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Vaghasia V, Lata KS, Patel S, Das J. Epitopes mapping for identification of potential cross-reactive peptide against leptospirosis. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-16. [PMID: 37948196 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2279285] [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: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Leptospira, the pathogenic helical spirochetes that cause leptospirosis, is an emerging zoonotic disease with effective dissemination tactics in the host and can infect humans and animals with moderate or severe illnesses. Thus, peptide-based vaccines may be the most effective strategy to manage the immune response against Leptospira to close these gaps. In the current investigation, highly immunogenic proteins from the proteome of Leptospira interorgan serogroup Icterohaemorrhagie serovar Lai strain 56601 were identified using immunoinformatic methods. It was discovered that the conserved and most immunogenic outer membrane Lepin protein was both antigenic and non-allergenic by testing 15 linear B-cells and the ten best T-cell (Helper-lymphocyte (HTL) with the most significant number of HLA-DR binding alleles and the eight cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)) epitopes. Furthermore, a 3D structural model of CTL epitopes was created using the Pep-Fold3 platform. Using the Autodock 4.2 docking server, research was conducted to determine how well the top-ranked CTL peptide models attach to HLA-A*0201 (PDB ID: 4U6Y). With HLA-A*0201, the epitope SSGTGNLHV binds with a binding energy of -1.29 kcal/mol. Utilizing molecular dynamics modeling, the projected epitope-allele docked complex structure was optimized, and the stability of the complex system was assessed. Therefore, this epitope can trigger an immunological response and produce effective Leptospira vaccine candidates. Overall, this study offers a unique vaccination candidate and may encourage additional research into leptospirosis vaccines.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vibhisha Vaghasia
- Department of Botany, Bioinformatics and Climate Change Impacts management, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India
| | - Kumari Snehkant Lata
- Department of Botany, Bioinformatics and Climate Change Impacts management, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India
| | - Saumya Patel
- Department of Botany, Bioinformatics and Climate Change Impacts management, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India
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2
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de Oliveira NR, Santos FDS, Dos Santos VAC, Maia MAC, Oliveira TL, Dellagostin OA. Challenges and Strategies for Developing Recombinant Vaccines against Leptospirosis: Role of Expression Platforms and Adjuvants in Achieving Protective Efficacy. Pathogens 2023; 12:787. [PMID: 37375478 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12060787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The first leptospiral recombinant vaccine was developed in the late 1990s. Since then, progress in the fields of reverse vaccinology (RV) and structural vaccinology (SV) has significantly improved the identification of novel surface-exposed and conserved vaccine targets. However, developing recombinant vaccines for leptospirosis faces various challenges, including selecting the ideal expression platform or delivery system, assessing immunogenicity, selecting adjuvants, establishing vaccine formulation, demonstrating protective efficacy against lethal disease in homologous challenge, achieving full renal clearance using experimental models, and reproducibility of protective efficacy against heterologous challenge. In this review, we highlight the role of the expression/delivery system employed in studies based on the well-known LipL32 and leptospiral immunoglobulin-like (Lig) proteins, as well as the choice of adjuvants, as key factors to achieving the best vaccine performance in terms of protective efficacy against lethal infection and induction of sterile immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Rodrigues de Oliveira
- Núcleo de Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas 96010-610, RS, Brazil
| | - Francisco Denis Souza Santos
- Núcleo de Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas 96010-610, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Mara Andrade Colares Maia
- Núcleo de Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas 96010-610, RS, Brazil
| | - Thaís Larré Oliveira
- Núcleo de Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas 96010-610, RS, Brazil
| | - Odir Antônio Dellagostin
- Núcleo de Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas 96010-610, RS, Brazil
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Shawan MMAK, Sharma AR, Halder SK, Arian TA, Shuvo MN, Sarker SR, Hasan MA. Advances in Computational and Bioinformatics Tools and Databases for Designing and Developing a Multi-Epitope-Based Peptide Vaccine. Int J Pept Res Ther 2023; 29:60. [PMID: 37251529 PMCID: PMC10203685 DOI: 10.1007/s10989-023-10535-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
A vaccine is defined as a biologic preparation that trains the immune system, boosts immunity, and protects against a deadly microbial infection. They have been used for centuries to combat a variety of contagious illnesses by means of subsiding the disease burden as well as eradicating the disease. Since infectious disease pandemics are a recurring global threat, vaccination has emerged as one of the most promising tools to save millions of lives and reduce infection rates. The World Health Organization reports that immunization protects three million individuals annually. Currently, multi-epitope-based peptide vaccines are a unique concept in vaccine formulation. Epitope-based peptide vaccines utilize small fragments of proteins or peptides (parts of the pathogen), called epitopes, that trigger an adequate immune response against a particular pathogen. However, conventional vaccine designing and development techniques are too cumbersome, expensive, and time-consuming. With the recent advancement in bioinformatics, immunoinformatics, and vaccinomics discipline, vaccine science has entered a new era accompanying a modern, impressive, and more realistic paradigm in designing and developing next-generation strong immunogens. In silico designing and developing a safe and novel vaccine construct involves knowledge of reverse vaccinology, various vaccine databases, and high throughput techniques. The computational tools and techniques directly associated with vaccine research are extremely effective, economical, precise, robust, and safe for human use. Many vaccine candidates have entered clinical trials instantly and are available prior to schedule. In light of this, the present article provides researchers with up-to-date information on various approaches, protocols, and databases regarding the computational designing and development of potent multi-epitope-based peptide vaccines that can assist researchers in tailoring vaccines more rapidly and cost-effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Mahfuz Ali Khan Shawan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, 1342 Bangladesh
| | - Ashish Ranjan Sharma
- Institute for Skeletal Aging & Orthopedic Surgery, Hallym University-Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Chuncheon-si, 24252 Gangwon-do Republic of Korea
| | - Sajal Kumar Halder
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, 1342 Bangladesh
| | - Tawsif Al Arian
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, 1342 Bangladesh
| | - Md. Nazmussakib Shuvo
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, 1342 Bangladesh
| | - Satya Ranjan Sarker
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, 1342 Bangladesh
| | - Md. Ashraful Hasan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, 1342 Bangladesh
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In Silico Approaches for the Identification of Aptamer Binding Interactions to Leptospira spp. Cell Surface Proteins. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:tropicalmed8020125. [PMID: 36828542 PMCID: PMC9963831 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8020125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Aptamers are nucleic acids that can bind with high affinity and specificity to a range of target molecules. However, their functionality relies on their secondary and tertiary structures such that the combination of nucleotides determines their three-dimensional conformation. In this study, the binding mechanisms of candidate aptamers and their interactions with selected target proteins found in the cell surface of Leptospira were predicted to select high-affinity aptamers. Four aptamers were evaluated through molecular modeling and docking using available software and web-based tools, following the workflow previously designed for in silico evaluation of DNA aptamers. The most predominant and highly conserved surface-exposed proteins among pathogenic Leptospira species were used as aptamer targets. The highest number of interactions was seen in aptamers AP5 and AP1. Hydrogen bonds, along with a few hydrophobic interactions, occur in most aptamer-protein complexes. Further analysis revealed serine, threonine, glutamine, and lysine as main protein residues. H-bond interactions occur mostly with polar amino acids, as reflected in the predicted interaction profiles of aptamer-protein complexes. In silico strategies allowed the identification of key residues crucial in aptamer-target interaction during aptamer screening. Such information can be used in aptamer modification for improved binding affinity and accuracy for diagnostics application.
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Analysis of LruC lipoprotein and identification of peptides candidates for vaccine development and diagnosis of leptospirosis. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0281344. [PMID: 36745643 PMCID: PMC9901810 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a public health concern with lethality around 15% of the total cases. The current vaccines against Leptospira infection based on bacterins have several limitations, which require urgent development of new ones. In this context, groundbreaking approaches such as peptide-vaccines could be used to come around with promising results. Our goal was to identify conserved and immunogenic epitopes from the lipoprotein LruC that could interact with Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) I and II. LruC is a conserved lipoprotein expressed during leptospirosis that is considered among vaccine candidates and can be used as source for development of peptide-based vaccines. We searched for peptides that would be recognized by antibodies from either serum of hamsters previously immunized with low-LPS bacterin vaccines or from serum of patients diagnosed with leptospirosis. Immuno properties of seven peptides from LruC protein were evaluated in silico and by Dot Blot assay, and validate by ELISA. Preliminary results pointed one promising peptide that was recognized by the sera. In conclusion, the immunoinformatic approach helps the search and screening of peptides, while the Dot Blot assay, a simple and effective tool, helps to test and validate them. Thus, these prospective techniques together were validated to identify and validate potential peptides for further investigation as peptide-based vaccines or diagnostic methods.
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Immune response at a vaccine-challenge study using beagle dogs and locally isolated Leptospira spp. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2023; 255:110522. [PMID: 36481533 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2022.110522] [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: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Determination of the immune response of dogs by measuring the antibody levels (utilizing MAT) and levels of cytokines (TNF-α, IL-4 and IFN-γ) post-vaccination with locally produced killed whole-celled Leptospiral vaccine and post-challenge with a locally isolated Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae Copenhageni strain. For assessment of immunity of the vaccine serum antibodies were detected before and after vaccination and challenge in three studies. The effects of the challenge were determined by a variety of parameters including reisolation of the challenge Leptospira spp. via blood, urine, and kidney samples. The challenge strain did not produce generalised infection but elevated circulating antibody levels in both the control and vaccinated dogs in any of the three studies, however leptospires were reisolated from the urine of the control dogs but not the vaccinated dogs. Cytokine levels (TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-4) were detected post-challenge in the vaccinated dogs to determine the immune profile response. The whole-killed cell vaccine in this study did not prevent leptospireamia but prevented leptospiruria in vaccinated dogs after a challenge with a live Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiea Copenhageni. The vaccine-challenge showed increased antibody (MAT) levels due to vaccination and infection (through challenge). Cytokine production (TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-4) by the host immune system was observed post-challenge with live leptospires.
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Vieira DS, Chaurasia R, Vinetz JM. Comparison of the PF07598-Encoded Virulence-Modifying Proteins of L. interrogans and L. borgpetersenii. Trop Med Infect Dis 2022; 8:tropicalmed8010014. [PMID: 36668921 PMCID: PMC9863803 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8010014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is an emerging infectious disease, with increasing frequency and severity of outbreaks, a changing epidemiology of populations at risk, and the emergence of new strains, serovars, serogroups, and species. Virulence-modifying (VM) proteins encoded by the PF07598 gene family are hypothesized to be Leptospira-secreted exotoxins that mediate the molecular and cellular pathogenesis of severe and fatal leptospirosis. If confirmed experimentally, this concept could revolutionize the treatment, diagnosis, prognosis, and vaccine-mediated prevention of leptospirosis by enabling a novel array of targeted interventions. VM proteins, as with other bacterial-secreted protein exotoxins, mediate their virulence effects by attaching to eukaryotic cells, competing with other microorganisms for limited resources in environmental niches, directly intoxicating target cells, and disrupting their function in the mammalian host. In contrast with the most pathogenic group of Lept ospira, particularly L. interrogans, whose genomes contain 12-15 PF07598 paralogs, strains of the livestock and human pathogen L. borgpetersenii have two PF07598 paralogs. Given the possible non-environmentally mediated transmission of some L. borgpetersenii strains and the much smaller number of VM proteins in this species, their role in infection and disease may well differ from other leptospiral species. Comparison of VM proteins from different clades of pathogenic Leptospira may deepen our understanding of leptospirosis's pathogenesis, leading to novel approaches to ameliorating Leptospira infection in humans and animals.
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Prapong S, Tansiri Y, Sritrakul T, Sripattanakul S, Sopitthummakhun A, Katzenmeier G, Hsieh CL, McDonough SP, Prapong T, Chang YF. Leptospira borgpetersenii Leucine-Rich Repeat Proteins Provide Strong Protective Efficacy as Novel Leptospiral Vaccine Candidates. Trop Med Infect Dis 2022; 8:tropicalmed8010006. [PMID: 36668913 PMCID: PMC9863753 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Leucine-rich repeat (LRR) proteins are advocated for being assessed in vaccine development. Leptospiral LRR proteins were identified recently in silico from the genome of Leptospira borgpetersenii serogroup Sejroe, the seroprevalence of leptospiral infections of cattle in Thailand. Two LRR recombinant proteins, rKU_Sej_LRR_2012M (2012) and rhKU_Sej_LRR_2271 (2271), containing predicted immunogenic epitopes, were investigated for their cross-protective efficacies in an acute leptospirosis model with heterologous Leptospira serovar Pomona, though, strains from serogroup Sejroe are host-adapted to bovine, leading to chronic disease. Since serovar Pomona is frequently reported as seropositive in cattle, buffaloes, pigs, and dogs in Thailand and causes acute and severe leptospirosis in cattle by incidental infection, the serogroup Sejroe LRR proteins were evaluated for their cross-protective immunity. The protective efficacies were 37.5%, 50.0%, and 75.0% based on the survival rate for the control, 2012, and 2271 groups, respectively. Sera from 2012-immunized hamsters showed weak bactericidal action compared to sera from 2271-immunized hamsters (p < 0.05). Therefore, bacterial tissue clearances, inflammatory responses, and humoral and cell-mediated immune (HMI and CMI) responses were evaluated only in 2271-immunized hamsters challenged with virulent L. interrogans serovar Pomona. The 2271 protein induced prompt humoral immune responses (p < 0.05) and leptospiral tissue clearance, reducing tissue inflammation in immunized hamsters. In addition, protein 2271 and its immunogenic peptides stimulated splenocyte lymphoproliferation and stimulated both HMI and CMI responses by activating Th1 and Th2 cytokine gene expression in vaccinated hamsters. Our data suggest that the immunogenic potential renders rhKU_Sej_LRR_2271 protein a promising candidate for the development of a novel cross-protective vaccine against animal leptospirosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siriwan Prapong
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- The Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetic Engineering, The Graduate School, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Center for Advanced Studies for Agriculture and Food (CASAF), Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +66-871-264-148
| | - Yada Tansiri
- Faculty of Medicine, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520, Thailand
| | - Tepyuda Sritrakul
- Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Kamphaengsaen Campus, Nakorn Pathom 73140, Thailand
| | - Sineenat Sripattanakul
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- The Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetic Engineering, The Graduate School, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Aukkrimapann Sopitthummakhun
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Center for Advanced Studies for Agriculture and Food (CASAF), Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Gerd Katzenmeier
- Akkhraratchakumari Veterinary College, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
| | - Chin-Lin Hsieh
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Sean P. McDonough
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Teerasak Prapong
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Yung-Fu Chang
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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Maia MAC, Bettin EB, Barbosa LN, de Oliveira NR, Bunde TT, Pedra ACK, Rosa GA, da Rosa EEB, Seixas Neto ACP, Grassmann AA, McFadden J, Dellagostin OA, McBride AJA. Challenges for the development of a universal vaccine against leptospirosis revealed by the evaluation of 22 vaccine candidates. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:940966. [PMID: 36275031 PMCID: PMC9586249 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.940966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a neglected disease of man and animals that affects nearly half a million people annually and causes considerable economic losses. Current human vaccines are inactivated whole-cell preparations (bacterins) of Leptospira spp. that provide strong homologous protection yet fail to induce a cross-protective immune response. Yearly boosters are required, and serious side-effects are frequently reported so the vaccine is licensed for use in humans in only a handful of countries. Novel universal vaccines require identification of conserved surface-exposed epitopes of leptospiral antigens. Outer membrane β-barrel proteins (βb-OMPs) meet these requirements and have been successfully used as vaccines for other diseases. We report the evaluation of 22 constructs containing protein fragments from 33 leptospiral βb-OMPs, previously identified by reverse and structural vaccinology and cell-surface immunoprecipitation. Three-dimensional structures for each leptospiral βb-OMP were predicted by I-TASSER. The surface-exposed epitopes were predicted using NetMHCII 2.2 and BepiPred 2.0. Recombinant constructs containing regions from one or more βb-OMPs were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. IMAC-purified recombinant proteins were adsorbed to an aluminium hydroxide adjuvant to produce the vaccine formulations. Hamsters (4-6 weeks old) were vaccinated with 2 doses containing 50 – 125 μg of recombinant protein, with a 14-day interval between doses. Immunoprotection was evaluated in the hamster model of leptospirosis against a homologous challenge (10 – 20× ED50) with L. interrogans serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae serovar Copenhageni strain Fiocruz L1-130. Of the vaccine formulations, 20/22 were immunogenic and induced significant humoral immune responses (IgG) prior to challenge. Four constructs induced significant protection (100%, P < 0.001) and sterilizing immunity in two independent experiments, however, this was not reproducible in subsequent evaluations (0 – 33.3% protection, P > 0.05). The lack of reproducibility seen in these challenge experiments and in other reports in the literature, together with the lack of immune correlates and commercially available reagents to characterize the immune response, suggest that the hamster may not be the ideal model for evaluation of leptospirosis vaccines and highlight the need for evaluation of alternative models, such as the mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara A. C. Maia
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Centre, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Everton B. Bettin
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Centre, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Liana N. Barbosa
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Centre, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Natasha R. de Oliveira
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Centre, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Tiffany T. Bunde
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Centre, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina K. Pedra
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Centre, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Guilherme A. Rosa
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Centre, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Elias E. B. da Rosa
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Centre, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Amilton C. P. Seixas Neto
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Centre, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - André A. Grassmann
- Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, United States
| | - Johnjoe McFadden
- School of Biosciences and Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
| | - Odir A. Dellagostin
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Centre, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Alan J. A. McBride
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Centre, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
- School of Biosciences and Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Alan J. A. McBride,
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Chaurasia R, Salovey A, Guo X, Desir G, Vinetz JM. Vaccination With Leptospira interrogans PF07598 Gene Family-Encoded Virulence Modifying Proteins Protects Mice From Severe Leptospirosis and Reduces Bacterial Load in the Liver and Kidney. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:926994. [PMID: 35837473 PMCID: PMC9274288 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.926994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular and cellular pathogenesis of leptospirosis remains poorly understood. Based on comparative bacterial genomics data, we recently identified the hypothetical PF07598 gene family as encoding secreted exotoxins (VM proteins) that mediate cytotoxicity in vitro. To address whether VM proteins mediate in vivo leptospirosis pathogenesis, we tested the hypothesis that VM protein immunization of mice would protect against lethal challenge infection and reduce bacterial load in key target organs. C3H/HeJ mice were immunized with recombinant E. coli-produced, endotoxin-free, leptospiral VM proteins (derived from L. interrogans serovar Lai) in combination with the human-compatible adjuvant, glucopyranoside lipid A/squalene oil-in-water. Mice receiving full length recombinant VM proteins were protected from lethal challenge infection by L. interrogans serovar Canicola and had a 3-4 log10 reduction in bacterial load in the liver and kidney. These experiments show that immunization with recombinant VM proteins prevents leptospirosis clinical pathogenesis and leads to markedly reduced key target organ infection in this animal model. These data support the role of leptospiral VM proteins as virulence factors and suggest the possibility that a VM protein-based, serovar-independent, pan-leptospirosis vaccine may be feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reetika Chaurasia
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Aryeh Salovey
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Xiaojia Guo
- Section of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Gary Desir
- Section of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Joseph M. Vinetz
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- *Correspondence: Joseph M. Vinetz,
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11
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de Oliveira NR, Oliveira TL, Jorge S, Dellagostin OA. Development of Human Recombinant Leptospirosis Vaccines. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2410:325-344. [PMID: 34914055 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1884-4_16] [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: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a bacterial zoonotic disease with significant impact on health all over the world. Currently, bacterins are the only vaccines available for prevention of this disease, despite several drawbacks. In an effort to develop a more effective vaccine against leptospirosis, reverse and structural vaccinology have been applied to design recombinant constructions composed of leptospiral surface-exposed antigens. Herein, we describe a protocol for design and development of Leptospirosis recombinant vaccines using immunoinformatic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Rodrigues de Oliveira
- Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Campus Universitário s/n, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Thaís Larré Oliveira
- Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Campus Universitário s/n, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Sérgio Jorge
- Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Campus Universitário s/n, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Odir Antônio Dellagostin
- Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Campus Universitário s/n, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
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12
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Kumar P, Lata S, Shankar UN, Akif M. Immunoinformatics-Based Designing of a Multi-Epitope Chimeric Vaccine From Multi-Domain Outer Surface Antigens of Leptospira. Front Immunol 2021; 12:735373. [PMID: 34917072 PMCID: PMC8670241 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.735373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate information on antigenic epitopes within a multi-domain antigen would provide insights into vaccine design and immunotherapy. The multi-domain outer surface Leptospira immunoglobulin-like (Lig) proteins LigA and LigB, consisting of 12–13 homologous bacterial Ig (Big)-like domains, are potential antigens of Leptospira interrogans. Currently, no effective vaccine is available against pathogenic Leptospira. Both the humoral immunity and cell-mediated immunity of the host play critical roles in defending against Leptospira infection. Here, we used immunoinformatics approaches to evaluate antigenic B-cell lymphocyte (BCL) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes from Lig proteins. Based on certain crucial parameters, potential epitopes that can stimulate both types of adaptive immune responses were selected to design a chimeric vaccine construct. Additionally, an adjuvant, the mycobacterial heparin-binding hemagglutinin adhesin (HBHA), was incorporated into the final multi-epitope vaccine construct with a suitable linker. The final construct was further scored for its antigenicity, allergenicity, and physicochemical parameters. A three-dimensional (3D) modeled construct of the vaccine was implied to interact with Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) using molecular docking. The stability of the vaccine construct with TLR4 was predicted with molecular dynamics simulation. Our results demonstrate the application of immunoinformatics and structure biology strategies to develop an epitope-specific chimeric vaccine from multi-domain proteins. The current findings will be useful for future experimental validation to ratify the immunogenicity of the chimera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pankaj Kumar
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Surabhi Lata
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Umate Nachiket Shankar
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Mohd Akif
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
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TonB-dependent receptor epitopes expressed in M. bovis BCG induced significant protection in the hamster model of leptospirosis. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 106:173-184. [PMID: 34893930 PMCID: PMC8664668 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11726-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Leptospirosis is an emerging infectious disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp. A universal vaccine against leptospirosis is likely to require highly conserved epitopes from pathogenic leptospires that are exposed on the bacterial surface and that generate a protective and sterilizing immune response. Our group recently identified several genes predicted to encode TonB-dependent receptors (TBDR) in Leptospira interrogans using a reverse vaccinology approach. Three leptospiral TBDRs were previously described and partially characterized as ferric-citrate, hemin, and cobalamin transporters. In the current study, we designed a fusion protein composed of predicted surface-exposed epitopes from three conserved leptospiral TBDRs. Based on their three-dimensional structural models and the prediction of immunogenic regions, nine putative surface-exposed fragments were selected to compose a recombinant chimeric protein. A Mycobacterium bovis BCG strain expressing this chimeric antigen encoded in the pUP500/PpAN mycobacterial expression vector was used to immunize Syrian hamsters. All animals (20/20) vaccinated with recombinant BCG survived infection with an endpoint dose of L. interrogans (p < 0.001). No animal survived in the negative control group. Immunization with our recombinant BCG elicited a humoral immune response against leptospiral TBDRs, as demonstrated by ELISA and immunoblot. No leptospiral DNA was detected by lipL32 qPCR in the kidneys of vaccinated hamsters. Similarly, no growth was observed in macerated kidney cultures from the same animals, suggesting the induction of a sterilizing immune response. Design of new vaccine antigens based on the structure of outer membrane proteins is a promising approach to overcome the impact of leptospirosis by vaccination. Key points • Predicted surface-exposed epitopes were identified in three leptospiral TBDRs. • An M. bovis BCG strain expressing a chimeric protein (rTBDRchi) was constructed. • Hamsters vaccinated with rBCG:TBDRchi were protected from lethal leptospirosis. Graphical abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00253-021-11726-9.
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Aguttu C, Okech BA, Mukisa A, Lubega GW. Screening and characterization of hypothetical proteins of Plasmodium falciparum as novel vaccine candidates in the fight against malaria using reverse vaccinology. J Genet Eng Biotechnol 2021; 19:103. [PMID: 34269931 PMCID: PMC8283385 DOI: 10.1186/s43141-021-00199-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plasmodium falciparum is the most deadly and leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Africa. About 90% of all malaria deaths in the world today occur in Sub-Saharan Africa especially in children aged < 5 years. In 2018, it was reported that there were 228 million malaria cases that resulted in 405,000 deaths from 91 countries. Currently, a fully effective and long-lasting preventive malaria vaccine is still elusive therefore more effort is needed to identify better effective vaccine candidates. The aim of this study was to identify and characterize hypothetical proteins as vaccine candidates derived from Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 genome by reverse vaccinology. RESULTS Of the 23 selected hypothetical proteins, 5 were predicted on the extracellular localization by WoLFPSORTv.2.0 program and all the 5 had less than 2 transmembrane regions that were predicted by TMHMMv2.0 and HMMTOP programs at default settings. Two out of the five proteins lacked secretory signal peptides as predicted by SignalP program. Among the 5 extracellular proteins, 3 were predicted to be antigenic by VaxiJen (score ≥ 0.5) and had negative GRAVY values ranging from - 1.156 to - 0.440. B cell epitope prediction by ABCpred and BCpred programs revealed a total of 15 antigenic epitopes. A total of 13 cytotoxic T cells were predicted from the 3 proteins using CTLPred online server. Only 2 out of the 13 CTL were antigenic, immunogenic, non-allergenic, and non-toxic using VaxiJen, IEDB, AllergenFp, and Toxinpred servers respectively in that order. Five HTL peptides from XP_001351030.1 protein are predicted inducers of all the three cytokines. STRING protein-protein network analysis of HPs revealed XP_001350955.1 closely interacts with nucleoside diphosphate kinase (PF13-0349) at 0.704, XP_001351030.1 interacts with male development protein1 (Mdv-1) at 0.645, and XP_001351047.1 with an uncharacterized protein (MAL8P1.53) at 0.400. CONCLUSION Reverse vaccinology is a promising strategy for the screening and identification of antigenic antigens with potential capacity to elicit cellular and humoral immune responses against P. falciparum infection. In this study, potential vaccine candidates of Plasmodium falciparum were identified and screened using standard bioinformatics tools. The vaccine candidates contained antigenic and immunogenic epitopes which could be considered for novel and effective vaccine targets. However, we strongly recommend in vivo and in vitro experiments to validate their immunogenicity and protective efficacy to completely decipher the vaccine targets against malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Aguttu
- Department of Biochemistry and Sports Science, College of Natural Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Ambrose Mukisa
- Department of Biochemistry and Sports Science, College of Natural Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
| | - George William Lubega
- Department of Bio-molecular Resources and Bio-lab Sciences, School of Biosecurity, Biotechnology and Laboratory Sciences (SBLS), College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, P.O Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
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Paz LN, Dias CS, Almeida DS, Balassiano IT, Medeiros MA, Costa F, Silva DN, Reis JN, Estrela-Lima A, Hamond C, Pinna MH. Multidisciplinary approach in the diagnosis of acute leptospirosis in dogs naturally infected by Leptospira interrogans serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae: A prospective study. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2021; 77:101664. [PMID: 34091280 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2021.101664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Leptospirosis, a zoonotic disease with worldwide distribution, is caused by spirochetes of the genus Leptospira. In dogs, this disease is frequently misdiagnosed. Few studies have attempted to associate the detection of Leptospira spp. infection with clinicopathological and renal histopathological findings using a multidisciplinary approach. The present study isolated and characterized Leptospira spp. obtained from naturally infected dogs and described relevant clinical and histopathological findings. Blood and urine were collected from 57 dogs with clinical symptomatology suggestive of leptospirosis; 38 cases were confirmed by PCR in urine or by culture or microscopic agglutination testing (titers ≥800). A total of 12 strains of pathogenic Leptospira were isolated from the studied dogs (seven in blood, four in urine and one in both blood and urine samples). All isolates were characterized as Leptospira interrogans serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae. Of the confirmed cases, almost one-third of the animals had been vaccinated. Our analysis of laboratory testing revealed that azotemia and proteinuria were statistically significant predictors of infection. The main histopathological findings seen in kidney tissues were necrosis, degeneration, tubular regeneration, mononuclear inflammatory infiltrate and congestion. A multidisciplinary approach involving clinicopathological and histopathological characterization of renal involvement can aid in the identification of acute leptospirosis infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Nogueira Paz
- Bacterial Disease Laboratory, Postgraduate Program in Animal Science in Tropics - Federal University of Bahia, Adhemar de Barros av, 500, 40170-110, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Carla Silva Dias
- Bacterial Disease Laboratory, Postgraduate Program in Animal Science in Tropics - Federal University of Bahia, Adhemar de Barros av, 500, 40170-110, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Daniela Santos Almeida
- Bacterial Disease Laboratory, Postgraduate Program in Animal Science in Tropics - Federal University of Bahia, Adhemar de Barros av, 500, 40170-110, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Ilana Teruszkin Balassiano
- Bacterial Zoonoses Laboratory, Leptospirosis National Reference Center/Leptospira collection, WHO/PAHO Collaborating Center for Leptospirosis, Department of Bacteriology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Brazil av, 4365, 21045-900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marco Alberto Medeiros
- Laboratory of Recombinant Technology, Bio-Manguinhos, Brazilian Ministry of Health, FIOCRUZ, Av. Brazil, 4365, 21045-900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Federico Costa
- Collective Health Institute, UFBA, Basílio da Gama st, 40110-000, Canela, Salvador, BA, Brazil; Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde, Salvador, Brazil; Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK; Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Disease, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Danielle Nascimento Silva
- Department of Anatomy, Pathology and Veterinary Clinical Medicine, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Joice Neves Reis
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, School of Pharmacy, Federal University of Bahia / UFBA, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Alessandra Estrela-Lima
- Department of Anatomy, Pathology and Veterinary Clinical Medicine, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Camila Hamond
- Bacterial Disease Laboratory, Postgraduate Program in Animal Science in Tropics - Federal University of Bahia, Adhemar de Barros av, 500, 40170-110, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Melissa Hanzen Pinna
- Bacterial Disease Laboratory, Postgraduate Program in Animal Science in Tropics - Federal University of Bahia, Adhemar de Barros av, 500, 40170-110, Salvador, BA, Brazil.
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Llanos Salinas SP, Castillo Sánchez LO, Castañeda Miranda G, Rodríguez Reyes EA, Ordoñez López L, Mena Bañuelos R, Alcaraz Sosa LE, Núñez Carrera MG, José Manuel RO, Carmona Gasca CA, Matsunaga J, Haake DA, Candanosa Aranda IE, de la Peña-Moctezuma A. GspD, The Type II Secretion System Secretin of Leptospira, Protects Hamsters against Lethal Infection with a Virulent L. interrogans Isolate. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8040759. [PMID: 33327369 PMCID: PMC7768463 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8040759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The wide variety of pathogenic Leptospira serovars and the weak protection offered by the available vaccines encourage the search for protective immunogens against leptospirosis. We found that the secretin GspD of the type II secretion system (T2S) of Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola was highly conserved amongst pathogenic serovars and was expressed in vivo during infection, as shown by immunohistochemistry. Convalescent sera of hamsters, dogs, and cows showed the presence of IgG antibodies, recognizing a recombinant version of this protein expressed in Escherichia coli (rGspDLC) in Western blot assays. In a pilot vaccination study, a group of eight hamsters was immunized on days zero and 14 with 50 µg of rGspDLC mixed with Freund’s incomplete adjuvant (FIA). On day 28 of the study, 1,000 LD50 (Lethal Dose 50%) of a virulent strain of Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola (LOCaS46) were inoculated by an intraoral submucosal route (IOSM). Seventy-five percent protection against disease (p = 0.017573, Fisher’s exact test) and 50% protection against infection were observed in this group of vaccinated hamsters. In contrast, 85% of non-vaccinated hamsters died six to nine days after the challenge. These results suggest the potential usefulness of the T2S secretin GspD of Leptospira as a protective recombinant vaccine against leptospirosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Paulina Llanos Salinas
- Teaching, Research and Extension Center for Animal Production in High Plateau, School of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Queretaro 76795, Mexico; (S.P.L.S.); (G.C.M.); (I.E.C.A.)
| | - Luz Olivia Castillo Sánchez
- Unidad Académica de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit, Tepic 63155, Mexico; (L.O.C.S.); (C.A.C.G.)
| | - Giselle Castañeda Miranda
- Teaching, Research and Extension Center for Animal Production in High Plateau, School of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Queretaro 76795, Mexico; (S.P.L.S.); (G.C.M.); (I.E.C.A.)
| | | | - Liliana Ordoñez López
- Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán 04510, Mexico; (L.O.L.); (R.M.B.); (R.O.J.M.)
| | - Rodrigo Mena Bañuelos
- Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán 04510, Mexico; (L.O.L.); (R.M.B.); (R.O.J.M.)
| | - Luz Elena Alcaraz Sosa
- Departamento de Producción Agrícola y Animal, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Tlalpan 14387, Mexico;
| | - María Guadalupe Núñez Carrera
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Centro Histórico 72000, Mexico;
| | - Ramírez Ortega José Manuel
- Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán 04510, Mexico; (L.O.L.); (R.M.B.); (R.O.J.M.)
| | - Carlos Alfredo Carmona Gasca
- Unidad Académica de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit, Tepic 63155, Mexico; (L.O.C.S.); (C.A.C.G.)
| | - James Matsunaga
- Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA; (J.M.); (D.A.H.)
| | - David A. Haake
- Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA; (J.M.); (D.A.H.)
| | - Irma Eugenia Candanosa Aranda
- Teaching, Research and Extension Center for Animal Production in High Plateau, School of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Queretaro 76795, Mexico; (S.P.L.S.); (G.C.M.); (I.E.C.A.)
| | - Alejandro de la Peña-Moctezuma
- Teaching, Research and Extension Center for Animal Production in High Plateau, School of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Queretaro 76795, Mexico; (S.P.L.S.); (G.C.M.); (I.E.C.A.)
- Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán 04510, Mexico; (L.O.L.); (R.M.B.); (R.O.J.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.:+52-414-291-8100
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Zilch TJ, Lee JJ, Bressan GC, McDonough SP, Mohammed HO, Divers TJ, Chang YF. Evaluation of new leptospiral antigens for the diagnosis of equine leptospirosis: An approach using pan-genomic analysis, reverse vaccinology and antigenic selection. Equine Vet J 2020; 53:1025-1035. [PMID: 33135163 DOI: 10.1111/evj.13380] [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: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The current gold standard diagnostic test for leptospirosis is the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), which has many drawbacks; therefore, the development of a better and easier serological test for leptospirosis is needed. OBJECTIVES To apply reverse vaccinology (RV) and antigenic selection on the assortment of leptospiral targets and evaluate their potential for use as reagents for the diagnosis of equine leptospirosis. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional study. METHODS The antigenic selection parameters were: proteins with antigenicity score ≥0.5 (VaxiJen), at least one B cell epitope and size between 10 and 275 KDa. New leptospiral proteins were cloned, expressed and serologically screened against equine sera (n = 128) on a single analysis and comparative combinations. Sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp), accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated. A BLAST with nucleotide and protein sequences was used to identify the serovar or species specificity. MAIN LIMITATIONS This cross-sectional analysis had three main limitations: (a) The equine sera used in these tests were limited to sera submitted to the Animal Health Diagnosis Center and were only tested against seven serovars; (b) MAT results were considered being 'perfect', and the highest titre presented was considered being the infecting serovar, which may not hold true; (c) The strains used to represent the serovars and the limited number of different serovars and species included in the genetic analysis, which leads to the possibility that these proteins might be present in different species or serovars that perhaps would be seroprevalent in another geographic region. CONCLUSIONS The new leptospiral antigens described in this research could increase the sensitivity and specificity of ELISA for detection of Leptospira exposure and the detection of leptospirosis in horses along with support from other clinical signs. Some of these new antigens might be used to improve the detection of infecting serovar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago J Zilch
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Jen-Jie Lee
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Gustavo C Bressan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
| | - Sean P McDonough
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Hussni O Mohammed
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Thomas J Divers
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Yung-Fu Chang
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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Oliveira TL, Bacelo KL, Forster KM, Ilha V, Rodrigues OE, Hartwig DD. DNA nanovaccines prepared using LemA antigen protect Golden Syrian hamsters against Leptospira lethal infection. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2020; 115:e190396. [PMID: 32321154 PMCID: PMC7164400 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760190396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nanoparticles (NPs) are viable candidates as carriers of exogenous materials into cells via transfection and can be used in the DNA vaccination strategy against leptospirosis. OBJECTIVES We evaluated the efficiency of halloysite clay nanotubes (HNTs) and amine-functionalised multi-walled carbon nanotubes (NH2-MWCNTs) in facilitating recombinant LemA antigen (rLemA) expression and protecting Golden Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) against Leptospira interrogans lethal infection. METHODS An indirect immunofluorescent technique was used to investigate the potency of HNTs and NH2-MWCNTs in enhancing the transfection and expression efficiency of the DNA vaccine in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Hamsters were immunised with two doses of vaccines HNT-pTARGET/lemA, NH2-MWCNTs-pTARGET/lemA, pTARGET/lemA, and empty pTARGET (control), and the efficacy was determined in terms of humoral immune response and protection against a lethal challenge. FINDINGS rLemA DNA vaccines carried by NPs were able to transfect CHO cells effectively, inducing IgG immune response in hamsters (p < 0.05), and did not exhibit cytotoxic effects. Furthermore, 83.3% of the hamsters immunised with NH2-MWCNTs-pTARGET/lemA were protected against the lethal challenge (p < 0.01), and 66.7% of hamsters immunised with HNT-pTARGET/lemA survived (p < 0.05). MAIN CONCLUSIONS NH2-MWCNTs and HNTs can act as antigen carriers for mammalian cells and are suitable for DNA nanovaccine delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thaís Larré Oliveira
- Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Núcleo de Biotecnologia, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Kátia Leston Bacelo
- Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Núcleo de Biotecnologia, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Karine Maciel Forster
- Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Núcleo de Biotecnologia, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Vinicius Ilha
- Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Departamento de Química, Santa Maria, RS, Brasil
| | | | - Daiane D Hartwig
- Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Núcleo de Biotecnologia, Pelotas, RS, Brasil.,Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
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Lauretti-Ferreira F, Silva PLD, Alcântara NM, Silva BF, Grabher I, Souza GO, Nakajima E, Akamatsu MA, Vasconcellos SA, Abreu PAE, Carvalho E, Martins EAL, Ho PL, da Silva JB. New strategies for Leptospira vaccine development based on LPS removal. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230460. [PMID: 32218590 PMCID: PMC7100938 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic spirochetes from genus Leptospira are etiologic agents of leptospirosis. Cellular vaccines against Leptospira infection often elicit mainly response against the LPS antigen of the serovars present in the formulation. There is no suitable protein candidate capable of replacing whole-cell vaccines, thus requiring new approaches on vaccine development to improve leptospirosis prevention. Our goal was to develop a whole-cell vaccine sorovar-independent based on LPS removal and conservation of protein antigens exposure, to evaluate the protective capacity of monovalent or bivalent vaccines against homologous and heterologous virulent Leptospira in hamster. Leptospire were subjected to heat inactivation, or to LPS extraction with butanol and in some cases further inactivation with formaldehyde. Hamsters were immunized and challenged with homologous or heterologous virulent serovars, blood and organs were collected from the survivors for bacterial quantification, chemokine evaluation, and analysis of sera antibody reactivity and cross-reactivity by Western blot. Immunization with either heated or low LPS vaccines with serovar Copenhageni or Canicola resulted in 100% protection of the animals challenged with homologous virulent bacteria. Notably, different from the whole-cell vaccine, the low LPS vaccines produced with serovar Canicola provided only partial protection in heterologous challenge with the virulent Copenhageni serovar. Immunization with bivalent formulation results in 100% protection of immunized animals challenged with virulent serovar Canicola. All vaccines produced were able to eliminate bacteria from the kidney of challenged animals. All the vaccines raised antibodies capable to recognize antigens of serovars not present in the vaccine formulation. Transcripts of IFNγ, CXCL16, CCL5, CXCL10, CXCR6, and CCR5, increased in all immunized animals. Conclusion: Our results showed that bivalent vaccines with reduced LPS may be an interesting strategy for protection against heterologous virulent serovars. Besides the desirable multivalent protection, the low LPS vaccines are specially promising due to the expected lower reatogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiana Lauretti-Ferreira
- Bioindustrial Division, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Bruna F. Silva
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Isabele Grabher
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gisele O. Souza
- Laboratory of Bacterial Zoonosis, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Erika Nakajima
- Laboratory of Process Development, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Silvio A. Vasconcellos
- Laboratory of Bacterial Zoonosis, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Eneas Carvalho
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Paulo L. Ho
- Bioindustrial Division, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Josefa B. da Silva
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Gomes CK, Pacce VD, de Oliveira NR, Jorge S, Collares TF, Pinto Seixas Neto AC, Amaral MG, Dellagostin OA, Hartwig DD. Monoclonal antibodies against LipL32 confer prophylactic protection against lethal leptospirosis challenge in animal model. Microb Pathog 2020; 141:103975. [PMID: 31931114 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2020.103975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the genus Leptospira. The commercially available vaccines are bacterins that offer limited protection, short-term effect, and serovar-specific immunity. The development of novel immunization strategies is crucial to control the infection and decrease the chances of new outbreaks. In this study, purified monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) anti-LipL32 (1D9 and mAb3) were evaluated by their capacity to bind and neutralize the pathogen improving host survival. For that, an in vitro growth inhibition assay, and in vivo passive immunization were performed in animal model. Syrian hamsters were passively immunized by three different strategies. Hamsters immunized with mAb3 6 h prior to the lethal challenge showed a significantly higher survival rate of 61.1%, and a significant reduction in tissue damage in the lungs. Cumulatively, our results showed that anti-LipL32 mAbs inhibited the growth of L. interrogans in vitro, and that passive immunization offered significant protection in animal model when administered prior to infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Klazer Gomes
- The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Programa de Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Violetta Dias Pacce
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Natasha Rodrigues de Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Sérgio Jorge
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
| | - Thaís Farias Collares
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Amilton Clair Pinto Seixas Neto
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Marta Gonçalves Amaral
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Odir Antônio Dellagostin
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Daiane Drawanz Hartwig
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil; Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, RS, Brazil
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Lata KS, Vaghasia V, Bhairappanvar S, Patel S, Das J. Vaccine Design Against Leptospirosis Using an Immunoinformatic Approach. Methods Mol Biol 2020; 2131:173-184. [PMID: 32162253 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0389-5_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Vaccination is the best way to prevent the spread of emerging or reemerging infectious disease. Current research for vaccine development is mainly focused on recombinant-, subunit-, and peptide-based vaccine. At this point, immunoinformatics has been proven as a powerful method for identification of potential vaccine candidates, by analyzing immunodominat B- and T-cell epitopes. This method can reduce the time and cost of experiment to a great extent, by reducing the number of vaccine candidates for experimental testing for their efficacy. This chapter describes the use of immunoinformatics and molecular docking methods to screen potential vaccine candidates by taking Leptospira as a model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumari Snehkant Lata
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre, Department of Science and Technology, Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, India
- Department of Botany, Bioinformatics and Climate Change, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India
| | - Vibhisha Vaghasia
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre, Department of Science and Technology, Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, India
- Department of Botany, Bioinformatics and Climate Change, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India
| | - Shivarudrappa Bhairappanvar
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre, Department of Science and Technology, Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, India
| | - Saumya Patel
- Department of Botany, Bioinformatics and Climate Change, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India
| | - Jayashankar Das
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre, Department of Science and Technology, Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, India.
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22
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Nimmanapalli R, Gupta V. Vaccines the tugboat for prevention-based animal production. GENOMICS AND BIOTECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES IN VETERINARY, POULTRY, AND FISHERIES 2020. [PMCID: PMC7149732 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-816352-8.00020-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The world population is growing at a faster rate day-by-day and the demands for animal products are also increasing to meet the food security worldwide. For sustained production of animals products, healthy livestock and poultry farming are the major concerns as animals are susceptible to various infectious agents viz. bacteria, virus, and parasites leading to huge economical losses in the form of livestock’s morbidity and mortality. Besides, zoonotic nature of some infectious pathogens of animals is also raising concern for human safety. Vaccination of animals against various diseases present in different geographical regions is a best known strategy for prevention of different disease outbreaks both in organized and unorganized livestock and poultry sectors. Vaccines had played a major role in eradication of different dreaded diseases of livestock sectors globally. In this article we have discussed different vaccine types, various vaccine strategies used for the development of more efficacious and safe vaccines and commercially available vaccines for livestock and poultry.
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Felix CR, Siedler BS, Barbosa LN, Timm GR, McFadden J, McBride AJA. An overview of human leptospirosis vaccine design and future perspectives. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2019; 15:179-188. [PMID: 31777290 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2020.1694508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: It's been 20 years since the first report of a recombinant vaccine that protected against leptospirosis. Since then, numerous recombinant vaccines have been evaluated; however, no recombinant vaccine candidate has advanced to clinical trials. With the ever-increasing burden of leptospirosis, there is an urgent need for a universal vaccine against leptospirosis.Areas covered: This review covers the most promising vaccine candidates that induced significant, reproducible, protection and how advances in the field of bioinformatics has led to the discovery of hundreds of novel protein targets. The authors also discuss the most recent findings regarding the innate immune response and host-pathogen interactions and their impact on the discovery of novel vaccine candidates. In addition, the authors have identified what they believe are the most challenging problems for the discovery and development of a universal vaccine and their potential solutions.Expert opinion: A universal vaccine for leptospirosis will likely only be achieved using a recombinant vaccine as the bacterins are of limited use due to the lack of a cross-protective immune response. Although there are hundreds of novel targets, due to the lack of immune correlates and the need for more research into the basic microbiology of Leptospira spp., a universal vaccine is 10-15 years away.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina R Felix
- Biotechnology Department, Centre for Technological Development, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Bianca S Siedler
- Biotechnology Department, Centre for Technological Development, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.,School of Biosciences and Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
| | - Liana N Barbosa
- Biotechnology Department, Centre for Technological Development, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Gabriana R Timm
- Biotechnology Department, Centre for Technological Development, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Johnjoe McFadden
- School of Biosciences and Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
| | - Alan J A McBride
- Biotechnology Department, Centre for Technological Development, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
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Mottram L, Chakraborty S, Cox E, Fleckenstein J. How genomics can be used to understand host susceptibility to enteric infection, aiding in the development of vaccines and immunotherapeutic interventions. Vaccine 2019; 37:4805-4810. [PMID: 30709726 PMCID: PMC6663652 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 12/26/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Thanks to the modern sequencing era, the extent to which infectious disease imposes selective pressures on the worldwide human population is being revealed. This is aiding our understanding of the underlying immunological and host mechanistic defenses against these pathogens, as well as potentially assisting in the development of vaccines and therapeutics to control them. As a consequence, the workshop "How genomics can be used to understand host susceptibility to enteric infection, aiding in the development of vaccines and immunotherapeutic interventions" at the VASE 2018 meeting, aimed to discuss how genomics and related tools could be used to assist Shigella and ETEC vaccine development. The workshop featured four short presentations which highlighted how genomic applications can be used to assist in the identification of genetic patterns related to the virulence of disease, or host genetic factors that could contribute to immunity or successful vaccine responses. Following the presentations, there was an open debate with workshop attendees to discuss the best ways to utilise such genomic studies, to improve or accelerate the process of both Shigella and ETEC vaccine development. The workshop concluded by making specific recommendations on how genomic research methods could be strengthened and harmonised within the ETEC and Shigella research communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynda Mottram
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Subhra Chakraborty
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Eric Cox
- Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - James Fleckenstein
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States; Medicine Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, United States
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da Rosa MC, Martins G, Rocha BR, Correia L, Ferronato G, Lilenbaum W, Dellagostin OA. Assessment of the immunogenicity of the leptospiral LipL32, LigAni, and LigBrep recombinant proteins in the sheep model. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2019; 65:176-180. [PMID: 31300110 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2019.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Veterinary leptospirosis vaccines are composed of bacterins and present limitations, for example, the need for bacteriological culture and serovar-dependent immunity. Recombinant antigens represent a promising alternative. LigAni, LigBrep, and LipL32 proteins have been shown to promote a protective immune response against the homologous challenge in hamsters. Therefore, the next step is to evaluate the immunological properties of these immunogens in the actual hosts, as ruminants, which has never been performed before. The objective of this study was to evaluate the immunogenicity and potential adverse effects of the recombinant proteins LigAni, LigBrep, and LipL32 in the ovine model. For this, 16 Santa Inês sheep were allocated into three groups: two experimental (Groups A and B) and one control group (Group C). Group A was inoculated with a formulation containing the recombinant proteins in combination with the aluminum hydroxide adjuvant; Group B was inoculated with a formulation containing the recombinant proteins in combination with the Montanide adjuvant; and Group C was inoculated with adjuvants only. The results revealed that formulations containing the recombinant proteins induced total IgG seroconversion and led to a significant increase in antibody titers in the sheep model. Besides, there were no clinical changes or adverse effects. Thus, LigAni, LigBrep, and LipL32 proteins elicited a significant humoral immune response with elevated serum IgG levels, demonstrating that they possess the immunogenic and safety characteristics necessary to sustain their potential use as leptospirosis vaccines in the ruminant model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus Costa da Rosa
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Núcleo de Biotecnologia Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Martins
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia Veterinária, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bruno Ribeiro Rocha
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia Veterinária, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Lucas Correia
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia Veterinária, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Giuliana Ferronato
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Núcleo de Biotecnologia Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Walter Lilenbaum
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia Veterinária, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Odir Antônio Dellagostin
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Núcleo de Biotecnologia Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
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da Cunha CEP, Bettin EB, Bakry AFAAY, Seixas Neto ACP, Amaral MG, Dellagostin OA. Evaluation of different strategies to promote a protective immune response against leptospirosis using a recombinant LigA and LigB chimera. Vaccine 2019; 37:1844-1852. [PMID: 30826147 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a zoonosis of worldwide distribution, caused by infection with pathogenic Leptospira species. The vaccines that are currently available are bacterins, with limited human use, that confer short-term, serovar-specific immunity. Lig proteins are considered to be the best vaccine candidates to date. Here, we aimed to construct a recombinant Lig chimera (LC) comprised of LigAni and LigBrep fragments, and to evaluate it as subunit or DNA vaccine using different administration strategies. Vaccines were formulated with 50 µg of recombinant LC associated with different adjuvants or with 100 µg of pTARGET/LC. Four-week-old hamsters received two doses of vaccine with different strategies and were challenged with 5 × DL50Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni strain Fiocruz L1-130. The immune response generated by Lig chimera conferred 100% protection to hamsters treated with at least one dose of recombinant LC. Despite the high levels of antibodies that vaccinated animals produced, a sterilizing immunity was not achieved. The lack of a sterilizing immunity could indicate the importance of a mixed humoral and cellular immune response. The present study generated insights that will be useful in the future development of improved subunit vaccines against leptospirosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Marta Gonçalves Amaral
- Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Odir Antonio Dellagostin
- Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.
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Ghazali-Bina M, Pourmand MR, Mirshafiey A, Bakhtiari R, Khaledi A, Kazemian H, Afshar D, Getso MI, Eshraghi S. Vaccine potential of LenA and LcpA proteins of Leptospira interrogans in combination with Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin, B subunit (LTB). IRANIAN JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY 2019; 11:39-47. [PMID: 30996830 PMCID: PMC6462271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Leptospirosis is a zooanthroponosis caused by the genus of Leptospira. It is an emerging public health problem due to its increasing incidence. The achievement to a vaccine that prevent from entrance of Leptospira interrogans to the deeper tissues of the host is needed. This study aimed to investigate the immunogenicity of LcpA (rLcpA) and LenA (rLenA) recombinant proteins in combination with LTB (rLTB) recombinant protein as an adjuvant against leptospiral infection in hamsters. MATERIALS AND METHODS The genes encoding these proteins were cloned into pGH cloning vector and then lenA, lcpA and ltb genes subcloned into pET-15b and pET-28a expression vectors, respectively. The hamsters were immunized with the purified recombinant proteins and challenged with Leptospira interrogans for evaluation of their survival. The antibody responses to the recombinant proteins were determined by ELISA. Then, data entered into SPSS software. Statistical Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the significant differences among different groups. The groups with significant differences were further analyzed by post hoc tests. The p value < 0.05 statistically was considered significant. RESULTS Immunized hamsters with rLenA-plus-rLTB, rLcpA-plus-rLTB and rLenA-plus-rLcpA-plus-rLTB proteins showed 60%, 74%, and 80% survival rates, respectively. A significant amount of interleukin-17 (IL-17), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and gamma interferon (IFNγ) cytokines were produced in immunized hamsters. CONCLUSION Based on our findings, rLcpA and rLenA proteins in combination with rLTB can protect the hamsters against L. interrogans and effectively induce a protective antibody response. Thus, these proteins can be used as an additional prophylactic tool against leptospira.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehran Ghazali-Bina
- Department of Microbiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Pourmand
- Department of Microbiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Mirshafiey
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ronak Bakhtiari
- Department of Microbiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azad Khaledi
- Infectious Diseases Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Hamid Kazemian
- Department of Microbiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Davoud Afshar
- Department of Microbiology and Virology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Muhammad Ibrahim Getso
- Department of Medical Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Intenational College, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeid Eshraghi
- Department of Microbiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,Corresponding author: Saeid Eshraghi, Ph.D, Department of Microbiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Tel: +98 9126363134, Fax: +98 2188954913,
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Ptak CP, Akif M, Hsieh C, Devarajan A, He P, Xu Y, Oswald RE, Chang Y. Comparative screening of recombinant antigen thermostability for improved leptospirosis vaccine design. Biotechnol Bioeng 2018; 116:260-271. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.26864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher P. Ptak
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic SciencesCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell UniversityIthaca New York
- Department of Molecular MedicineCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell UniversityIthaca New York
| | - Mohd. Akif
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic SciencesCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell UniversityIthaca New York
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of HyderabadHyderabad India
| | - Ching‐Lin Hsieh
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic SciencesCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell UniversityIthaca New York
| | - Alex Devarajan
- Department of Molecular MedicineCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell UniversityIthaca New York
| | - Ping He
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyInstitutes of Medical Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghai China
| | - Yinghua Xu
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug ControlBeijing China
| | - Robert E. Oswald
- Department of Molecular MedicineCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell UniversityIthaca New York
| | - Yung‐Fu Chang
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic SciencesCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell UniversityIthaca New York
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29
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André-Fontaine G, Triger L. MAT cross-reactions or vaccine cross-protection: retrospective study of 863 leptospirosis canine cases. Heliyon 2018; 4:e00869. [PMID: 30426097 PMCID: PMC6222973 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2018.e00869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dogs are naturally exposed to numerous pathogenic serogroups. Leptospirosis vaccines are claimed to afford a clinical protection restricted to the serogroups of which they are composed. Objectives Dogs exhibiting liver and kidney injury were suspected of having leptospirosis. The purpose of this study was to compare the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) results in naive and vaccinated dogs experiencing leptospirosis outcomes. Only MAT-positive animals were included in the study. Methods Over five years, 3 512 dogs were suspected of having leptospirosis. For each case, biochemical parameter results were recorded. Leptospirosis involvement was investigated by MAT performed against 6 major serogroups (Icterohaemorrhagiae, Canicola, Australis, Autumnalis, Grippotyphosa and Sejroë). MAT-positive results confirmed leptospirosis cases in 147 naïve dogs and in 580 fully vaccinated dogs. Serological titres of agglutinating antibodies were related to the severity of liver and kidney failure. Results The most prevalent outcome of leptospirosis in unvaccinated dogs was liver failure (57.8%) compared to 51.7% for kidney disease, but the most severe onset (90.8%) was found among the cases of acute kidney injury compared to the severe (42.3%) hepatitis cases. In dogs vaccinated by bivalent Icterohaemorrhagiae and Canicola bacterins, hepatitis decreased from 57.8 to 46.5% and acute kidney injury from 51.7 to 21.6%. The decrease was shown in leptospirosis cases induced by field strains belonging to the six most prevalent serogroups, including the 4 serogroups heterologous to the vaccine. Conclusion Common vaccination was efficient in decreasing hepatitis and kidney failure induced by field Leptospira spp infection regardless of the MAT-prominent serogroup and limited the disease severity in the remaining cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geneviève André-Fontaine
- Laboratoire de Bactériologie Médicale et Moléculaire des Leptospires, École Nationale Vétérinaire, ONIRIS, Route de Gachet, CS 40706, 44307 Nantes Cedex 03, France
| | - Laetitia Triger
- Laboratoire de Bactériologie Médicale et Moléculaire des Leptospires, École Nationale Vétérinaire, ONIRIS, Route de Gachet, CS 40706, 44307 Nantes Cedex 03, France
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Abstract
Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonotic disease determined by pathogenic spirochetes of the genus Leptospira. The control of bovine leptospirosis involves several measures including antibiotic treatment of carriers. Despite its importance, few studies regarding antimicrobial susceptibility of strains from bovine origin have been conducted. The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro susceptibility of Leptospira strains obtained from cattle in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, against the main antibiotics used in bovine veterinary practice. A total of 23 Leptospira spp. strains were investigated for minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) using broth macrodilution. At the species level, there were not differences in MIC susceptibility except for tetracycline (P < 0.05). Nevertheless, at the serogroup level, differences in MIC were observed among Sejroe strains, mainly for ceftiofur, doxycycline and in MBC for streptomycin (P < 0.05). One strain presented MBC values above maximum plasmatic concentration described for streptomycin and was classified as presenting reduced susceptibility. Efficacy of antimicrobial therapy on bovine leptospirosis could be compromised due to occurrence of infection by Leptospira strains presenting reduced susceptibility.
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Garba B, Bahaman AR, Zakaria Z, Bejo SK, Mutalib AR, Bande F, Suleiman N. Antigenic potential of a recombinant polyvalent DNA vaccine against pathogenic leptospiral infection. Microb Pathog 2018; 124:136-144. [PMID: 30138761 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2018.08.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2018] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a serious epidemic disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira species. The disease is endemic in most tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. Currently, there is no effective polyvalent vaccine for prevention against most of the circulating serovars. Moreover, development of an efficient leptospiral vaccine capable of stimulating cross-protective immune responses against a wide range of serovars remains a daunting challenge. This, in part, is associated with the extensive diversity and variation of leptospiral serovars from region to region. In this study, a multi-epitope DNA vaccine encoding highly immunogenic epitopes from LipL32 and LipL41 was designed using in-silico approach. The DNA encoding antigenic epitopes was constructed from conserved pathogenic Leptospira genes (LipL32 and LipL41). Immunization of golden Syrian hamsters with the multi-epitope chimeric DNA vaccine resulted in the production of both agglutinating and neutralizing antibodies as evidence by MAT and in-vitro growth inhibition tests respectively. The antibodies produced reacted against eight different serovars and significantly reduced renal colonization following in vivo challenge. The vaccine was also able to significantly reduce renal colonization which is a very important factor responsible for persistence of leptospires among susceptible and reservoir animal hosts. In conclusion, the leptospiral multi-epitope chimeric DNA vaccine can serve as a potentially effective and safe vaccine against infection with different pathogenic leptospiral serovars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bashiru Garba
- Veterinary Public Health Lab, Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria; Bacteriology Lab, Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Abdul Rani Bahaman
- Bacteriology Lab, Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Zunita Zakaria
- Bacteriology Lab, Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Siti Khairani Bejo
- Bacteriology Lab, Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Abdul Rahim Mutalib
- Department of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnostics Services Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Faruku Bande
- Bacteriology Lab, Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Veterinary Services, Ministry of Animal Health and Fisheries Development, Usman Faruk Secretariat Complex, 840245, Sokoto State, Nigeria
| | - Nasiru Suleiman
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria
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Evaluation of Lsa46 and Lsa77 Leptospiral Proteins for Their Immunoprotective Activities in Hamster Model of Leptospirosis. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 2018:1813745. [PMID: 29984227 PMCID: PMC6015724 DOI: 10.1155/2018/1813745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a neglected tropical disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp. The lack of an effective vaccine favors the increase of the disease. Currently, surface-exposed proteins are the main targets for the search of vaccine candidates. In this study, we examined whether the surface Lsa46 and Lsa77 proteins, previously identified as laminin and plasminogen binding proteins, have the capacity of inducing protection and sterilizing immunity against challenge with virulent Leptospira in hamster model. Animals were subcutaneously immunized with Lsa46, Lsa77, or a combination of both in Alum adjuvant and challenged intraperitoneally with L. interrogans serovar Kennewicki strain Pomona Fromm. Hamster immunization with Lsa46 or Lsa77 or both promoted a strong IgG response. Th2- and Th1-biased immune responses were observed when Lsa46 and Lsa77 were individually administered, respectively, as detected by the IgG1/IgG2/3 ratio. Immunized hamsters with the combined proteins induced a Th1-biased immune response. Although the immunization with Lsa46 and Lsa77 stimulated protective immunity with reduction of bacterial burden, when compared to animals individually immunized with the proteins, the data was not statistically significant. Thus, although promising, more studies are needed before the role of these proteins in stimulating sterilizing immunity in mammals is conclusively determined.
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Lata KS, Kumar S, Vaghasia V, Sharma P, Bhairappanvar SB, Soni S, Das J. Exploring Leptospiral proteomes to identify potential candidates for vaccine design against Leptospirosis using an immunoinformatics approach. Sci Rep 2018; 8:6935. [PMID: 29720698 PMCID: PMC5932004 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25281-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is the most widespread zoonotic disease, estimated to cause severe infection in more than one million people each year, particularly in developing countries of tropical areas. Several factors such as variable and nonspecific clinical manifestation, existence of large number of serovars and asymptomatic hosts spreading infection, poor sanitation and lack of an effective vaccine make prophylaxis difficult. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop an effective vaccine to halt its spread all over the world. In this study, an immunoinformatics approach was employed to identify the most vital and effective immunogenic protein from the proteome of Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni strain L1-130 that may be suitable to stimulate a significant immune response aiding in the development of peptide vaccine against leptospirosis. Both B-cell and T-cell (Helper T-lymphocyte (HTL) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)) epitopes were predicted for the conserved and most immunogenic outer membrane lipoprotein. Further, the binding interaction of CTL epitopes with Major Histocompatibility Complex class I (MHC-I) was evaluated using docking techniques. A Molecular Dynamics Simulation study was also performed to evaluate the stability of the resulting epitope-MHC-I complexes. Overall, this study provides novel vaccine candidates and may prompt further development of vaccines against leptospirosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumari Snehkant Lata
- Gujarat Institute of Bioinformatics, Gujarat State Biotechnology Mission, Department of Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, 382011, India.,Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Department of Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, 382011, India
| | - Swapnil Kumar
- Gujarat Institute of Bioinformatics, Gujarat State Biotechnology Mission, Department of Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, 382011, India.,Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Department of Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, 382011, India
| | - Vibhisha Vaghasia
- Gujarat Institute of Bioinformatics, Gujarat State Biotechnology Mission, Department of Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, 382011, India.,Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Department of Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, 382011, India
| | - Priyanka Sharma
- Gujarat Institute of Bioinformatics, Gujarat State Biotechnology Mission, Department of Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, 382011, India.,Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Department of Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, 382011, India
| | - Shivarudrappa B Bhairappanvar
- Gujarat Institute of Bioinformatics, Gujarat State Biotechnology Mission, Department of Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, 382011, India.,Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Department of Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, 382011, India
| | - Subhash Soni
- Gujarat State Biotechnology Mission, Department of Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, 382011, India.,Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Department of Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, 382011, India
| | - Jayashankar Das
- Gujarat State Biotechnology Mission, Department of Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, 382011, India. .,Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Department of Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, 382011, India.
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Oliveira TL, Schuch RA, Inda GR, Roloff BC, Neto ACPS, Amaral M, Dellagostin OA, Hartwig DD. LemA and Erp Y-like recombinant proteins from Leptospira interrogans protect hamsters from challenge using AddaVax™ as adjuvant. Vaccine 2018; 36:2574-2580. [PMID: 29625765 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.03.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Revised: 03/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recombinant subunit vaccines have been extensively evaluated as promising alternatives against leptospirosis. Here, we evaluated two proteins in formulations containing the adjuvant AddaVax™ as vaccine candidates for prevention and control of leptospirosis. METHODS Recombinant proteins rErp Y-like and rLemA were characterized by ELISA to assess their ability to bind extracellular matrix (ECM) components and fibrinogen. Groups of eight hamsters were immunized intramuscularly with rErp Y-like or rLemA mixed with a squalene-based adjuvant (AddaVax), and then vaccine efficacy was determined in terms of protection against a lethal challenge. The humoral immune response was determined by ELISA, and the evidence of sub-lethal infection was evaluated by histopathology and kidney culture. RESULTS rLemA protein binds laminin, fibrinogen, and collagen type IV, while rErp Y-like interacts with fibrinogen. Significant protection was achieved for rLemA and rErp Y-like vaccines, which showed 87.5% and 62.5% survivals, respectively. On day 28, the humoral immune response was significantly greater in the vaccine groups as compared to that in the control group, and the response was predominantly based on IgG2/3. The surviving animals showed negative results in culture isolation but presented with tissue lesions in the lungs and kidneys. CONCLUSION Cumulatively, our findings suggest that LemA and Erp Y-like proteins act as adhesins and are able to protect against mortality, but not against tissue lesions. Moreover, AddaVax is a novel adjuvant with potential for improving the immunogenicity of leptospiral vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thaís Larré Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Andrade Schuch
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Roig Inda
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Bárbara Couto Roloff
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Amilton Clair Pinto Seixas Neto
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Marta Amaral
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Odir Antonio Dellagostin
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Daiane Drawanz Hartwig
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil; Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
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Jorge S, Kremer FS, Oliveira NRD, Navarro GDOSV, Guimarães AM, Sanchez CD, Woloski RDDS, Ridieri KF, Campos VF, Pinto LDS, Dellagostin OA. Whole-genome sequencing of Leptospira interrogans from southern Brazil: genetic features of a highly virulent strain. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018; 113:80-86. [PMID: 29236923 PMCID: PMC5722262 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760170130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leptospirosis is the most widespread zoonotic disease. It is caused by
infection with pathogenic Leptospira species, of which over
300 serovars have been described. The accurate identification of the
causative Leptospira spp. is required to ascertain the
pathogenic status of the local isolates. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to obtain the complete genome sequence of a virulent
Leptospira interrogans strain isolated from southern
Brazil and to describe its genetic features. METHODS The whole genome was sequenced by next-generation sequencing (Ion Torrent).
The genome was assembled, scaffolded, annotated, and manually reviewed.
Mutations were identified based on a variant calling analysis using the
genome of L. interrogans strain Fiocruz L1-130 as a
reference. FINDINGS The entire genome had an average GC content of 35%. The variant calling
analysis identified 119 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), from which
30 led to a missense mutation. The structural analyses identified potential
evidence of genomic inversions, translocations, and deletions in both the
chromosomes. MAIN CONCLUSIONS The genome properties provide comprehensive information about the local
isolates of Leptospira spp., and thereby, could facilitate
the identification of new targets for the development of diagnostic kits and
vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sérgio Jorge
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Karine Forster Ridieri
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Vinícius Farias Campos
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Luciano da Silva Pinto
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
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Recent findings related to immune responses against leptospirosis and novel strategies to prevent infection. Microbes Infect 2018; 20:578-588. [PMID: 29452258 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2018.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 02/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
What are the new approaches and emerging ideas to prevent leptospirosis, a neglected bacterial re-emerging zoonotic disease? How do Leptospira interrogans escape the host defenses? We aim here to review and discuss the most recent literature that provides some answers to these questions, in particular data related to a better understanding of adaptive and innate immunity towards leptospires, and design of vaccines. This is an opinion paper, not a comprehensive review. We will try to highlight the new strategies and technologies boosting the search for drugs and vaccines. We will also address the bottlenecks and difficulties impairing the search for efficient vaccines and the many gaps in our knowledge of immunity against leptospirosis. Finally, we aim to delineate how Leptospira spp. escape the innate immune responses of Toll-Like receptors (TLR) and Nod-Like receptors (NLR). The rational use of TLR and NLR agonists as adjuvants could be key to design future vaccines against pathogenic leptospires.
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Abstract
The present incidence of leptospirosis in China is significantly lower than past rates, although small localized outbreaks continue to occur in epidemic regions. Improvements in sanitation, as well as vaccination of high-risk populations, have played crucial roles in reducing the disease burden. Several types of human leptospirosis vaccines have been developed, including inactivated whole-cell, outer-envelope, and recombinant vaccines. Of these, only a multivalent inactivated leptospirosis vaccine is available in China, which was added to the Chinese Expanded Program on Immunization in 2007. However, this vaccine elicits serogroup-specific immunity, and serogroup epidemiology should continue to be monitored to enhance vaccine coverage and distribution. On the other hand, the efficiency of the inactivated vaccine should be further improved by optimizing the formulation, and by expanding the target population. More importantly, additional investments should be made to develop universal recombinant vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinghua Xu
- a Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Bio-pharmaceutical Industrial Base , Daxing District, Beijing , People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Ye
- a Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Bio-pharmaceutical Industrial Base , Daxing District, Beijing , People's Republic of China
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Singh SP, Srivastava D, Mishra BN. Genome-wide identification of novel vaccine candidates for Plasmodium falciparum malaria using integrative bioinformatics approaches. 3 Biotech 2017; 7:318. [PMID: 28955615 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-017-0947-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In spite of decades of malaria research and clinical trials, a fully effective and long-lasting preventive vaccine remains elusive. In the present study, 5370 proteins of Plasmodium falciparum genome were screened for the presence of signal peptide/anchor and GPI anchor motifs. Out of 45 screened surface-associated proteins, 22 were consensually predicted as antigens and had no orthologs in human and mouse except circumsporozoite protein (PF3D7_0304600). Among 22 proteins, 19 were identified as new antigens. In the next step, a total of 4944 peptides were predicted as CD8+ T cell epitopes from 22 probable antigens. Of these, the highest scoring 262 epitopes from each antigen were taken for optimization study in the malaria-endemic regions which covered a broad human population (~93.95%). The predicted epitope 13ILFYFFLWV21 of antigen 6-cysteine (PF3D7_1346800) was binding to the HLA-A*0201 allele with the highest fraction (26%) of immunogenicity in the target populations of North-East Asia, South-East Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, these epitopes are proposed to be favored in vaccine designs against malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satarudra Prakash Singh
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow Campus), Lucknow, 226028 India
| | - Deeksha Srivastava
- Institute of Engineering and Technology, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University (Formerly Known as U.P. Technical University), Lucknow, 226021 India
| | - Bhartendu Nath Mishra
- Institute of Engineering and Technology, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University (Formerly Known as U.P. Technical University), Lucknow, 226021 India
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Grassmann AA, Kremer FS, Dos Santos JC, Souza JD, Pinto LDS, McBride AJA. Discovery of Novel Leptospirosis Vaccine Candidates Using Reverse and Structural Vaccinology. Front Immunol 2017; 8:463. [PMID: 28496441 PMCID: PMC5406399 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospira spp. are diderm (two membranes) bacteria that infect mammals causing leptospirosis, a public health problem with global implications. Thousands of people die every year due to leptospirosis, especially in developing countries with tropical climates. Prophylaxis is difficult due to multiple factors, including the large number of asymptomatic hosts that transmit the bacteria, poor sanitation, increasing numbers of slum dwellers, and the lack of an effective vaccine. Several leptospiral recombinant antigens were evaluated as a replacement for the inactivated (bacterin) vaccine; however, success has been limited. A prospective vaccine candidate is likely to be a surface-related protein that can stimulate the host immune response to clear leptospires from blood and organs. In this study, a comprehensive bioinformatics approach based on reverse and structural vaccinology was applied toward the discovery of novel leptospiral vaccine candidates. The Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni strain L1-130 genome was mined in silico for the enhanced identification of conserved β-barrel (βb) transmembrane proteins and outer membrane (OM) lipoproteins. Orthologs of the prospective vaccine candidates were screened in the genomes of 20 additional Leptospira spp. Three-dimensional structural models, with a high degree of confidence, were created for each of the surface-exposed proteins. Major histocompatibility complex II (MHC-II) epitopes were identified, and their locations were mapped on the structural models. A total of 18 βb transmembrane proteins and 8 OM lipoproteins were identified. These proteins were conserved among the pathogenic Leptospira spp. and were predicted to have epitopes for several variants of MHC-II receptors. A structural and functional analysis of the sequence of these surface proteins demonstrated that most βb transmembrane proteins seem to be TonB-dependent receptors associated with transportation. Other proteins identified included, e.g., TolC efflux pump proteins, a BamA-like OM component of the βb transmembrane protein assembly machinery, and the LptD-like LPS assembly protein. The structural mapping of the immunodominant epitopes identified the location of conserved, surface-exposed, immunogenic regions for each vaccine candidate. The proteins identified in this study are currently being evaluated for experimental evidence for their involvement in virulence, disease pathogenesis, and physiology, in addition to vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Alex Grassmann
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Center, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Frederico Schmitt Kremer
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Center, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Júlia Cougo Dos Santos
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Center, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Jéssica Dias Souza
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Center, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Luciano da Silva Pinto
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Center, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Alan John Alexander McBride
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Center, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.,Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Ministry of Health, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
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Control of bovine leptospirosis: Aspects for consideration in a tropical environment. Res Vet Sci 2017; 112:156-160. [PMID: 28391058 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2017.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Revised: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Due to the complex and dynamic epidemiology of leptospirosis on livestock, control is still controversial and frustrating. In this context, this paper discusses the main challenges and perspectives for the control of bovine leptospirosis, particularly under tropical conditions. In order to reduce the effects of the disease in cattle, it has been proposed that the control should integrate the trinomial antibiotic therapy (mainly streptomycin); vaccination (whole-cell bacterins); and environmental management. This last element should be carefully considered in tropics. Despite the enormous economic impact of the disease, mainly on its chronic and silent reproductive presentation, research on control programs is not proportional. Conversely, the number of studies regarding the new vaccine strategies, such as recombinant antigens has been increasing and should be encouraged.
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Grassmann AA, Souza JD, McBride AJA. A Universal Vaccine against Leptospirosis: Are We Going in the Right Direction? Front Immunol 2017; 8:256. [PMID: 28337203 PMCID: PMC5343615 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is the most widespread zoonosis in the world and a neglected tropical disease estimated to cause severe infection in more than one million people worldwide every year that can be combated by effective immunization. However, no significant progress has been made on the leptospirosis vaccine since the advent of bacterins over 100 years. Although protective against lethal infection, particularly in animals, bacterin-induced immunity is considered short term, serovar restricted, and the vaccine can cause serious side effects. The urgent need for a new vaccine has motivated several research groups to evaluate the protective immune response induced by recombinant vaccines. Significant protection has been reported with several promising outer membrane proteins, including LipL32 and the leptospiral immunoglobulin-like proteins. However, efficacy was variable and failed to induce a cross-protective response or sterile immunity among vaccinated animals. As hundreds of draft genomes of all known Leptospira species are now available, this should aid novel target discovery through reverse vaccinology (RV) and pangenomic studies. The identification of surface-exposed vaccine candidates that are highly conserved among infectious Leptospira spp. is a requirement for the development of a cross-protective universal vaccine. However, the lack of immune correlates is a major drawback to the application of RV to Leptospira genomes. In addition, as the protective immune response against leptospirosis is not fully understood, the rational use of adjuvants tends to be a process of trial and error. In this perspective, we discuss current advances, the pitfalls, and possible solutions for the development of a universal leptospirosis vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Alex Grassmann
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Centre, Federal University of Pelotas , Pelotas , Brazil
| | - Jéssica Dias Souza
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Centre, Federal University of Pelotas , Pelotas , Brazil
| | - Alan John Alexander McBride
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Centre, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil; Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Ministry of Health, Salvador, Brazil
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