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Marques PH, Rodrigues TCV, Santos EH, Bleicher L, Aburjaile FF, Martins FS, Oliveira CJF, Azevedo V, Tiwari S, Soares S. Design of a multi-epitope vaccine (vme-VAC/MST-1) against cholera and vibriosis based on reverse vaccinology and immunoinformatics approaches. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-16. [PMID: 38112302 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2293256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Vibriosis and cholera are serious diseases distributed worldwide and caused by six marine bacteria of the Vibrio genus. Thousands of deaths occur each year due to these illnesses, necessitating the development of new preventive measures. Presently, the existing cholera vaccine demonstrates an effectiveness of approximately 60%. Here we describe a new multi-epitope vaccine, 'vme-VAC/MST-1' based on vaccine targets identified by reverse vaccinology and epitopes predicted by immunoinformatics, two currently effective tools for predicting new vaccines for bacterial pathogens. The vaccine was designed to combat vibriosis and cholera by incorporating epitopes predicted for CTL, HTL, and B cells. These epitopes were identified from six vaccine targets revealed through subtractive genomics, combined with reverse vaccinology, and were further filtered using immunoinformatics approaches based on their predicted immunogenicity. To construct the vaccine, 28 epitopes (24 CTL/B and 4 HTL/B) were linked to the sequence of the cholera toxin B subunit adjuvant. In silico analyses indicate that the resulting immunogen is stable, soluble, non-toxic, and non-allergenic. Furthermore, it exhibits no homology to the host and demonstrates a strong capacity to elicit innate, B-cell, and T-cell immune responses. Our analysis suggests that it is likely to elicit immune reactions mediated through the TLR5 pathway, as evidenced by the molecular docking of the vaccine with the receptor, which revealed high affinity and a favorable reaction. Thus, vme-VAC/MST-1 is predicted to be a safe and effective solution against pathogenic Vibrio spp. However, further experimental analyses are required to measure the vaccine's effects In vivo.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Henrique Marques
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Post-graduate Interunits Program in Bioinformatics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Thais Cristina Vilela Rodrigues
- Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Horta Santos
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Post-graduate Interunits Program in Bioinformatics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Lucas Bleicher
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Flavia Figueira Aburjaile
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Flaviano S Martins
- Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Carlo Jose Freire Oliveira
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Vasco Azevedo
- Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Sandeep Tiwari
- Institute of Biology, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil
- Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Siomar Soares
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
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Jones LO, Willms RJ, Xu X, Graham RDV, Eklund M, Shin M, Foley E. Single-cell resolution of the adult zebrafish intestine under conventional conditions and in response to an acute Vibrio cholerae infection. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113407. [PMID: 37948182 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Vibrio cholerae is an aquatic bacterium that causes severe and potentially deadly diarrheal disease. Despite the impact on global health, our understanding of host mucosal responses to Vibrio remains limited, highlighting a knowledge gap critical for the development of effective prevention and treatment strategies. Using a natural infection model, we combine physiological and single-cell transcriptomic studies to characterize conventionally reared adult zebrafish guts and guts challenged with Vibrio. We demonstrate that Vibrio causes a mild mucosal immune response characterized by T cell activation and enhanced antigen capture; Vibrio suppresses host interferon signaling; and ectopic activation of interferon alters the course of infection. We show that the adult zebrafish gut shares similarities with mammalian counterparts, including the presence of Best4+ cells, tuft cells, and a population of basal cycling cells. These findings provide important insights into host-pathogen interactions and emphasize the utility of zebrafish as a natural model of Vibrio infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena O Jones
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Reegan J Willms
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Xinyue Xu
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Ralph Derrick V Graham
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Mckenna Eklund
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Minjeong Shin
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Edan Foley
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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Walton MG, Cubillejo I, Nag D, Withey JH. Advances in cholera research: from molecular biology to public health initiatives. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1178538. [PMID: 37283925 PMCID: PMC10239892 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1178538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The aquatic bacterium Vibrio cholerae is the etiological agent of the diarrheal disease cholera, which has plagued the world for centuries. This pathogen has been the subject of studies in a vast array of fields, from molecular biology to animal models for virulence activity to epidemiological disease transmission modeling. V. cholerae genetics and the activity of virulence genes determine the pathogenic potential of different strains, as well as provide a model for genomic evolution in the natural environment. While animal models for V. cholerae infection have been used for decades, recent advances in this area provide a well-rounded picture of nearly all aspects of V. cholerae interaction with both mammalian and non-mammalian hosts, encompassing colonization dynamics, pathogenesis, immunological responses, and transmission to naïve populations. Microbiome studies have become increasingly common as access and affordability of sequencing has improved, and these studies have revealed key factors in V. cholerae communication and competition with members of the gut microbiota. Despite a wealth of knowledge surrounding V. cholerae, the pathogen remains endemic in numerous countries and causes sporadic outbreaks elsewhere. Public health initiatives aim to prevent cholera outbreaks and provide prompt, effective relief in cases where prevention is not feasible. In this review, we describe recent advancements in cholera research in these areas to provide a more complete illustration of V. cholerae evolution as a microbe and significant global health threat, as well as how researchers are working to improve understanding and minimize impact of this pathogen on vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jeffrey H. Withey
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
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Nag D, Farr D, Raychaudhuri S, Withey JH. Using a zebrafish model to understand adherent-invasive Escherichia coli infection. STAR Protoc 2022; 3:101810. [DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
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Saberpour M, Najar-Peeraye S, Shams S, Bakhshi B. Effects of chitosan nanoparticles loaded with mesenchymal stem cell conditioned media on gene expression in Vibrio cholerae and Caco-2 cells. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9781. [PMID: 35697926 PMCID: PMC9192724 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14057-5] [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: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Vibrio (V.) cholerae forms a pellicle for self-defense in the pathological conditions in the intestine, which protects it against antibiotics and adverse conditions. Targeting biofilm genes and Toll-like receptors (TLRs) is one of the new strategies to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of mesenchymal stem cell conditioned media (MSC CM; 1000 µg), chitosan nanoparticles incorporated with mesenchymal stem cell conditioned media (MSC CM-CS NPs; 1000 µg + 0.05%), and chitosan nanoparticles (CS NPs; 0.05%) on the expression of bap1 and rbmC biofilm genes in V. cholerae and TLR2 and TLR4 genes in Caco-2 cells. The bacteria were inoculated in the presence or absence of MSC CM, MSC CM-CS NPs, and CS NPs for 24 h at 37 °C to evaluate the expression of biofilm genes. The Caco-2 cells were also exposed to V. cholerae for 1 h and then MSC CM, MSC CM-CS NPs, and CS NPs for 18 h at 37 °C. After these times, RNA was extracted from Caco-2 cells and bacteria exposed to the compounds, and the expression of target genes was evaluated using real-time PCR. Caco-2 cell viability was also assessed by MTT assay. After adding MSC CM, MSC CM-CS NPs, and CS NPs to V. cholerae medium, the percentage reduction in gene expression of bap1 was 96, 91, and 39%, and rbmC was 93, 92, and 32%, respectively. After adding MSC CM, MSC CM-CS NPs, and CS NPs to the Caco-2 cell medium, the percentage reduction in the gene expression of TLR4 was 89, 90, and 82%, and TLR2 was 41, 43, and 32%, respectively. MTT showed that Caco-2 cell viability was high and the compounds had little toxicity on these cells. Finally, it suggests that MSC CM-CS NPs designed may be a therapeutic agent to combat inflammation and biofilm formation in multidrug-resistant V. cholerae. However, further studies in vivo are also recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masoumeh Saberpour
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shahin Najar-Peeraye
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeed Shams
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
| | - Bita Bakhshi
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
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