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Brangulis K, Akopjana I, Drunka L, Matisone S, Zelencova-Gopejenko D, Bhattacharya S, Bogans J, Tars K. Members of the paralogous gene family 12 from the Lyme disease agent Borrelia burgdorferi are non-specific DNA-binding proteins. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296127. [PMID: 38626020 PMCID: PMC11020477 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease is the most prevalent vector-borne infectious disease in Europe and the USA. Borrelia burgdorferi, as the causative agent of Lyme disease, is transmitted to the mammalian host during the tick blood meal. To adapt to the different encountered environments, Borrelia has adjusted the expression pattern of various, mostly outer surface proteins. The function of most B. burgdorferi outer surface proteins remains unknown. We determined the crystal structure of a previously uncharacterized B. burgdorferi outer surface protein BBK01, known to belong to the paralogous gene family 12 (PFam12) as one of its five members. PFam12 members are shown to be upregulated as the tick starts its blood meal. Structural analysis of BBK01 revealed similarity to the coiled coil domain of structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) protein family members, while functional studies indicated that all PFam12 members are non-specific DNA-binding proteins. The residues involved in DNA binding were identified and probed by site-directed mutagenesis. The combination of SMC-like proteins being attached to the outer membrane and exposed to the environment or located in the periplasm, as observed in the case of PFam12 members, and displaying the ability to bind DNA, represents a unique feature previously not observed in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Inara Akopjana
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia
| | - Laura Drunka
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia
| | | | | | | | - Janis Bogans
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia
| | - Kaspars Tars
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia
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Brangulis K, Akopjana I, Bogans J, Kazaks A, Tars K. Structural studies of chromosomally encoded outer surface lipoprotein BB0158 from Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102287. [PMID: 38016210 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Lyme disease, or also known as Lyme borreliosis, is caused by the spirochetes belonging to the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, which can enter the human body following the bite of an infected tick. Many membrane lipid-bound proteins, also known as lipoproteins, are located on the surface of B. burgdorferi sensu lato and play a crucial role in the spirochete to interact with its environment, whether in ticks or mammals. Since the spirochete needs to perform various tasks, such as resisting the host's immune system or spreading throughout the organism, it is not surprising that numerous surface proteins have been found to be essential for B. burgdorferi sensu lato complex bacteria in causing Lyme disease. In this study, we have determined (at 2.4 Å resolution) and characterized the 3D structure of BB0158, one of the few chromosomally encoded outer surface proteins from B. burgdorferi sensu stricto. BB0158 belongs to the paralogous gene family 44 (PFam44), consisting of four other members (BB0159, BBA04, BBE09 and BBK52). The characterization of BB0158, which appears to form a domain-swapped dimer, in conjunction with the characterization of the corresponding PFam44 members, certainly contribute to our understanding of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalvis Brangulis
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites 1 k-1, Riga LV-1067, Latvia.
| | - Inara Akopjana
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites 1 k-1, Riga LV-1067, Latvia
| | - Janis Bogans
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites 1 k-1, Riga LV-1067, Latvia
| | - Andris Kazaks
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites 1 k-1, Riga LV-1067, Latvia
| | - Kaspars Tars
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites 1 k-1, Riga LV-1067, Latvia
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Leitans J, Kazaks A, Bogans J, Supuran CT, Akopjana I, Ivanova J, Zalubovskis R, Tars K. Structural Basis of Saccharin Derivative Inhibition of Carbonic Anhydrase IX. ChemMedChem 2023; 18:e202300454. [PMID: 37837260 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
This study explores the binding mechanisms of saccharin derivatives with human carbonic anhydrase IX (hCA IX), an antitumor drug target, with the aim of facilitating the design of potent and selective inhibitors. Through the use of crystallographic analysis, we investigate the structures of hCA IX-saccharin derivative complexes, unveiling their unique binding modes that exhibit both similarities to sulfonamides and distinct orientations of the ligand tail. Our comprehensive structural insights provide information regarding the crucial interactions between the ligands and the protein, shedding light on interactions that dictate inhibitor binding and selectivity. Through a comparative analysis of the binding modes observed in hCA II and hCA IX, isoform-specific interactions are identified, offering promising strategies for the development of isoform-selective inhibitors that specifically target tumor-associated hCA IX. The findings of this study significantly deepen our understanding of the binding mechanisms of hCA inhibitors, laying a solid foundation for the rational design of more effective inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janis Leitans
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Center, Ratsupites 1, 1067, Riga, Latvia
| | - Andris Kazaks
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Center, Ratsupites 1, 1067, Riga, Latvia
| | - Janis Bogans
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Center, Ratsupites 1, 1067, Riga, Latvia
| | - Claudiu T Supuran
- NEUROFARBA Department, Sezione di Scienze Farmaceutiche, University of Florence, Via Ugo Schiff 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Inara Akopjana
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Center, Ratsupites 1, 1067, Riga, Latvia
| | - Jekaterina Ivanova
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles 21, 1006, Riga, Latvia
| | - Raivis Zalubovskis
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles 21, 1006, Riga, Latvia
- Institute of Technology of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Materials Science and Applied Chemistry, Riga Technical University, P. Valdena iela 3, 1048, Riga, Latvia
| | - Kaspars Tars
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Center, Ratsupites 1, 1067, Riga, Latvia
- Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Jelgavas 1, Riga, 1004, Riga, Latvia
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Marcinkiewicz AL, Brangulis K, Dupuis AP, Hart TM, Zamba‐Campero M, Nowak TA, Stout JL, Akopjana I, Kazaks A, Bogans J, Ciota AT, Kraiczy P, Kolokotronis SO, Lin YP. Structural evolution of an immune evasion determinant shapes pathogen host tropism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2301549120. [PMID: 37364114 PMCID: PMC10319004 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2301549120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Modern infectious disease outbreaks often involve changes in host tropism, the preferential adaptation of pathogens to specific hosts. The Lyme disease-causing bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) is an ideal model to investigate the molecular mechanisms of host tropism, because different variants of these tick-transmitted bacteria are distinctly maintained in rodents or bird reservoir hosts. To survive in hosts and escape complement-mediated immune clearance, Bb produces the outer surface protein CspZ that binds the complement inhibitor factor H (FH) to facilitate bacterial dissemination in vertebrates. Despite high sequence conservation, CspZ variants differ in human FH-binding ability. Together with the FH polymorphisms between vertebrate hosts, these findings suggest that minor sequence variation in this bacterial outer surface protein may confer dramatic differences in host-specific, FH-binding-mediated infectivity. We tested this hypothesis by determining the crystal structure of the CspZ-human FH complex, and identifying minor variation localized in the FH-binding interface yielding bird and rodent FH-specific binding activity that impacts infectivity. Swapping the divergent region in the FH-binding interface between rodent- and bird-associated CspZ variants alters the ability to promote rodent- and bird-specific early-onset dissemination. We further linked these loops and respective host-specific, complement-dependent phenotypes with distinct CspZ phylogenetic lineages, elucidating evolutionary mechanisms driving host tropism emergence. Our multidisciplinary work provides a novel molecular basis for how a single, short protein motif could greatly modulate pathogen host tropism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley L. Marcinkiewicz
- New York State Department of Health, Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, Albany, NY12208
| | - Kalvis Brangulis
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, RigaLV-1067, Latvia
- Department of Human Physiology and Biochemistry, Riga Stradins University, RigaLV-1007, Latvia
| | - Alan P. Dupuis
- New York State Department of Health, Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, Albany, NY12208
| | - Thomas M. Hart
- New York State Department of Health, Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, Albany, NY12208
- Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York Albany, Albany, NY12222
| | - Maxime Zamba‐Campero
- New York State Department of Health, Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, Albany, NY12208
| | - Tristan A. Nowak
- New York State Department of Health, Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, Albany, NY12208
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York Albany, Albany, NY12222
| | - Jessica L. Stout
- New York State Department of Health, Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, Albany, NY12208
| | - Inara Akopjana
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, RigaLV-1067, Latvia
| | - Andris Kazaks
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, RigaLV-1067, Latvia
| | - Janis Bogans
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, RigaLV-1067, Latvia
| | - Alexander T. Ciota
- New York State Department of Health, Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, Albany, NY12208
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York Albany, Albany, NY12222
| | - Peter Kraiczy
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt60596, Germany
| | - Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098
- Institute for Genomics in Health, Brooklyn, NY11203-2098
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Brooklyn, NY11203-2098
- Department of Cell Biology, College of Medicine, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY11203-2098
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- New York State Department of Health, Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, Albany, NY12208
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York Albany, Albany, NY12222
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Jaudzems K, Kirsteina A, Schubeis T, Casano G, Ouari O, Bogans J, Kazaks A, Tars K, Lesage A, Pintacuda G. Struktur eines an virusähnliche Partikel gekoppelten Antigens: Analyse einer Impfstoff‐Formulierung. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202013189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristaps Jaudzems
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis Aizkraukles 21 Riga LV-1006 Lettland
| | - Anna Kirsteina
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre Ratsupites 1 k1 Riga LV-1067 Lettland
| | - Tobias Schubeis
- Very High Field NMR Center of Lyon – UMR 5082 CNRS ENS Lyon UCB Lyon 1) University of Lyon F-69100 Villeurbanne Frankreich
| | - Gilles Casano
- Institut de Chimie Radicalaire Universität Aix-Marseille F-13013 Marseille Frankreich
| | - Olivier Ouari
- Institut de Chimie Radicalaire Universität Aix-Marseille F-13013 Marseille Frankreich
| | - Janis Bogans
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre Ratsupites 1 k1 Riga LV-1067 Lettland
| | - Andris Kazaks
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre Ratsupites 1 k1 Riga LV-1067 Lettland
| | - Kaspars Tars
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre Ratsupites 1 k1 Riga LV-1067 Lettland
| | - Anne Lesage
- Very High Field NMR Center of Lyon – UMR 5082 CNRS ENS Lyon UCB Lyon 1) University of Lyon F-69100 Villeurbanne Frankreich
| | - Guido Pintacuda
- Very High Field NMR Center of Lyon – UMR 5082 CNRS ENS Lyon UCB Lyon 1) University of Lyon F-69100 Villeurbanne Frankreich
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Jaudzems K, Kirsteina A, Schubeis T, Casano G, Ouari O, Bogans J, Kazaks A, Tars K, Lesage A, Pintacuda G. Structural Analysis of an Antigen Chemically Coupled on Virus-Like Particles in Vaccine Formulation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:12847-12851. [PMID: 33750007 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202013189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Structure determination of adjuvant-coupled antigens is essential for rational vaccine development but has so far been hampered by the relatively low antigen content in vaccine formulations and by their heterogeneous composition. Here we show that magic-angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR can be used to assess the structure of the influenza virus hemagglutinin stalk long alpha helix antigen, both in its free, unformulated form and once chemically coupled to the surface of large virus-like particles (VLPs). The sensitivity boost provided by high-field dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) and proton detection at fast MAS rates allows to overcome the penalty associated with the antigen dilution. Comparison of the MAS NMR fingerprints between the free and VLP-coupled forms of the antigen provides structural evidence of the conservation of its native fold upon bioconjugation. This work demonstrates that high-sensitivity MAS NMR is ripe to play a major role in vaccine design, formulation studies, and manufacturing process development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristaps Jaudzems
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles 21, Riga, LV-1006, Latvia
| | - Anna Kirsteina
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites 1 k1, Riga, LV-1067, Latvia
| | - Tobias Schubeis
- Centre de RMN à Très Hauts Champs de Lyon-UMR 5082 (CNRS, ENS Lyon, UCB Lyon 1), Université de Lyon, 69100, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Gilles Casano
- Institut de Chimie Radicalaire, AixMarseille Université, 13013, Marseille, France
| | - Olivier Ouari
- Institut de Chimie Radicalaire, AixMarseille Université, 13013, Marseille, France
| | - Janis Bogans
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites 1 k1, Riga, LV-1067, Latvia
| | - Andris Kazaks
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites 1 k1, Riga, LV-1067, Latvia
| | - Kaspars Tars
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites 1 k1, Riga, LV-1067, Latvia
| | - Anne Lesage
- Centre de RMN à Très Hauts Champs de Lyon-UMR 5082 (CNRS, ENS Lyon, UCB Lyon 1), Université de Lyon, 69100, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Guido Pintacuda
- Centre de RMN à Très Hauts Champs de Lyon-UMR 5082 (CNRS, ENS Lyon, UCB Lyon 1), Université de Lyon, 69100, Villeurbanne, France
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Kirsteina A, Akopjana I, Bogans J, Lieknina I, Jansons J, Skrastina D, Kazaka T, Tars K, Isakova-Sivak I, Mezhenskaya D, Kotomina T, Matyushenko V, Rudenko L, Kazaks A. Construction and Immunogenicity of a Novel Multivalent Vaccine Prototype Based on Conserved Influenza Virus Antigens. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8020197. [PMID: 32344753 PMCID: PMC7349063 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8020197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Influenza, an acute, highly contagious respiratory disease, remains a significant threat to public health. More effective vaccination strategies aimed at inducing broad cross-protection not only against seasonal influenza variants, but also zoonotic and emerging pandemic influenza strains are urgently needed. A number of conserved protein targets to elicit such cross-protective immunity have been under investigation, with long alpha-helix (LAH) from hemagglutinin stalk and ectodomain of matrix protein 2 ion channel (M2e) being the most studied ones. Recently, we have reported the three-dimensional structure and some practical applications of LAH expressed in Escherichia coli system (referred to as tri-stalk protein). In the present study, we investigated the immunogenicity and efficacy of a panel of broadly protective influenza vaccine prototypes based on both influenza tri-stalk and triple M2e (3M2e) antigens integrated into phage AP205 virus-like particles (VLPs). While VLPs containing the 3M2e alone induced protection against standard homologous and heterologous virus challenge in mice, only the combination of both conserved influenza antigens into a single VLP fully protected mice from a high-dose homologous H1N1 influenza infection. We propose that a combination of genetic fusion and chemical coupling techniques to expose two different foreign influenza antigens on a single particle is a perspective approach for generation of a broadly-effective vaccine candidate that could protect against the constantly emerging influenza virus strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kirsteina
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia; (A.K.); (I.A.); (J.B.); (I.L.); (J.J.); (D.S.); (T.K.); (K.T.)
| | - Inara Akopjana
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia; (A.K.); (I.A.); (J.B.); (I.L.); (J.J.); (D.S.); (T.K.); (K.T.)
| | - Janis Bogans
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia; (A.K.); (I.A.); (J.B.); (I.L.); (J.J.); (D.S.); (T.K.); (K.T.)
| | - Ilva Lieknina
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia; (A.K.); (I.A.); (J.B.); (I.L.); (J.J.); (D.S.); (T.K.); (K.T.)
| | - Juris Jansons
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia; (A.K.); (I.A.); (J.B.); (I.L.); (J.J.); (D.S.); (T.K.); (K.T.)
| | - Dace Skrastina
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia; (A.K.); (I.A.); (J.B.); (I.L.); (J.J.); (D.S.); (T.K.); (K.T.)
| | - Tatjana Kazaka
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia; (A.K.); (I.A.); (J.B.); (I.L.); (J.J.); (D.S.); (T.K.); (K.T.)
| | - Kaspars Tars
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia; (A.K.); (I.A.); (J.B.); (I.L.); (J.J.); (D.S.); (T.K.); (K.T.)
| | - Irina Isakova-Sivak
- Department of Virology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg 197376, Russia; (I.I.-S.); (D.M.); (T.K.); (V.M.); (L.R.)
| | - Daria Mezhenskaya
- Department of Virology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg 197376, Russia; (I.I.-S.); (D.M.); (T.K.); (V.M.); (L.R.)
| | - Tatiana Kotomina
- Department of Virology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg 197376, Russia; (I.I.-S.); (D.M.); (T.K.); (V.M.); (L.R.)
| | - Victoria Matyushenko
- Department of Virology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg 197376, Russia; (I.I.-S.); (D.M.); (T.K.); (V.M.); (L.R.)
| | - Larisa Rudenko
- Department of Virology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg 197376, Russia; (I.I.-S.); (D.M.); (T.K.); (V.M.); (L.R.)
| | - Andris Kazaks
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia; (A.K.); (I.A.); (J.B.); (I.L.); (J.J.); (D.S.); (T.K.); (K.T.)
- Correspondence:
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8
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Kazaks A, Lu IN, Farinelle S, Ramirez A, Crescente V, Blaha B, Ogonah O, Mukhopadhyay T, de Obanos MP, Krimer A, Akopjana I, Bogans J, Ose V, Kirsteina A, Kazaka T, Stonehouse NJ, Rowlands DJ, Muller CP, Tars K, Rosenberg WM. Production and purification of chimeric HBc virus-like particles carrying influenza virus LAH domain as vaccine candidates. BMC Biotechnol 2017; 17:79. [PMID: 29126399 PMCID: PMC5681787 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-017-0396-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The lack of a universal influenza vaccine is a global health problem. Interest is now focused on structurally conserved protein domains capable of eliciting protection against a broad range of influenza virus strains. The long alpha helix (LAH) is an attractive vaccine component since it is one of the most conserved influenza hemagglutinin (HA) stalk regions. For an improved immune response, the LAH domain from H3N2 strain has been incorporated into virus-like particles (VLPs) derived from hepatitis B virus core protein (HBc) using recently developed tandem core technology. Results Fermentation conditions for recombinant HBc-LAH were established in yeast Pichia pastoris and a rapid and efficient purification method for chimeric VLPs was developed to match the requirements for industrial scale-up. Purified VLPs induced strong antibody responses against both group 1 and group 2 HA proteins in mice. Conclusion Our results indicate that the tandem core technology is a useful tool for incorporation of highly hydrophobic LAH domain into HBc VLPs. Chimeric VLPs can be successfully produced in bioreactor using yeast expression system. Immunologic data indicate that HBc VLPs carrying the LAH antigen represent a promising universal influenza vaccine component. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12896-017-0396-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andris Kazaks
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites 1, Riga, LV-1067, Latvia.
| | - I-Na Lu
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, 29, rue Henri Koch, L-4354, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Sophie Farinelle
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, 29, rue Henri Koch, L-4354, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Alex Ramirez
- iQur Limited, 2 Royal College Street, London, NW1 0NH, UK
| | | | - Benjamin Blaha
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Olotu Ogonah
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Tarit Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Mapi Perez de Obanos
- 3P Biopharmaceuticals SL, Calle Mocholi 2 Poligono Mocholi, Noain, 31110, Navarra, Spain
| | - Alejandro Krimer
- 3P Biopharmaceuticals SL, Calle Mocholi 2 Poligono Mocholi, Noain, 31110, Navarra, Spain
| | - Inara Akopjana
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites 1, Riga, LV-1067, Latvia
| | - Janis Bogans
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites 1, Riga, LV-1067, Latvia
| | - Velta Ose
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites 1, Riga, LV-1067, Latvia
| | - Anna Kirsteina
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites 1, Riga, LV-1067, Latvia
| | - Tatjana Kazaka
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites 1, Riga, LV-1067, Latvia
| | | | - David J Rowlands
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Claude P Muller
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, 29, rue Henri Koch, L-4354, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Kaspars Tars
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites 1, Riga, LV-1067, Latvia.,Faculty of Biology, Department of Molecular Biology, Jelgavas 1, Riga, LV-1004, Latvia
| | - William M Rosenberg
- iQur Limited, 2 Royal College Street, London, NW1 0NH, UK.,Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, Division of Medicine, University College London, Royal Free Campus, NW3 2PF, London, UK
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Skrastina D, Petrovskis I, Lieknina I, Bogans J, Renhofa R, Ose V, Dishlers A, Dekhtyar Y, Pumpens P. Silica nanoparticles as the adjuvant for the immunisation of mice using hepatitis B core virus-like particles. PLoS One 2014; 9:e114006. [PMID: 25436773 PMCID: PMC4250084 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2014] [Accepted: 11/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in nanotechnology and nanomaterials have facilitated the development of silicon dioxide, or Silica, particles as a promising immunological adjuvant for the generation of novel prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines. In the present study, we have compared the adjuvanting potential of commercially available Silica nanoparticles (initial particles size of 10–20 nm) with that of aluminium hydroxide, or Alum, as well as that of complete and incomplete Freund's adjuvants for the immunisation of BALB/c mice with virus-like particles (VLPs) formed by recombinant full-length Hepatitis B virus core (HBc) protein. The induction of B-cell and T-cell responses was studied after immunisation. Silica nanoparticles were able to adsorb maximally 40% of the added HBc, whereas the adsorption capacity of Alum exceeded 90% at the same VLPs/adjuvant ratio. Both Silica and Alum formed large complexes with HBc VLPs that sedimented rapidly after formulation, as detected by dynamic light scattering, spectrophotometry, and electron microscopy. Both Silica and Alum augmented the humoral response against HBc VLPs to the high anti-HBc level in the case of intraperitoneal immunisation, whereas in subcutaneous immunisation, the Silica-adjuvanted anti-HBc level even exceeded the level adjuvanted by Alum. The adjuvanting of HBc VLPs by Silica resulted in the same typical IgG2a/IgG1 ratios as in the case of the adjuvanting by Alum. The combination of Silica with monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) led to the same enhancement of the HBc-specific T-cell induction as in the case of the Alum and MPL combination. These findings demonstrate that Silica is not a weaker putative adjuvant than Alum for induction of B-cell and T-cell responses against recombinant HBc VLPs. This finding may have an essential impact on the development of the set of Silica-adjuvanted vaccines based on a long list of HBc-derived virus-like particles as the biological component.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dace Skrastina
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Ilva Lieknina
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia
| | - Janis Bogans
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia
| | - Regina Renhofa
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia
| | - Velta Ose
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia
| | | | - Yuri Dekhtyar
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Nanotechnologies, Riga Technical University, Riga, Latvia
| | - Paul Pumpens
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia
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Cielens I, Jackevica L, Strods A, Kazaks A, Ose V, Bogans J, Pumpens P, Renhofa R. Mosaic RNA phage VLPs carrying domain III of the West Nile virus E protein. Mol Biotechnol 2014; 56:459-69. [PMID: 24570176 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-014-9743-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The virus-neutralising domain III (DIII) of the West Nile virus glycoprotein E was exposed on the surface of RNA phage AP205 virus-like particles (VLPs) in mosaic form. For this purpose, a 111 amino acid sequence of DIII was added via amber or opal termination codons to the C-terminus of the AP205 coat protein, and mosaic AP205-DIII VLPs were generated by cultivation in amber- or opal-suppressing Escherichia coli strains. After extensive purification to 95 % homogeneity, mosaic AP205-DIII VLPs retained up to 11-16 % monomers carrying DIII domains. The DIII domains appeared on the VLP surface because they were fully accessible to anti-DIII antibodies. Immunisation of BALB/c mice with AP205-DIII VLPs resulted in the induction of specific anti-DIII antibodies, of which the level was comparable to that of the anti-AP205 antibodies generated against the VLP carrier. The AP205-DIII-induced anti-DIII response was represented by a significant fraction of IgG2 isotype antibodies, in contrast to parallel immunisation with the DIII oligopeptide, which failed to induce IgG2 isotype antibodies. Formulation of AP-205-DIII VLPs in alum adjuvant stimulated the level of the anti-DIII response, but did not alter the fraction of IgG2 isotype antibodies. Mosaic AP205-DIII VLPs could be regarded as a promising prototype of a putative West Nile vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indulis Cielens
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Street 1, Riga, 1067, Latvia
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Brangulis K, Petrovskis I, Kazaks A, Bogans J, Otikovs M, Jaudzems K, Ranka R, Tars K. Structural characterization of CspZ, a complement regulator factor H and FHL-1 binding protein from Borrelia burgdorferi. FEBS J 2014; 281:2613-22. [PMID: 24702793 DOI: 10.1111/febs.12808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2013] [Revised: 03/29/2014] [Accepted: 04/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi is the causative agent of Lyme disease and is found in two different types of hosts in nature - Ixodes ticks and various mammalian organisms. To initiate disease and survive in mammalian host organisms, B. burgdorferi must be able to transfer to a new host, proliferate, attach to different tissue and resist the immune response. To resist the host's immune response, B. burgdorferi produces at least five different outer surface proteins that can bind complement regulator factor H (CFH) and/or factor H-like protein 1 (CFHL-1). The crystal structures of two uniquely folded complement binding proteins, which belong to two distinct gene families and are not found in other bacteria, have been previously described. The crystal structure of the CFH and CFHL-1 binding protein CspZ (also known as BbCRASP-2 or BBH06) from B. burgdorferi, which belongs to a third gene family, is reported in this study. The structure reveals that the overall fold is different from the known structures of the other complement binding proteins in B. burgdorferi or other bacteria; this structure does not resemble the fold of any known protein deposited in the Protein Data Bank. The N-terminal part of the CspZ protein forms a four-helix bundle and has features similar to the FAT domain (focal adhesion targeting domain) and a related domain found in the vinculin/α-catenin family. By combining our findings from the crystal structure of CspZ with previous mutagenesis studies, we have identified a likely binding surface on CspZ for CFH and CFHL-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalvis Brangulis
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia; Riga Stradins University, Latvia
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Ranka R, Petrovskis I, Sominskaya I, Bogans J, Bruvere R, Akopjana I, Ose V, Timofejeva I, Brangulis K, Pumpens P, Baumanis V. Fibronectin-binding nanoparticles for intracellular targeting addressed by B. burgdorferi BBK32 protein fragments. Nanomedicine 2012; 9:65-73. [PMID: 22633898 DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2012.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2011] [Revised: 04/17/2012] [Accepted: 05/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Virus-like particles (VLPs) are created by the self-assembly of multiple copies of envelope and/or capsid proteins from many viruses, mimicking the conformation of a native virus. Such noninfectious nanostructures are mainly used as antigen-presenting platforms, especially in vaccine research; however, some of them recently were used as scaffolds in biotechnology to produce targeted nanoparticles for intracellular delivery. This study demonstrates the creation of fusion VLPs using hepatitis B core protein-based system maintaining a fibronectin-binding property from B. burgdorferi BBK32 protein, including the evidence of particles' transmission to BHK-21 target cells via caveolae/rafts endocythosis. These results make this construct to be an attractive model in development of HBc-based nanoparticles for cellular targeting applications and highlights the fragment of B. burgdorferi BBK32 as a novel cellular uptake-promoting peptide. FROM THE CLINICAL EDITOR This paper discusses the nanotechnology-based application of self-assembling viral-like peptides (VLP-s) for targeted delivery using a hepatitis B core protein based system. Creating fusion VLPs may be an attractive model for cellular targeting applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renate Ranka
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia.
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Mihailova M, Dovbenko A, Bogans J, Walker A, Ose V, Sominskaya I, Viazov S, Pumpens P. Hepatitis C Virus Vaccine Candidates from Chimeric Hepatitis B Core Virus-like Particles Carrying Different Fragments of HCV Non-structural Protein 3. Antiviral Res 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2011.03.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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