz R, Keeney KM, Wlodarska M, Finlay BB. Recent advances in understanding enteric pathogenic Escherichia coli. Clin Microbiol Rev 2013; 26:822-80. [PMID: 24092857 PMCID: PMC3811233 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00022-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 822] [Impact Index Per Article: 74.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Although Escherichia coli can be an innocuous resident of the gastrointestinal tract, it also has the pathogenic capacity to cause significant diarrheal and extraintestinal diseases. Pathogenic variants of E. coli (pathovars or pathotypes) cause much morbidity and mortality worldwide. Consequently, pathogenic E. coli is widely studied in humans, animals, food, and the environment. While there are many common features that these pathotypes employ to colonize the intestinal mucosa and cause disease, the course, onset, and complications vary significantly. Outbreaks are common in developed and developing countries, and they sometimes have fatal consequences. Many of these pathotypes are a major public health concern as they have low infectious doses and are transmitted through ubiquitous mediums, including food and water. The seriousness of pathogenic E. coli is exemplified by dedicated national and international surveillance programs that monitor and track outbreaks; unfortunately, this surveillance is often lacking in developing countries. While not all pathotypes carry the same public health profile, they all carry an enormous potential to cause disease and continue to present challenges to human health. This comprehensive review highlights recent advances in our understanding of the intestinal pathotypes of E. coli.
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Hajishengallis G, Connell TD. Type II heat-labile enterotoxins: structure, function, and immunomodulatory properties. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2012; 152:68-77. [PMID: 23137790 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2012.09.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The heat-labile enterotoxins (HLTs) of Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae are classified into two major types on the basis of genetic, biochemical, and immunological properties. Type I and Type II HLT have been intensively studied for their exceptionally strong adjuvant activities. Despite general structural similarities, these molecules, in intact or derivative (non-toxic) forms, display notable differences in their mode of immunomodulatory action. The molecular basis of these differences has remained largely uncharacterized until recently. This review focuses on the Type II HLTs and their immunomodulatory properties which depend largely on interactions with unique gangliosides and Toll-like receptors that are not utilized by the Type I HLTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Hajishengallis
- University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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21
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Berenson CS, Nawar HF, Kruzel RL, Mandell LM, Connell TD. Ganglioside-binding specificities of E. coli enterotoxin LT-IIc: Importance of long-chain fatty acyl ceramide. Glycobiology 2012; 23:23-31. [PMID: 22917572 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cws123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial heat-labile (LT) enterotoxins signal through tightly regulated interactions with host cell gangliosides. LT-IIa and LT-IIb of Escherichia coli bind preferentially to gangliosides with a NeuAcα2-3Galβ1-3GalNAc terminus, with key distinctions in specificity. LT-IIc, a newly discovered E. coli LT, is comprised of an A polypeptide with high homology, and a B polypeptide with moderate homology, to LT-IIa and LT-IIb. LT-IIc is less cytotoxic than LT-IIa and LT-IIb. We theorized that LT-IIc-host cell interaction is regulated by specific structural attributes of immune cell ganglioside receptors and designed experiments to test this hypothesis. Overlay immunoblotting to a diverse array of neural and macrophage gangliosides indicated that LT-IIc bound to a restrictive range of gangliosides, each possessing a NeuAcα2-3Galβ1-3GalNAc with a requisite terminal sialic acid. LT-IIc did not bind to GM1a with short-chain fatty acyl ceramides. Affinity overlay immunoblots, constructed to a diverse array of known ganglioside structures of murine peritoneal macrophages, established that LT-IIc bound to GM1a comprised of long-chain fatty acyl ceramides. Findings were confirmed with LT-IIc also binding to GM1a of RAW264.7 cells, comprised of a long-chain fatty acyl ceramide. Thus, LT-IIc-ganglioside binding differs distinctly from that of LT-IIa and LT-IIb. LT-IIc binding is not just dependent on carbohydrate composition, but also upon the orientation of the oligosaccharide portion of GM1a by the ceramide moiety. These studies are the first demonstration of LT-ganglioside dependence upon ceramide composition and underscore the contribution of long-chain fatty acyl ceramides to host cell interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles S Berenson
- Division of Infectious Disease (151), Department of Veterans Affairs Western New York Healthcare System, State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine, 3495 Bailey Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14215, USA.
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Casey TA, Connell TD, Holmes RK, Whipp SC. Evaluation of heat-labile enterotoxins type IIa and type IIb in the pathogenicity of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli for neonatal pigs. Vet Microbiol 2012; 159:83-9. [PMID: 22480773 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2012.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2011] [Revised: 03/07/2012] [Accepted: 03/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Type II heat-labile enterotoxins (LT-II) have been reported in Escherichia coli isolates from humans, animals, food and water samples. The goal here was to determine the specific roles of the antigenically distinguishable LT-IIa and LT-IIb subtypes in pathogenesis and virulence of enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) which has not been previously reported. The prevalence of genes encoding for LT-II was determined by colony blot hybridization in a collection of 1648 E. coli isolates from calves and pigs with diarrhea or other diseases and from healthy animals. Only five isolates hybridized with the LT-II probe and none of these isolates contained genes for other enterotoxins or adhesins associated with porcine or bovine ETEC. Ligated intestinal loops in calves, pigs, and rabbits were used to determine the potential of purified LT-IIa and LT-IIb to cause intestinal secretion. LT-IIa and LT-IIb caused significant secretion in the intestinal loops in calves but not in the intestinal loops of rabbits or pigs. In contrast, neonatal pigs inoculated with isogenic adherent E. coli containing the cloned genes for LT-I, LT-IIa or LT-IIb developed severe watery diarrhea with weight loss that was significantly greater than pigs inoculated with the adherent, non-toxigenic parental or vector only control strains. The results demonstrate that the incidence of LT-II appeared to be very low in porcine and bovine E. coli. However, a potential role for these enterotoxins in E. coli-mediated diarrhea in animals was confirmed because purified LT-IIa and LT-IIb caused fluid secretion in bovine intestinal loops and adherent isogenic strains containing cloned genes encoding for LT-IIa or LT-IIb caused severe diarrhea in neonatal pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Casey
- Food Safety and Enteric Pathogens Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA 50010, USA.
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Jobling MG, Holmes RK. Type II heat-labile enterotoxins from 50 diverse Escherichia coli isolates belong almost exclusively to the LT-IIc family and may be prophage encoded. PLoS One 2012; 7:e29898. [PMID: 22242186 PMCID: PMC3252337 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0029898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2011] [Accepted: 12/08/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Some enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) produce a type II heat-labile enterotoxin (LT-II) that activates adenylate cyclase in susceptible cells but is not neutralized by antisera against cholera toxin or type I heat-labile enterotoxin (LT-I). LT-I variants encoded by plasmids in ETEC from humans and pigs have amino acid sequences that are ≥ 95% identical. In contrast, LT-II toxins are chromosomally encoded and are much more diverse. Early studies characterized LT-IIa and LT-IIb variants, but a novel LT-IIc was reported recently. Here we characterized the LT-II encoding loci from 48 additional ETEC isolates. Two encoded LT-IIa, none encoded LT-IIb, and 46 encoded highly related variants of LT-IIc. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the predicted LT-IIc toxins encoded by these loci could be assigned to 6 subgroups. The loci corresponding to individual toxins within each subgroup had DNA sequences that were more than 99% identical. The LT-IIc subgroups appear to have arisen by multiple recombinational events between progenitor loci encoding LT-IIc1- and LT-IIc3-like variants. All loci from representative isolates encoding the LT-IIa, LT-IIb, and each subgroup of LT-IIc enterotoxins are preceded by highly-related genes that are between 80 and 93% identical to predicted phage lysozyme genes. DNA sequences immediately following the B genes differ considerably between toxin subgroups, but all are most closely related to genomic sequences found in predicted prophages. Together these data suggest that the LT-II loci are inserted into lambdoid type prophages that may or may not be infectious. These findings raise the possibility that production of LT-II enterotoxins by ETEC may be determined by phage conversion and may be activated by induction of prophage, in a manner similar to control of production of Shiga-like toxins by converting phages in isolates of enterohemmorhagic E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Jobling
- Department of Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America.
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Lee CH, Masso-Welch P, Hajishengallis G, Connell TD. TLR2-dependent modulation of dendritic cells by LT-IIa-B5, a novel mucosal adjuvant derived from a type II heat-labile enterotoxin. J Leukoc Biol 2011; 90:911-21. [PMID: 21791597 DOI: 10.1189/jlb.0511236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A host of human pathogens invades the body at mucosal surfaces. Yet, strong, protective mucosal immune responses directed against those pathogens routinely cannot be induced without the use of adjuvants. Although the strongest mucosal adjuvants are members of the family of HLTs, the inherent toxicities of HLT holotoxins preclude their clinical use. Herein, it is shown that LT-IIa-B(5) enhances mucosal immune responses by modulating activities of DCs. i.n. immunization of mice with OVA in the presence of LT-IIa-B(5) recruited DCs to the NALT and significantly increased uptake of OVA by those DCs. Furthermore, LT-IIa-B(5) increased expression of CCR7 by DCs, which mediated enhanced migration of the cells from the NALT to the draining CLNs. LT-IIa-B(5) also enhanced maturation of DCs, as revealed by increased surface expression of CD40, CD80, and CD86. Ag-specific CD4(+) T cell proliferation was augmented in the CLNs of mice that had received i.n. LT-IIa-B(5). Finally, when used as an i.n. adjuvant, LT-IIa-B(5) dramatically increased the levels of OVA-specific salivary IgA and OVA-specific serum IgG. Strikingly, each of the activities induced by LT-IIa-B(5) was strictly TLR2-dependent. The data strongly suggest that the immunomodulatory properties of LT-IIa-B(5) depend on the productive modulation of mucosal DCs. Notably, this is the first report for any HLT to demonstrate in vivo the elicitation of strong, TLR2-dependent modulatory effects on DCs with respect to adjuvanticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Hoon Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA
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Distinctive immunomodulatory and inflammatory properties of the Escherichia coli type II heat-labile enterotoxin LT-IIa and its B pentamer following intradermal administration. CLINICAL AND VACCINE IMMUNOLOGY : CVI 2011; 18:1243-51. [PMID: 21677110 DOI: 10.1128/cvi.00012-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The type I and type II heat-labile enterotoxins (LT-I and LT-II) are strong mucosal adjuvants when they are coadministered with soluble antigens. Nonetheless, data on the parenteral adjuvant activities of LT-II are still limited. Particularly, no previous study has evaluated the adjuvant effects and induced inflammatory reactions of LT-II holotoxins or their B pentameric subunits after delivery via the intradermal (i.d.) route to mice. In the present report, the adjuvant and local skin inflammatory effects of LT-IIa and its B subunit pentamer (LT-IIaB(5)) were determined. When coadministered with ovalbumin (OVA), LT-IIa and, to a lesser extent, LT-IIaB(5) exhibited serum IgG adjuvant effects. In addition, LT-IIa but not LT-IIaB(5) induced T cell-specific anti-OVA responses, particularly in respect to induction of antigen-specific cytotoxic CD8(+) T cell responses. LT-IIa and LT-IIaB(5) induced differential tissue permeability and local inflammatory reactions after i.d. injection. Of particular interest was the reduced or complete lack of local reactions, such as edema and tissue induration, in mice i.d. inoculated with LT-IIa and LT-IIaB(5,) respectively, compared with mice immunized with LT-I. In conclusion, the present results show that LT-IIa and, to a lesser extent, LT-IIaB(5) exert adjuvant effects when they are delivered via the i.d. route. In addition, the low inflammatory effects of LT-IIa and LT-IIaB(5) in comparison to those of LT-I support the usefulness of LT-IIa and LT-IIaB(5) as parenterally delivered vaccine adjuvants.
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Nawar HF, Greene CJ, Lee CH, Mandell LM, Hajishengallis G, Connell TD. LT-IIc, a new member of the type II heat-labile enterotoxin family, exhibits potent immunomodulatory properties that are different from those induced by LT-IIa or LT-IIb. Vaccine 2010; 29:721-7. [PMID: 21095251 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2010] [Revised: 10/18/2010] [Accepted: 11/09/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A plethora of human pathogens invade and/or colonize mucosal surfaces. Elaboration of strong, protective immune responses against those pathogens by mucosal vaccination, however, is hampered by endogenous regulatory systems in the mucosae that dampen responses to foreign antigens (Ags). To overcome those natural barriers, mucosal adjuvants must be employed. Using a mouse mucosal immunization model and AgI/II, a weak immunogen from Streptococcus mutans, LT-IIc, a new member of the type II subgroup of the heat-labile enterotoxin family, was shown to have potent mucosal adjuvant properties. In comparison to mice intranasally immunized only with AgI/II, co-administration of AgI/II with LT-IIc enhanced production of Ag-specific IgA antibodies in the saliva and vaginal fluids and Ag-specific IgA and IgG in the serum. Secretion of IL-2, IL-6, IL-17, IFN-γ, and TNF-α was enhanced in cultures of AgI/II-stimulated splenic cells isolated from mice that had received LT-IIc as a mucosal adjuvant. In contrast, secretion of IL-10 was suppressed in those cells. This pattern of cytokine secretion suggested that LT-IIc stimulates both Th1 and Th2 immune responses. In contrast to LT-IIa and LT-IIb, the original members of the type II subgroup that also are mucosal adjuvants, LT-IIc dramatically enhanced secretion of IL-1α and IL-1β in peritoneal macrophages that had been co-cultured with LPS. Furthermore, the B pentameric subunit of LT-IIc augmented uptake of Ag by bone marrow-derived dendritic cells to levels that exceeded those attained by use of LPS or by the B pentamers of LT-IIa or LT-IIb. These data confirmed that LT-IIc is a strong mucosal adjuvant with immunomodulatory properties that are distinguishable from those of LT-IIa and LT-IIb and which has immunomodulatory properties that may be exploitable in vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hesham F Nawar
- The Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, The University at Buffalo, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA
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