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D'haeseleer P, Collette NM, Lao V, Segelke BW, Branda SS, Franco M. Shotgun Immunoproteomic Approach for the Discovery of Linear B-Cell Epitopes in Biothreat Agents Francisella tularensis and Burkholderia pseudomallei. Front Immunol 2021; 12:716676. [PMID: 34659206 PMCID: PMC8513525 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.716676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptide-based subunit vaccines are coming to the forefront of current vaccine approaches, with safety and cost-effective production among their top advantages. Peptide vaccine formulations consist of multiple synthetic linear epitopes that together trigger desired immune responses that can result in robust immune memory. The advantages of linear compared to conformational epitopes are their simple structure, ease of synthesis, and ability to stimulate immune responses by means that do not require complex 3D conformation. Prediction of linear epitopes through use of computational tools is fast and cost-effective, but typically of low accuracy, necessitating extensive experimentation to verify results. On the other hand, identification of linear epitopes through experimental screening has been an inefficient process that requires thorough characterization of previously identified full-length protein antigens, or laborious techniques involving genetic manipulation of organisms. In this study, we apply a newly developed generalizable screening method that enables efficient identification of B-cell epitopes in the proteomes of pathogenic bacteria. As a test case, we used this method to identify epitopes in the proteome of Francisella tularensis (Ft), a Select Agent with a well-characterized immunoproteome. Our screen identified many peptides that map to known antigens, including verified and predicted outer membrane proteins and extracellular proteins, validating the utility of this approach. We then used the method to identify seroreactive peptides in the less characterized immunoproteome of Select Agent Burkholderia pseudomallei (Bp). This screen revealed known Bp antigens as well as proteins that have not been previously identified as antigens. Although B-cell epitope prediction tools Bepipred 2.0 and iBCE-EL classified many of our seroreactive peptides as epitopes, they did not score them significantly higher than the non-reactive tryptic peptides in our study, nor did they assign higher scores to seroreactive peptides from known Ft or Bp antigens, highlighting the need for experimental data instead of relying on computational epitope predictions alone. The present workflow is easily adaptable to detecting peptide targets relevant to the immune systems of other mammalian species, including humans (depending upon the availability of convalescent sera from patients), and could aid in accelerating the discovery of B-cell epitopes and development of vaccines to counter emerging biological threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrik D'haeseleer
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, United States
| | - Nicole M Collette
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, United States
| | - Victoria Lao
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, United States
| | - Brent W Segelke
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, United States
| | - Steven S Branda
- Molecular and Microbiology Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA, United States
| | - Magdalena Franco
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, United States
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2
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Ricci AD, Brunner M, Ramoa D, Carmona SJ, Nielsen M, Agüero F. APRANK: Computational Prioritization of Antigenic Proteins and Peptides From Complete Pathogen Proteomes. Front Immunol 2021; 12:702552. [PMID: 34335615 PMCID: PMC8320365 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.702552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Availability of highly parallelized immunoassays has renewed interest in the discovery of serology biomarkers for infectious diseases. Protein and peptide microarrays now provide a rapid, high-throughput platform for immunological testing and validation of potential antigens and B-cell epitopes. However, there is still a need for tools to prioritize and select relevant probes when designing these arrays. In this work we describe a computational method called APRANK (Antigenic Protein and Peptide Ranker) which integrates multiple molecular features to prioritize potentially antigenic proteins and peptides in a given pathogen proteome. These features include subcellular localization, presence of repetitive motifs, natively disordered regions, secondary structure, transmembrane spans and predicted interaction with the immune system. We trained and tested this method with a number of bacteria and protozoa causing human diseases: Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease), Brucella melitensis (Brucellosis), Coxiella burnetii (Q fever), Escherichia coli (Gastroenteritis), Francisella tularensis (Tularemia), Leishmania braziliensis (Leishmaniasis), Leptospira interrogans (Leptospirosis), Mycobacterium leprae (Leprae), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Tuberculosis), Plasmodium falciparum (Malaria), Porphyromonas gingivalis (Periodontal disease), Staphylococcus aureus (Bacteremia), Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A Streptococcal infections), Toxoplasma gondii (Toxoplasmosis) and Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas Disease). We have evaluated this integrative method using non-parametric ROC-curves and made an unbiased validation using Onchocerca volvulus as an independent data set. We found that APRANK is successful in predicting antigenicity for all pathogen species tested, facilitating the production of antigen-enriched protein subsets. We make APRANK available to facilitate the identification of novel diagnostic antigens in infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro D Ricci
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Rodolfo Ugalde" (IIB), Universidad de San Martín (UNSAM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mauricio Brunner
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Rodolfo Ugalde" (IIB), Universidad de San Martín (UNSAM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Diego Ramoa
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Rodolfo Ugalde" (IIB), Universidad de San Martín (UNSAM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Santiago J Carmona
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Rodolfo Ugalde" (IIB), Universidad de San Martín (UNSAM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Morten Nielsen
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Rodolfo Ugalde" (IIB), Universidad de San Martín (UNSAM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Department of Health Technology, The Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Fernán Agüero
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Rodolfo Ugalde" (IIB), Universidad de San Martín (UNSAM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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3
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Klimentova J, Rehulka P, Pavkova I, Kubelkova K, Bavlovic J, Stulik J. Cross-Species Proteomic Comparison of Outer Membrane Vesicles and Membranes of Francisella tularensis subsp. tularensis versus subsp. holarctica. J Proteome Res 2021; 20:1716-1732. [PMID: 33543941 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.0c00917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Release of outer membrane vesicles (OMV) is an important phenomenon in Gram-negative bacteria playing multiple roles in their lifestyle, including in relation to virulence and host-pathogen interaction. Francisella tularensis, unlike other bacteria, releases unusually shaped, tubular OMV. We present a proteomic comparison of OMV and membrane fractions from two F. tularensis strains: moderately virulent subsp. holarctica strain FSC200 and highly virulent subsp. tularensis strain SchuS4. Proteomic comparison studies routinely evaluate samples from the same proteome, but sometimes we must compare samples from closely related organisms. This raises quantification issues. We propose a novel approach to cross-species proteomic comparison based on an intersection protein database from the individual single-species databases. This is less prone to quantification errors arising from differences in the sequences. Consecutively comparing subproteomes of OMV and membranes of the two strains allows distinguishing differences in relative protein amounts caused by global expression changes from those caused by preferential protein packing to OMV or membranes. Among the proteins most differently packed into OMV between the two strains, we detected proteins involved in biosynthesis and metabolism of bacterial envelope components like O-antigen, lipid A, phospholipids, and fatty acids, as well as some major structural outer membrane proteins. The data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD022406.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Klimentova
- Faculty of Military Health Sciences, Department of Molecular Pathology and Biology, University of Defence, Hradec Kralove 500 01, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Rehulka
- Faculty of Military Health Sciences, Department of Molecular Pathology and Biology, University of Defence, Hradec Kralove 500 01, Czech Republic
| | - Ivona Pavkova
- Faculty of Military Health Sciences, Department of Molecular Pathology and Biology, University of Defence, Hradec Kralove 500 01, Czech Republic
| | - Klara Kubelkova
- Faculty of Military Health Sciences, Department of Molecular Pathology and Biology, University of Defence, Hradec Kralove 500 01, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Bavlovic
- Faculty of Military Health Sciences, Department of Molecular Pathology and Biology, University of Defence, Hradec Kralove 500 01, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Stulik
- Faculty of Military Health Sciences, Department of Molecular Pathology and Biology, University of Defence, Hradec Kralove 500 01, Czech Republic
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4
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Witt N, Andreotti S, Busch A, Neubert K, Reinert K, Tomaso H, Meierhofer D. Rapid and Culture Free Identification of Francisella in Hare Carcasses by High-Resolution Tandem Mass Spectrometry Proteotyping. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:636. [PMID: 32457701 PMCID: PMC7225524 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Zoonotic pathogens that can be transmitted via food to humans have a high potential for large-scale emergencies, comprising severe effects on public health, critical infrastructures, and the economy. In this context, the development of laboratory methods to rapidly detect zoonotic bacteria in the food supply chain, including high-resolution mass spectrometry proteotyping are needed. In this work, an optimized sample preparation method for liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based proteome profiling was established for Francisella isolates, and a cluster analysis, as well as a phylogenetic tree, was generated to shed light on evolutionary relationships. Furthermore, this method was applied to tissues of infected hare carcasses from Germany. Even though the non-informative data outnumbered by a manifold the information of the zoonotic pathogen in the resulting proteome profiles, the standardized evaluation of MS data within an established automated analysis pipeline identified Francisella (F.) tularensis and, thus, could be, in principle, an applicable method to monitor food supply chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Witt
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany.,Bioanalytics, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sandro Andreotti
- Bioinformatics Solution Center, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne Busch
- Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Jena, Germany.,Universitätsklinikum Jena, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Jena, Germany
| | - Kerstin Neubert
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Knut Reinert
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Herbert Tomaso
- Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Jena, Germany
| | - David Meierhofer
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
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5
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Klimentova J, Pavkova I, Horcickova L, Bavlovic J, Kofronova O, Benada O, Stulik J. Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica Releases Differentially Loaded Outer Membrane Vesicles Under Various Stress Conditions. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2304. [PMID: 31649645 PMCID: PMC6795709 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Francisella tularensis is a Gram-negative, facultative intracellular bacterium, causing a severe disease called tularemia. It secretes unusually shaped nanotubular outer membrane vesicles (OMV) loaded with a number of virulence factors and immunoreactive proteins. In the present study, the vesicles were purified from a clinical isolate of subsp. holarctica strain FSC200. We here provide a comprehensive proteomic characterization of OMV using a novel approach in which a comparison of OMV and membrane fraction is performed in order to find proteins selectively enriched in OMV vs. membrane. Only these proteins were further considered to be really involved in the OMV function and/or their exceptional structure. OMV were also isolated from bacteria cultured under various cultivation conditions simulating the diverse environments of F. tularensis life cycle. These included conditions mimicking the milieu inside the mammalian host during inflammation: oxidative stress, low pH, and high temperature (42°C); and in contrast, low temperature (25°C). We observed several-fold increase in vesiculation rate and significant protein cargo changes for high temperature and low pH. Further proteomic characterization of stress-derived OMV gave us an insight how the bacterium responds to the hostile environment of a mammalian host through the release of differentially loaded OMV. Among the proteins preferentially and selectively packed into OMV during stressful cultivations, the previously described virulence factors connected to the unique intracellular trafficking of Francisella were detected. Considerable changes were also observed in a number of proteins involved in the biosynthesis and metabolism of the bacterial envelope components like O-antigen, lipid A, phospholipids, and fatty acids. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD013074.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Klimentova
- Department of Molecular Pathology and Biology, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defense, Hradec Kralove, Czechia
| | - Ivona Pavkova
- Department of Molecular Pathology and Biology, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defense, Hradec Kralove, Czechia
| | - Lenka Horcickova
- Department of Molecular Pathology and Biology, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defense, Hradec Kralove, Czechia
| | - Jan Bavlovic
- Department of Molecular Pathology and Biology, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defense, Hradec Kralove, Czechia
| | - Olga Kofronova
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Oldrich Benada
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia.,Faculty of Science, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University, Ústí nad Labem, Czechia
| | - Jiri Stulik
- Department of Molecular Pathology and Biology, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defense, Hradec Kralove, Czechia
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6
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O’Malley KJ, Bowling JL, Stinson E, Cole KS, Mann BJ, Namjoshi P, Hazlett KRO, Barry EM, Reed DS. Aerosol prime-boost vaccination provides strong protection in outbred rabbits against virulent type A Francisella tularensis. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205928. [PMID: 30346998 PMCID: PMC6197691 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Tularemia, also known as rabbit fever, is a severe zoonotic disease in humans caused by the gram-negative bacterium Francisella tularensis (Ft). While there have been a number of attempts to develop a vaccine for Ft, few candidates have advanced beyond experiments in inbred mice. We report here that a prime-boost strategy with aerosol delivery of recombinant live attenuated candidate Ft S4ΔaroD offers significant protection (83% survival) in an outbred animal model, New Zealand White rabbits, against aerosol challenge with 248 cfu (11 LD50) of virulent type A Ft SCHU S4. Surviving rabbits given two doses of the attenuated strains by aerosol did not exhibit substantial post-challenge fevers, changes in erythrocyte sedimentation rate or in complete blood counts. At a higher challenge dose (3,186 cfu; 139 LD50), protection was still good with 66% of S4ΔaroD-vaccinated rabbits surviving while 50% of S4ΔguaBA vaccinated rabbits also survived challenge. Pre-challenge plasma IgG titers against Ft SCHU S4 corresponded with survival time after challenge. Western blot analysis found that plasma antibody shifted from predominantly targeting Ft O-antigen after the prime vaccination to other antigens after the boost. These results demonstrate the superior protection conferred by a live attenuated derivative of virulent F. tularensis, particularly when given in an aerosol prime-boost regimen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine J. O’Malley
- Center for Vaccine Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Jennifer L. Bowling
- Center for Vaccine Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Stinson
- Center for Vaccine Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Kelly S. Cole
- Center for Vaccine Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Barbara J. Mann
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - Prachi Namjoshi
- Department for Immunology & Microbial Diseases, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, United States of America
| | - Karsten R. O. Hazlett
- Department for Immunology & Microbial Diseases, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, United States of America
| | - Eileen M. Barry
- Center for Vaccine Development, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Douglas S. Reed
- Center for Vaccine Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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7
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Roberts LM, Powell DA, Frelinger JA. Adaptive Immunity to Francisella tularensis and Considerations for Vaccine Development. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2018; 8:115. [PMID: 29682484 PMCID: PMC5898179 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Francisella tularensis is an intracellular bacterium that causes the disease tularemia. There are several subspecies of F. tularensis whose ability to cause disease varies in humans. The most virulent subspecies, tularensis, is a Tier One Select Agent and a potential bioweapon. Although considerable effort has made to generate efficacious tularemia vaccines, to date none have been licensed for use in the United States. Despite the lack of a tularemia vaccine, we have learned a great deal about the adaptive immune response the underlies protective immunity. Herein, we detail the animal models commonly used to study tularemia and their recapitulation of human disease, the field's current understanding of vaccine-mediated protection, and discuss the challenges associated with new vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia M Roberts
- Immunity to Pulmonary Pathogens Section, Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Daniel A Powell
- Department of Immunobiology and Valley Fever Center for Excellence, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Jeffrey A Frelinger
- Department of Immunobiology and Valley Fever Center for Excellence, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
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8
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Pavkova I, Kopeckova M, Klimentova J, Schmidt M, Sheshko V, Sobol M, Zakova J, Hozak P, Stulik J. The Multiple Localized Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Contributes to the Attenuation of the Francisella tularensis dsbA Deletion Mutant. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:503. [PMID: 29322032 PMCID: PMC5732180 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The DsbA homolog of Francisella tularensis was previously demonstrated to be required for intracellular replication and animal death. Disruption of the dsbA gene leads to a pleiotropic phenotype that could indirectly affect a number of different cellular pathways. To reveal the broad effects of DsbA, we compared fractions enriched in membrane proteins of the wild-type FSC200 strain with the dsbA deletion strain using a SILAC-based quantitative proteomic analysis. This analysis enabled identification of 63 proteins with significantly altered amounts in the dsbA mutant strain compared to the wild-type strain. These proteins comprise a quite heterogeneous group including hypothetical proteins, proteins associated with membrane structures, and potential secreted proteins. Many of them are known to be associated with F. tularensis virulence. Several proteins were selected for further studies focused on their potential role in tularemia's pathogenesis. Of them, only the gene encoding glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, an enzyme of glycolytic pathway, was found to be important for full virulence manifestations both in vivo and in vitro. We next created a viable mutant strain with deleted gapA gene and analyzed its phenotype. The gapA mutant is characterized by reduced virulence in mice, defective replication inside macrophages, and its ability to induce a protective immune response against systemic challenge with parental wild-type strain. We also demonstrate the multiple localization sites of this protein: In addition to within the cytosol, it was found on the cell surface, outside the cells, and in the culture medium. Recombinant GapA was successfully obtained, and it was shown that it binds host extracellular serum proteins like plasminogen, fibrinogen, and fibronectin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivona Pavkova
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Military Health Science, University of Defence, Hradec Kralove, Czechia
| | - Monika Kopeckova
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Military Health Science, University of Defence, Hradec Kralove, Czechia
| | - Jana Klimentova
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Military Health Science, University of Defence, Hradec Kralove, Czechia
| | - Monika Schmidt
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Military Health Science, University of Defence, Hradec Kralove, Czechia
| | - Valeria Sheshko
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Military Health Science, University of Defence, Hradec Kralove, Czechia
| | - Margarita Sobol
- Department of Biology of the Cell Nucleus, Institute of Molecular Genetics ASCR v.v.i., Prague, Czechia
| | - Jitka Zakova
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Military Health Science, University of Defence, Hradec Kralove, Czechia
| | - Pavel Hozak
- Department of Biology of the Cell Nucleus, Institute of Molecular Genetics ASCR v.v.i., Prague, Czechia.,Microscopy Centre-LM & EM, Institute of Molecular Genetics ASCR v.v.i., Prague, Czechia.,Division BIOCEV, Laboratory of Epigenetics of the Cell Nucleus, Institute of Molecular Genetics ASCR v.v.i., Vestec, Czechia
| | - Jiri Stulik
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Military Health Science, University of Defence, Hradec Kralove, Czechia
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9
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Straskova A, Spidlova P, Mou S, Worsham P, Putzova D, Pavkova I, Stulik J. Francisella tularensis type B ΔdsbA mutant protects against type A strain and induces strong inflammatory cytokine and Th1-like antibody response in vivo. Pathog Dis 2015; 73:ftv058. [PMID: 26253078 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftv058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Francisella tularensis subspecies tularensis is a highly virulent intracellular bacterial pathogen, causing the disease tularemia. However, a safe and effective vaccine for routine application against F. tularensis has not yet been developed. We have recently constructed the deletion mutants for the DsbA homolog protein (ΔdsbA/FSC200) and a hypothetical protein IglH (ΔiglH/FSC200) in the type B F. tularensis subsp. holarctica FSC200 strain, which exerted different protection capacity against parental virulent strain. In this study, we further investigated the immunological correlates for these different levels of protection provided by ΔdsbA/FSC200 and ΔiglH/FSC200 mutants. Our results show that ΔdsbA/FSC200 mutant, but not ΔiglH/FSC200 mutant, induces an early innate inflammatory response leading to strong Th1-like antibody response. Furthermore, vaccination with ΔdsbA/FSC200 mutant, but not with ΔiglH/FSC200, elicited protection against the subsequent challenge with type A SCHU S4 strain in mice. An immunoproteomic approach was used to map a spectrum of antigens targeted by Th1-like specific antibodies, and more than 80 bacterial antigens, including novel ones, were identified. Comparison of tularemic antigens recognized by the ΔdsbA/FSC200 post-vaccination and the SCHU S4 post-challenge sera then revealed the existence of 22 novel SCHU S4 specific antibody clones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adela Straskova
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence, Hradec Kralove, Trebesska 1575, Hradec Kralove 500 01, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Spidlova
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence, Hradec Kralove, Trebesska 1575, Hradec Kralove 500 01, Czech Republic
| | - Sherry Mou
- Bacteriology Division, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD 21702-5011, USA
| | - Patricia Worsham
- Bacteriology Division, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD 21702-5011, USA
| | - Daniela Putzova
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence, Hradec Kralove, Trebesska 1575, Hradec Kralove 500 01, Czech Republic
| | - Ivona Pavkova
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence, Hradec Kralove, Trebesska 1575, Hradec Kralove 500 01, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Stulik
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence, Hradec Kralove, Trebesska 1575, Hradec Kralove 500 01, Czech Republic
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10
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Carvalho CL, Lopes de Carvalho I, Zé-Zé L, Núncio MS, Duarte EL. Tularaemia: a challenging zoonosis. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2014; 37:85-96. [PMID: 24480622 PMCID: PMC7124367 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2014.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2013] [Revised: 12/28/2013] [Accepted: 01/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, several emerging zoonotic vector-borne infections with potential impact on human health have been identified in Europe, including tularaemia, caused by Francisella tularensis. This remarkable pathogen, one of the most virulent microorganisms currently known, has been detected in increasingly new settings and in a wide range of wild species, including lagomorphs, rodents, carnivores, fish and invertebrate arthropods. Also, a renewed concern has arisen with regard to F. tularensis: its potential use by bioterrorists. Based on the information published concerning the latest outbreaks, the aim of this paper is to review the main features of the agent, its biology, immunology and epidemiology. Moreover, special focus will be given to zoonotic aspects of the disease, as tularaemia outbreaks in human populations have been frequently associated with disease in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- C L Carvalho
- Institute of Mediterranean Agricultural and Environmental Science (ICAAM), School of Science and Technology ECT, University of Évora, Portugal; Centre for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Research, National Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Águas de Moura, Portugal
| | - I Lopes de Carvalho
- Emergency Response and Bio-preparedness Unit, National Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - L Zé-Zé
- Centre for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Research, National Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Águas de Moura, Portugal
| | - M S Núncio
- Centre for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Research, National Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Águas de Moura, Portugal
| | - E L Duarte
- Institute of Mediterranean Agricultural and Environmental Science (ICAAM), School of Science and Technology ECT, University of Évora, Portugal.
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Sjöstedt A. Special Topic on Francisella tularensis and Tularemia. Front Microbiol 2011; 2:86. [PMID: 21833327 PMCID: PMC3153047 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2011.00086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2011] [Accepted: 04/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anders Sjöstedt
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University Umeå, Sweden
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Akimana C, Kwaik YA. Francisella-arthropod vector interaction and its role in patho-adaptation to infect mammals. Front Microbiol 2011; 2:34. [PMID: 21687425 PMCID: PMC3109307 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2011.00034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2010] [Accepted: 02/07/2011] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Francisella tularensis is a Gram-negative, intracellular, zoonotic bacterium, and is the causative agent of tularemia with a broad host range. Arthropods such as ticks, mosquitoes, and flies maintain F. tularensis in nature by transmitting the bacteria among small mammals. While the tick is largely believed to be a biological vector of F. tularensis, transmission by mosquitoes and flies is largely believed to be mechanical on the mouthpart through interrupted feedings. However, the mechanism of infection of the vectors by F. tularensis is not well understood. Since F. tularensis has not been localized in the salivary gland of the primary human biting ticks, it is thought that bacterial transmission by ticks is through mechanical inoculation of tick feces containing F. tularensis into the skin wound. Drosophila melanogaster is an established good arthropod model for arthropod vectors of tularemia, where F. tularensis infects hemocytes, and is found in hemolymph, as seen in ticks. In addition, phagosome biogenesis and robust intracellular proliferation of F. tularensis in arthropod-derived cells are similar to that in mammalian macrophages. Furthermore, bacterial factors required for infectivity of mammals are often required for infectivity of the fly by F. tularensis. Several host factors that contribute to F. tularensis intracellular pathogenesis in D. melanogaster have been identified, and F. tularensis targets some of the evolutionarily conserved eukaryotic processes to enable intracellular survival and proliferation in evolutionarily distant hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Akimana
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Louisville Louisville, KY, USA
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