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Freeman KG, Robotham AC, Parks OB, Abad L, Jacobs-Sera D, Lauer MJ, Podgorski JM, Zhang Y, Williams JV, White SJ, Kelly JF, Hatfull GF, Pope WH. Virion glycosylation influences mycobacteriophage immune recognition. Cell Host Microbe 2023; 31:1216-1231.e6. [PMID: 37329881 PMCID: PMC10527164 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Glycosylation of eukaryotic virus particles is common and influences their uptake, trafficking, and immune recognition. In contrast, glycosylation of bacteriophage particles has not been reported; phage virions typically do not enter the cytoplasm upon infection, and they do not generally inhabit eukaryotic systems. We show here that several genomically distinct phages of Mycobacteria are modified with glycans attached to the C terminus of capsid and tail tube protein subunits. These O-linked glycans influence antibody production and recognition, shielding viral particles from antibody binding and reducing production of neutralizing antibodies. Glycosylation is mediated by phage-encoded glycosyltransferases, and genomic analysis suggests that they are relatively common among mycobacteriophages. Putative glycosyltransferases are also encoded by some Gordonia and Streptomyces phages, but there is little evidence of glycosylation among the broader phage population. The immune response to glycosylated phage virions in mice suggests that glycosylation may be an advantageous property for phage therapy of Mycobacterium infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krista G Freeman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Anna C Robotham
- Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council of Canada, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Olivia B Parks
- UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA; Department of Pediatrics and Center for Vaccine Research, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Lawrence Abad
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Deborah Jacobs-Sera
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Michael J Lauer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Jennifer M Podgorski
- Biology/Physics Building, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3125, USA
| | - Yu Zhang
- UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA; Department of Pediatrics and Center for Vaccine Research, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - John V Williams
- UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA; Department of Pediatrics and Center for Vaccine Research, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Simon J White
- Biology/Physics Building, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3125, USA
| | - John F Kelly
- Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council of Canada, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Graham F Hatfull
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
| | - Welkin H Pope
- Science Department, Chatham University, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
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2
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Palma M. Aspects of Phage-Based Vaccines for Protein and Epitope Immunization. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11020436. [PMID: 36851313 PMCID: PMC9967953 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11020436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Because vaccine development is a difficult process, this study reviews aspects of phages as vaccine delivery vehicles through a literature search. The results demonstrated that because phages have adjuvant properties and are safe for humans and animals, they are an excellent vaccine tool for protein and epitope immunization. The phage genome can easily be manipulated to display antigens or create DNA vaccines. Additionally, they are easy to produce on a large scale, which lowers their manufacturing costs. They are stable under various conditions, which can facilitate their transport and storage. However, no medicine regulatory agency has yet authorized phage-based vaccines despite the considerable preclinical data confirming their benefits. The skeptical perspective of phages should be overcome because humans encounter bacteriophages in their environment all the time without suffering adverse effects. The lack of clinical trials, endotoxin contamination, phage composition, and long-term negative effects are some obstacles preventing the development of phage vaccines. However, their prospects should be promising because phages are safe in clinical trials; they have been authorized as a food additive to avoid food contamination and approved for emergency use in phage therapy against difficult-to-treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Therefore, this encourages the use of phages in vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Palma
- Institute for Globally Distributed Open Research and Education (IGDORE), 03181 Torrevieja, Spain;
- Creative Biolabs Inc., Shirley, NY 11967, USA
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3
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Ul Haq I, Krukiewicz K, Yahya G, Haq MU, Maryam S, Mosbah RA, Saber S, Alrouji M. The Breadth of Bacteriophages Contributing to the Development of the Phage-Based Vaccines for COVID-19: An Ideal Platform to Design the Multiplex Vaccine. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:1536. [PMID: 36675046 PMCID: PMC9861788 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Phages are highly ubiquitous biological agents, which means they are ideal tools for molecular biology and recombinant DNA technology. The development of a phage display technology was a turning point in the design of phage-based vaccines. Phages are now recognized as universal adjuvant-free nanovaccine platforms. Phages are well-suited for vaccine design owing to their high stability in harsh conditions and simple and inexpensive large-scale production. The aim of this review is to summarize the overall breadth of the antiviral therapeutic perspective of phages contributing to the development of phage-based vaccines for COVID-19. We show that phage vaccines induce a strong and specific humoral response by targeted phage particles carrying the epitopes of SARS-CoV-2. Further, the engineering of the T4 bacteriophage by CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) presents phage vaccines as a valuable platform with potential capabilities of genetic plasticity, intrinsic immunogenicity, and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ihtisham Ul Haq
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
- Department of Physical Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, Silesian University of Technology, M. Strzody 9, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
- Joint Doctoral School, Silesian University of Technology, Akademicka 2A, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Krukiewicz
- Department of Physical Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, Silesian University of Technology, M. Strzody 9, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
- Centre for Organic and Nanohybrid Electronics, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 22B, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
| | - Galal Yahya
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Al Sharqia 44519, Egypt
| | - Mehboob Ul Haq
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
| | - Sajida Maryam
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
| | - Rasha A. Mosbah
- Infection Control Unit, Zagazig University Hospital, Zagazig University, El Sharkia 44519, Egypt
| | - Sameh Saber
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Delta University for Science and Technology, Gamasa 11152, Egypt
| | - Mohammed Alrouji
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Shaqra University, Shaqra 11961, Saudi Arabia
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4
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Zhu J, Jain S, Sha J, Batra H, Ananthaswamy N, Kilgore PB, Hendrix EK, Hosakote YM, Wu X, Olano JP, Kayode A, Galindo CL, Banga S, Drelich A, Tat V, Tseng CTK, Chopra AK, Rao VB. A Bacteriophage-Based, Highly Efficacious, Needle- and Adjuvant-Free, Mucosal COVID-19 Vaccine. mBio 2022; 13:e0182222. [PMID: 35900097 PMCID: PMC9426593 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01822-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration-authorized mRNA- and adenovirus-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are intramuscularly injected in two doses and effective in preventing COVID-19, but they do not induce efficient mucosal immunity or prevent viral transmission. Here, we report the first noninfectious, bacteriophage T4-based, multicomponent, needle- and adjuvant-free, mucosal vaccine harboring engineered Spike trimers on capsid exterior and nucleocapsid protein in the interior. Intranasal administration of two doses of this T4 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine 21 days apart induced robust mucosal immunity, in addition to strong systemic humoral and cellular immune responses. The intranasal vaccine induced broad virus neutralization antibody titers against multiple variants, Th1-biased cytokine responses, strong CD4+ and CD8+ T cell immunity, and high secretory IgA titers in sera and bronchoalveolar lavage specimens from vaccinated mice. All of these responses were much stronger in intranasally vaccinated mice than those induced by the injected vaccine. Furthermore, the nasal vaccine provided complete protection and sterilizing immunity against the mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 MA10 strain, the ancestral WA-1/2020 strain, and the most lethal Delta variant in both BALB/c and human angiotensin converting enzyme (hACE2) knock-in transgenic mouse models. In addition, the vaccine elicited virus-neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants in bronchoalveolar lavage specimens, did not affect the gut microbiota, exhibited minimal lung lesions in vaccinated and challenged mice, and is completely stable at ambient temperature. This modular, needle-free, phage T4 mucosal vaccine delivery platform is therefore an excellent candidate for designing efficacious mucosal vaccines against other respiratory infections and for emergency preparedness against emerging epidemic and pandemic pathogens. IMPORTANCE According to the World Health Organization, COVID-19 may have caused ~15-million deaths across the globe and is still ravaging the world. Another wave of ~100 million infections is predicted in the United States due to the emergence of highly transmissible immune-escaped Omicron variants. The authorized vaccines would not prevent these transmissions since they do not trigger mucosal immunity. We circumvented this limitation by developing a needle-free, bacteriophage T4-based, mucosal vaccine. This intranasally administered vaccine generates superior mucosal immunity in mice, in addition to inducing robust humoral and cell-mediated immune responses, and provides complete protection and sterilizing immunity against SARS-CoV-2 variants. The vaccine is stable, adjuvant-free, and cost-effectively manufactured and distributed, making it a strategically important next-generation COVID vaccine for ending this pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingen Zhu
- Bacteriophage Medical Research Center, Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Swati Jain
- Bacteriophage Medical Research Center, Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jian Sha
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Himanshu Batra
- Bacteriophage Medical Research Center, Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Neeti Ananthaswamy
- Bacteriophage Medical Research Center, Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Paul B. Kilgore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Emily K. Hendrix
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Yashoda M. Hosakote
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Xiaorong Wu
- Bacteriophage Medical Research Center, Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Juan P. Olano
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Adeyemi Kayode
- Department of Biology, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA
| | - Cristi L. Galindo
- Department of Biology, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA
| | - Simran Banga
- Department of Biology, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA
| | - Aleksandra Drelich
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Vivian Tat
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Chien-Te K. Tseng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
- Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
- Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Ashok K. Chopra
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
- Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
- Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Venigalla B. Rao
- Bacteriophage Medical Research Center, Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA
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5
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Abstract
Mycobacteriophages-bacteriophages infecting Mycobacterium hosts-contribute substantially to our understanding of viral diversity and evolution, provide resources for advancing Mycobacterium genetics, are the basis of high-impact science education programs, and show considerable therapeutic potential. Over 10,000 individual mycobacteriophages have been isolated by high school and undergraduate students using the model organism Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2155 and 2,100 have been completely sequenced, giving a high-resolution view of the phages that infect a single common host strain. The phage genomes are revealed to be highly diverse and architecturally mosaic and are replete with genes of unknown function. Mycobacteriophages have provided many widely used tools for Mycobacterium genetics including integration-proficient vectors and recombineering systems, as well as systems for efficient delivery of reporter genes, transposons, and allelic exchange substrates. The genomic insights and engineering tools have facilitated exploration of phages for treatment of Mycobacterium infections, although their full therapeutic potential has yet to be realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham F. Hatfull
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States of America
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