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Verma S, Dufort MJ, Olsen TM, Kimmel S, Labuda JC, Scharffenberger S, McGuire AT, Harrison OJ. Antigen-level resolution of commensal-specific B cell responses can be enabled by phage display screening coupled with B cell tetramers. Immunity 2024; 57:1428-1441.e8. [PMID: 38723638 PMCID: PMC11168869 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2024.04.014] [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: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Induction of commensal-specific immunity contributes to tissue homeostasis, yet the mechanisms underlying induction of commensal-specific B cells remain poorly understood in part due to a lack of tools to identify these cells. Using phage display, we identified segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB) antigens targeted by serum and intestinal antibodies and generated B cell tetramers to track SFB-specific B cells in gut-associated lymphoid tissues. We revealed a compartmentalized response in SFB-specific B cell activation, with a gradient of immunoglobulin A (IgA), IgG1, and IgG2b isotype production along Peyer's patches contrasted by selective production of IgG2b within mesenteric lymph nodes. V(D)J sequencing and monoclonal antibody generation identified somatic hypermutation driven affinity maturation to SFB antigens under homeostatic conditions. Combining phage display and B cell tetramers will enable investigation of the ontogeny and function of commensal-specific B cell responses in tissue immunity, inflammation, and repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheenam Verma
- Center for Fundamental Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Matthew J Dufort
- Center for Systems Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tayla M Olsen
- Center for Fundamental Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA; Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Samantha Kimmel
- Center for Fundamental Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jasmine C Labuda
- Center for Fundamental Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sam Scharffenberger
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Andrew T McGuire
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Oliver J Harrison
- Center for Fundamental Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA; Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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Roe SK, Felter B, Zheng B, Ram S, Wetzler LM, Garges E, Zhu T, Genco CA, Massari P. In Vitro Pre-Clinical Evaluation of a Gonococcal Trivalent Candidate Vaccine Identified by Transcriptomics. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1846. [PMID: 38140249 PMCID: PMC10747275 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11121846] [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: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, poses a significant global public health threat. Infection in women can be asymptomatic and may result in severe reproductive complications. Escalating antibiotic resistance underscores the need for an effective vaccine. Approaches being explored include subunit vaccines and outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), but an ideal candidate remains elusive. Meningococcal OMV-based vaccines have been associated with reduced rates of gonorrhea in retrospective epidemiologic studies, and with accelerated gonococcal clearance in mouse vaginal colonization models. Cross-protection is attributed to shared antigens and possibly cross-reactive, bactericidal antibodies. Using a Candidate Antigen Selection Strategy (CASS) based on the gonococcal transcriptome during human mucosal infection, we identified new potential vaccine targets that, when used to immunize mice, induced the production of antibodies with bactericidal activity against N. gonorrhoeae strains. The current study determined antigen recognition by human sera from N. gonorrhoeae-infected subjects, evaluated their potential as a multi-antigen (combination) vaccine in mice and examined the impact of different adjuvants (Alum or Alum+MPLA) on functional antibody responses to N. gonorrhoeae. Our results indicated that a stronger Th1 immune response component induced by Alum+MPLA led to antibodies with improved bactericidal activity. In conclusion, a combination of CASS-derived antigens may be promising for developing effective gonococcal vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shea K. Roe
- Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA; (S.K.R.); (C.A.G.)
| | - Brian Felter
- Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA; (S.K.R.); (C.A.G.)
| | - Bo Zheng
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA (S.R.)
| | - Sanjay Ram
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA (S.R.)
| | - Lee M. Wetzler
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA;
| | - Eric Garges
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA;
| | - Tianmou Zhu
- Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA; (S.K.R.); (C.A.G.)
| | - Caroline A. Genco
- Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA; (S.K.R.); (C.A.G.)
| | - Paola Massari
- Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA; (S.K.R.); (C.A.G.)
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Pawar A, Konwar C, Jha P, Kant R, Chopra M, Chaudhry U, Saluja D. Bactericidal activity of esculetin is associated with impaired cell wall synthesis by targeting glutamate racemase of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Mol Divers 2023:10.1007/s11030-023-10745-0. [PMID: 37880544 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-023-10745-0] [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: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), the causative organism of gonorrhea, has been classified by the World Health Organization as 'Priority' two organism owing to its increased resistance to antibiotics and even failure of recommended dual therapy with ceftriaxone and azithromycin. As a result, the general and reproductive health of infected individuals is severely compromised. The imminent public health catastrophe of antimicrobial-resistant gonococci cannot be understated, as t he of severe complications and sequelae of infection are not only increasing but their treatment has also become more expensive. Tenacious attempts are underway to discover novel drug targets as well as new drugs to fight against NG. Therefore, a considerable number of phytochemicals have been tested for their remedial intercession via targeting bacterial proteins. The MurI gene encodes for an enzyme called glutamate racemase (MurI) that is primarily involved in peptidoglycan (PG) biosynthesis and is specific to the bacterial kingdom and hence can be exploited as a potential drug target for the treatment of bacterial diseases. Accordingly, diverse families of phytochemicals were screened in silico for their binding affinity with N. Gonorrhoeae MurI (NG-MurI) protein. Esculetin, one of the shortlisted compounds, was evaluated for its functional, structural, and anti-bacterial activity. Treatment with esculetin resulted in growth inhibition, cell wall damage, and altered permeability as revealed by fluorescence and electron microscopy. Furthermore, esculetin inhibited the racemization activity of recombinant, purified NG-MurI protein, one of the enzymes required for peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Our results suggest that esculetin could be further explored as a lead compound for developing new drug molecules against multidrug-resistant strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alka Pawar
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, Delhi School of Public Health, IoE, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Chandrika Konwar
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, Delhi School of Public Health, IoE, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Prakash Jha
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, Delhi School of Public Health, IoE, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Ravi Kant
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, Delhi School of Public Health, IoE, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Madhu Chopra
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, Delhi School of Public Health, IoE, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Uma Chaudhry
- Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110075, India
| | - Daman Saluja
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, Delhi School of Public Health, IoE, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India.
- Delhi School of Public Health, IoE, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India.
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Omeershffudin UNM, Kumar S. Emerging threat of antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae: pathogenesis, treatment challenges, and potential for vaccine development. Arch Microbiol 2023; 205:330. [PMID: 37688619 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-023-03663-0] [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: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
The continuous rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious concern as it endangers the effectiveness of healthcare interventions that rely on antibiotics in the long run. The increasing resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacteria responsible for causing gonorrhea, to commonly used antimicrobial drugs, is a major concern. This has now become a critical global health crisis. In the coming years, there is a risk of a hidden epidemic caused by the emergence of gonococcal AMR. This will worsen the global situation. Infections caused by N. gonorrhoeae were once considered easily treatable. However, over time, they have become increasingly resistant to commonly used therapeutic medications, such as penicillin, ciprofloxacin, and azithromycin. As a result, this pathogen is developing into a true "superbug," which means that ceftriaxone is now the only available option for initial empirical treatment. Effective management strategies are urgently needed to prevent severe consequences, such as infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease, which can result from delayed intervention. This review provides a thorough analysis of the escalating problem of N. gonorrhoeae, including its pathogenesis, current treatment options, the emergence of drug-resistant mechanisms, and the potential for vaccine development. We aim to provide valuable insights for healthcare practitioners, policymakers, and researchers in their efforts to combat N. gonorrhoeae antibiotic resistance by elucidating the multifaceted aspects of this global challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Umairah Natasya Mohd Omeershffudin
- Post Graduate Centre, Management and Science University, University Drive, Off Persiaran Olahraga, Section 13, 40100, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Suresh Kumar
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Management and Science University, Seksyen 13, 40100, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.
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5
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Heine PA, Ballmann R, Thevarajah P, Russo G, Moreira GMSG, Hust M. Biomarker Discovery by ORFeome Phage Display. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2702:543-561. [PMID: 37679638 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3381-6_27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Phage display is an efficient and robust method for protein-protein interaction studies. Although it is mostly used for antibody generation, it can be also utilized for the discovery of immunogenic proteins that could be used as biomarkers. Through this technique, a genome or metagenome is fragmented and cloned into a phagemid vector. The resulting protein fragments from this genetic material are displayed on M13 phage surface, while the corresponding gene fragments are packaged. This packaging process uses the pIII deficient helperphage, called Hyperphage (M13KO7 ΔpIII), so open reading frames (ORFs) are enriched in these libraries, giving the name to this method: ORFeome phage display. After conducting a selection procedure, called "bio-panning," relevant immunogenic peptides or protein fragments are selected using purified antibodies or serum samples, and can be used as potential biomarkers. As ORFeome phage display is an in vitro method, only the DNA or cDNA of the species of interest is needed. Therefore, this approach is also suitable for organisms that are hard to cultivate, or metagenomic samples, for example. An additional advantage is that the biomarker discovery is not limited to surface proteins due to the presentation of virtually every kind of peptide or protein fragment encoded by the ORFeome on the phage surface. At last, the selected biomarkers can be the start for the development of diagnostic assays, vaccines, or protein interaction studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Alexander Heine
- Institut für Biochemie, Biotechnologie und Bioinformatik, Departments Biotechnology and Medical Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Rico Ballmann
- Institut für Biochemie, Biotechnologie und Bioinformatik, Departments Biotechnology and Medical Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Praveen Thevarajah
- Institut für Biochemie, Biotechnologie und Bioinformatik, Departments Biotechnology and Medical Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Giulio Russo
- Institut für Biochemie, Biotechnologie und Bioinformatik, Departments Biotechnology and Medical Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Gustavo Marçal Schmidt Garcia Moreira
- Institut für Biochemie, Biotechnologie und Bioinformatik, Departments Biotechnology and Medical Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
- Tacalyx GmbH, Sector for Antibody and Protein Biochemistry, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Hust
- Institut für Biochemie, Biotechnologie und Bioinformatik, Departments Biotechnology and Medical Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.
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6
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Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex-enzyme 2, a new target for Listeria spp. detection identified using combined phage display technologies. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15267. [PMID: 32943681 PMCID: PMC7498459 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72159-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus Listeria comprises ubiquitous bacteria, commonly present in foods and food production facilities. In this study, three different phage display technologies were employed to discover targets, and to generate and characterize novel antibodies against Listeria: antibody display for biomarker discovery and antibody generation; ORFeome display for target identification; and single-gene display for epitope characterization. With this approach, pyruvate dehydrogenase complex—enzyme 2 (PDC-E2) was defined as a new detection target for Listeria, as confirmed by immunomagnetic separation-mass spectrometry (IMS-MS). Immunoblot and fluorescence microscopy showed that this protein is accessible on the bacterial cell surface of living cells. Recombinant PDC-E2 was produced in E. coli and used to generate 16 additional antibodies. The resulting set of 20 monoclonal scFv-Fc was tested in indirect ELISA against 17 Listeria and 16 non-Listeria species. Two of them provided 100% sensitivity (CI 82.35–100.0%) and specificity (CI 78.20–100.0%), confirming PDC-E2 as a suitable target for the detection of Listeria. The binding region of 18 of these antibodies was analyzed, revealing that ≈ 90% (16/18) bind to the lipoyl domains (LD) of the target. The novel target PDC-E2 and highly specific antibodies against it offer new opportunities to improve the detection of Listeria.
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7
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Verma V, Joshi G, Gupta A, Chaudhary VK. An efficient ORF selection system for DNA fragment libraries based on split beta-lactamase complementation. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0235853. [PMID: 32701967 PMCID: PMC7377443 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
PCR-based amplification of annotated genes has allowed construction of expression clones at genome-scale using classical and recombination-based cloning technologies. However, genome-scale expression and purification of proteins for down-stream applications is often limited by challenges such as poor expression, low solubility, large size of multi-domain proteins, etc. Alternatively, DNA fragment libraries in expression vectors can serve as the source of protein fragments with each fragment encompassing a function of its whole protein counterpart. However, the random DNA fragmentation and cloning result in only 1 out of 18 clones being in the correct open-reading frame (ORF), thus, reducing the overall efficiency of the system. This necessitates the selection of correct ORF before expressing the protein fragments. This paper describes a highly efficient ORF selection system for DNA fragment libraries, which is based on split beta-lactamase protein fragment complementation. The system has been designed to allow seamless transfer of selected DNA fragment libraries into any downstream vector systems using a restriction enzyme-free cloning strategy. The strategy has been applied for the selection of ORF using model constructs to show near 100% selection of the clone encoding correct ORF. The system has been further validated by construction of an ORF-selected DNA fragment library of 30 genes of M. tuberculosis. Further, we have successfully demonstrated the cytosolic expression of ORF-selected protein fragments in E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaishali Verma
- Centre for Innovation in Infectious Disease Research, Education and Training (CIIDRET), University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Gopal Joshi
- Centre for Innovation in Infectious Disease Research, Education and Training (CIIDRET), University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Amita Gupta
- Centre for Innovation in Infectious Disease Research, Education and Training (CIIDRET), University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Vijay K. Chaudhary
- Centre for Innovation in Infectious Disease Research, Education and Training (CIIDRET), University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
- * E-mail:
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Zhu T, McClure R, Harrison OB, Genco C, Massari P. Integrated Bioinformatic Analyses and Immune Characterization of New Neisseria gonorrhoeae Vaccine Antigens Expressed during Natural Mucosal Infection. Vaccines (Basel) 2019; 7:E153. [PMID: 31627489 PMCID: PMC6963464 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines7040153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
There is an increasingly severe trend of antibiotic-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains worldwide and new therapeutic strategies are needed against this sexually-transmitted pathogen. Despite the urgency, progress towards a gonococcal vaccine has been slowed by a scarcity of suitable antigens, lack of correlates of protection in humans and limited animal models of infection. N. gonorrhoeae gene expression levels in the natural human host does not reflect expression in vitro, further complicating in vitro-basedvaccine analysis platforms. We designed a novel candidate antigen selection strategy (CASS), based on a reverse vaccinology-like approach coupled with bioinformatics. We utilized the CASS to mine gonococcal proteins expressed during human mucosal infection, reported in our previous studies, and focused on a large pool of hypothetical proteins as an untapped source of potential new antigens. Via two discovery and analysis phases (DAP), we identified 36 targets predicted to be immunogenic, membrane-associated proteins conserved in N. gonorrhoeae and suitable for recombinant expression. Six initial candidates were produced and used to immunize mice. Characterization of the immune responses indicated cross-reactive antibodies and serum bactericidal activity against different N. gonorrhoeae strains. These results support the CASS as a tool for the discovery of new vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianmou Zhu
- Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
| | - Ryan McClure
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA.
| | - Odile B Harrison
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SY, UK.
| | - Caroline Genco
- Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
| | - Paola Massari
- Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
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Ramli SR, Moreira GMSG, Zantow J, Goris MGA, Nguyen VK, Novoselova N, Pessler F, Hust M. Discovery of Leptospira spp. seroreactive peptides using ORFeome phage display. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007131. [PMID: 30677033 PMCID: PMC6363232 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Leptospirosis is the most common zoonotic disease worldwide. The diagnostic performance of a serological test for human leptospirosis is mainly influenced by the antigen used in the test assay. An ideal serological test should cover all serovars of pathogenic leptospires with high sensitivity and specificity and use reagents that are relatively inexpensive to produce and can be used in tropical climates. Peptide-based tests fulfil at least the latter two requirements, and ORFeome phage display has been successfully used to identify immunogenic peptides from other pathogens. Methodology/Principal findings Two ORFeome phage display libraries of the entire Leptospira spp. genomes from five local strains isolated in Malaysia and seven WHO reference strains were constructed. Subsequently, 18 unique Leptospira peptides were identified in a screen using a pool of sera from patients with acute leptospirosis. Five of these were validated by titration ELISA using different pools of patient or control sera. The diagnostic performance of these five peptides was then assessed against 16 individual sera from patients with acute leptospirosis and 16 healthy donors and was compared to that of two recombinant reference proteins from L. interrogans. This analysis revealed two peptides (SIR16-D1 and SIR16-H1) from the local isolates with good accuracy for the detection of acute leptospirosis (area under the ROC curve: 0.86 and 0.78, respectively; sensitivity: 0.88 and 0.94; specificity: 0.81 and 0.69), which was close to that of the reference proteins LipL32 and Loa22 (area under the ROC curve: 0.91 and 0.80; sensitivity: 0.94 and 0.81; specificity: 0.75 and 0.75). Conclusions/Significance This analysis lends further support for using ORFeome phage display to identify pathogen-associated immunogenic peptides, and it suggests that this technique holds promise for the development of peptide-based diagnostics for leptospirosis and, possibly, of vaccines against this pathogen. Leptospirosis is an infectious disease that is transmitted from animals to humans. It is associated with a broad range of clinical presentations, and diagnostic tests with high diagnostic accuracy are required in order to enable accurate diagnosis. Leptospirosis is diagnosed by detecting DNA of the pathogen or antibodies against it in patients’ blood; the latter are preferred in resource limited regions, and diagnostics based on peptides (small fragments of proteins) are advantageous because they are inexpensive to produce and more stable in hot climates than full-length proteins. We used a technique called open reading frame phage display to identify peptides from Leptospira spp. that could be used to detect antibodies against them in human blood. In this method, the pathogen’s genome is fragmented, the corresponding peptides displayed on the surfaces of phages (viruses that infect bacteria), and the peptides that bind most strongly to the patients’ antibodies are then selected by screening. Using this method, we identified 2 leptospiral peptides that accurately identified antibodies against Leptospira spp. in sera from patients with leptospirosis. These results are encouraging because they demonstrate that ORFeome phage display may be a powerful tool to develop better diagnostics for leptospirosis for use in less developed areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siti Roszilawati Ramli
- Research Group Biomarkers for Infectious Diseases, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
- Institute for Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Braunschweig University of Technology, Braunschweig, Germany
- Institute for Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Gustavo M. S. G. Moreira
- Institute for Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Braunschweig University of Technology, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jonas Zantow
- Institute for Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Braunschweig University of Technology, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Marga G. A. Goris
- OIE and National Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis Academic Medical Center, Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Van Kinh Nguyen
- Research Group Biomarkers for Infectious Diseases, TWINCORE Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Natalia Novoselova
- Research Group Biomarkers for Infectious Diseases, TWINCORE Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
- United Institute of Informatics Problems, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Frank Pessler
- Research Group Biomarkers for Infectious Diseases, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
- Research Group Biomarkers for Infectious Diseases, TWINCORE Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
- * E-mail: (FP); (MH)
| | - Michael Hust
- Institute for Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Braunschweig University of Technology, Braunschweig, Germany
- * E-mail: (FP); (MH)
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10
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Fühner V, Heine PA, Zilkens KJC, Meier D, Roth KDR, Moreira GMSG, Hust M, Russo G. Epitope Mapping via Phage Display from Single-Gene Libraries. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1904:353-375. [PMID: 30539480 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8958-4_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Antibodies are widely used in a large variety of research applications, for diagnostics and therapy of numerous diseases, primarily cancer and autoimmune diseases. Antibodies are binding specifically to target structures (antigens). The antigen-binding properties are not only dependent on the antibody sequence, but also on the discrete antigen region recognized by the antibody (epitope). Knowing the epitope is valuable information for the improvement of diagnostic assays or therapeutic antibodies, as well as to understand the immune response of a vaccine. While huge progress has been made in the pipelines for the generation and functional characterization of antibodies, the available technologies for epitope mapping are still lacking effectiveness in terms of time and effort. Also, no technique available offers the absolute guarantee of succeeding. Thus, research to develop and improve epitope mapping techniques is still an active field. Phage display from random peptide libraries or single-gene libraries are currently among the most exploited methods for epitope mapping. The first is based on the generation of mimotopes and it is fastened to the need of high-throughput sequencing and complex bioinformatic analysis. The second provides original epitope sequences without requiring complex analysis or expensive techniques, but depends on further investigation to define the functional amino acids within the epitope. In this book chapter, we describe how to perform epitope mapping by antigen fragment phage display from single-gene antigen libraries and how to construct these types of libraries. Thus, we also provide figures and analysis to demonstrate the actual potential of this technique and to prove the necessity of certain procedural steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viola Fühner
- Abteilung Biotechnologie, Institut für Biochemie, Biotechnologie und Bioinformatik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Philip Alexander Heine
- Abteilung Biotechnologie, Institut für Biochemie, Biotechnologie und Bioinformatik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Doris Meier
- Abteilung Biotechnologie, Institut für Biochemie, Biotechnologie und Bioinformatik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Kristian Daniel Ralph Roth
- Abteilung Biotechnologie, Institut für Biochemie, Biotechnologie und Bioinformatik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Michael Hust
- Abteilung Biotechnologie, Institut für Biochemie, Biotechnologie und Bioinformatik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.
| | - Giulio Russo
- Abteilung Biotechnologie, Institut für Biochemie, Biotechnologie und Bioinformatik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
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Dai P, Zhu Y, You X, Deng X, Zhu C, Chen L, Li L, Luo D, Zeng Y. Screening and Identification of the Binding Peptides of Mycoplasma genitalium Protein of Adhesion. Int J Pept Res Ther 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-018-9783-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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12
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Future Prospects for Neisseria gonorrhoeae Treatment. Antibiotics (Basel) 2018; 7:antibiotics7020049. [PMID: 29914071 PMCID: PMC6022920 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics7020049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Revised: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease with a high morbidity burden. Incidence of this disease is rising due to the increasing number of antibiotic-resistant strains. Neisseria gonorrhoeae has shown an extraordinary ability to develop resistance to all antimicrobials introduced for its treatment. In fact, it was recently classified as a “Priority 2” microorganism in the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Priority List of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria to Guide Research, Discovery and Development of New Antibiotics. Seeing as there is no gonococcal vaccine, control of the disease relies entirely on prevention, diagnosis, and, especially, antibiotic treatment. Different health organizations worldwide have established treatment guidelines against gonorrhea, mostly consisting of dual therapy with a single oral or intramuscular dose. However, gonococci continue to develop resistances to all antibiotics introduced for treatment. In fact, the first strain of super-resistant N.gonorrhoeae was recently detected in the United Kingdom, which was resistant to ceftriaxone and azithromycin. The increase in the detection of resistant gonococci may lead to a situation where gonorrhea becomes untreatable. Seeing as drug resistance appears to be unstoppable, new treatment options are necessary in order to control the disease. Three approaches are currently being followed for the development of new therapies against drug-resistant gonococci: (1) novel combinations of already existing antibiotics; (2) development of new antibiotics; and (3) development of alternative therapies which might slow down the appearance of resistances. N. gonorrhoeae is a public health threat due to the increasing number of antibiotic-resistant strains. Current treatment guidelines are already being challenged by this superbug. This has led the scientific community to develop new antibiotics and alternative therapies in order to control this disease.
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Abstract
ORFeome phage display allows the efficient functional screening of entire proteomes or even metaproteomes to identify immunogenic proteins. For this purpose, randomly fragmented, whole genomes or metagenomes are cloned into a phage-display vector allowing positive selection for open reading frames (ORF) to improve the library quality. These libraries display all possible proteins encoded by a pathogen or a microbiome on the phage surface. Consequently, immunogenic proteins can be selected from these libraries using disease-related immunoglobulins from patient serum. ORFeome phage display in particular allows the identification of immunogenic proteins that are only expressed in the host-pathogen interaction but not in cultivation, as well as the detection of very low expressed and very small immunogens and immunogenic proteins of non-cultivable organisms. The identified immunogenic proteins are potential biomarkers for the development of diagnostic assays or vaccines. These articles will give an introduction to ORFeome phage-display technology and give detailed protocols to identify immunogenic proteins by phage display.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Zantow
- Institut für Biochemie, Biotechnologie und Bioinformatik, Abteilung Biotechnologie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstr. 7, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Stefan Dübel
- Institut für Biochemie, Biotechnologie und Bioinformatik, Abteilung Biotechnologie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstr. 7, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michael Hust
- Abteilung Biotechnologie, Institut für Biochemie, Biotechnologie und Bioinformatik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.
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Epitope determination of immunogenic proteins of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180962. [PMID: 28723967 PMCID: PMC5516995 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the causative organism of gonorrhoea, a sexually transmitted disease that globally accounts for an estimated 80 to 100 million new infections per year. Increasing resistances to all common antibiotics used for N. gonorrhoeae treatment pose the risk of an untreatable disease. Further knowledge of ways of infection and host immune response are needed to understand the pathogen-host interaction and to discover new treatment alternatives against this disease. Therefore, detailed information about immunogenic proteins and their properties like epitope sites could advance further research in this area. In this work, we investigated immunogenic proteins of N. gonorrhoeae for linear epitopes by microarrays. Dominant linear epitopes were identified for eleven of the nineteen investigated proteins with three polyclonal rabbit antibodies from different immunisations. Identified linear epitopes were further examined for non-specific binding with antibodies to Escherichia coli and the closely related pathogen Neisseria meningitidis. On top of that, amino acids crucial for the antibody epitope binding were detected by microarray based alanine scans.
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Zantow J, Just S, Lagkouvardos I, Kisling S, Dübel S, Lepage P, Clavel T, Hust M. Mining gut microbiome oligopeptides by functional metaproteome display. Sci Rep 2016; 6:34337. [PMID: 27703179 PMCID: PMC5050496 DOI: 10.1038/srep34337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogen infections, autoimmune diseases, and chronic inflammatory disorders are associated with systemic antibody responses from the host immune system. Disease-specific antibodies can be important serum biomarkers, but the identification of antigens associated with specific immune reactions is challenging, in particular if complex communities of microorganisms are involved in the disease progression. Despite promising new diagnostic opportunities, the discovery of these serological markers becomes more difficult with increasing complexity of microbial communities. In the present work, we used a metagenomic M13 phage display approach to select immunogenic oligopeptides from the gut microbiome of transgenic mice suffering from chronic ileitis. We constructed three individual metaproteome phage display libraries with a library size of approximately 107 clones each. Using serum antibodies, we selected and validated three oligopeptides that induced specific antibody responses in the mouse model. This proof-of-concept study provides the first successful application of functional metaproteome display for the study of protein-protein interactions and the discovery of potential disease biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Zantow
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institute of Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics - Department for Biotechnology, Germany
| | - Sarah Just
- Technische Universität München, ZIEL Institute for Food and Health, Freising, Germany
| | - Ilias Lagkouvardos
- Technische Universität München, ZIEL Institute for Food and Health, Freising, Germany
| | - Sigrid Kisling
- Technische Universität München, ZIEL Institute for Food and Health, Freising, Germany
| | - Stefan Dübel
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institute of Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics - Department for Biotechnology, Germany
| | - Patricia Lepage
- Micalis Institute, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Thomas Clavel
- Technische Universität München, ZIEL Institute for Food and Health, Freising, Germany
| | - Michael Hust
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institute of Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics - Department for Biotechnology, Germany
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Wang L, Deng X, Liu H, Zhao L, You X, Dai P, Wan K, Zeng Y. The mimic epitopes ofMycobacterium tuberculosisscreened by phage display peptide library have serodiagnostic potential for tuberculosis. Pathog Dis 2016; 74:ftw091. [DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftw091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Fructose 1,6-Bisphosphate Aldolase, a Novel Immunogenic Surface Protein on Listeria Species. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0160544. [PMID: 27489951 PMCID: PMC4973958 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a ubiquitous food-borne pathogen, and its presence in food or production facilities highlights the importance of surveillance. Increased understanding of the surface exposed antigens on Listeria would provide potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets. In the present work, using mass spectrometry and genetic cloning, we show that fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (FBA) class II in Listeria species is the antigen target of the previously described mAb-3F8. Western and dot blot assays confirmed that the mAb-3F8 could distinguish all tested Listeria species from close-related bacteria. Localization studies indicated that FBA is present in every fraction of Listeria cells, including supernatant and the cell wall, setting Listeria spp. as one of the few bacteria described to have this protein on their cell surface. Epitope mapping using ORFeome display and a peptide membrane revealed a 14-amino acid peptide as the potential mAb-3F8 epitope. The target epitope in FBA allowed distinguishing Listeria spp. from closely-related bacteria, and was identified as part of the active site in the dimeric enzyme. However, its function in cell surface seems not to be host cell adhesion-related. Western and dot blot assays further demonstrated that mAb-3F8 together with anti-InlA mAb-2D12 could differentiate pathogenic from non-pathogenic Listeria isolated from artificially contaminated cheese. In summary, we report FBA as a novel immunogenic surface target useful for the detection of Listeria genus.
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