Induced immune response of DNA vaccine encoding an association MSP1a, MSP1b, and MSP5 antigens of Anaplasma marginale

Bovine Anaplasmosis: Will there ever be an almighty effective vaccine?

Bovine anaplasmosis is a tick-borne bacterial disease with a worldwide distribution and the cause of severe economic losses in the livestock industry in many countries, including México. In the present work, we first review the elements of the immune response of the bovine, which allows ameliorating the clinical signs while eliminating the majority of the blood forms and generating an immunologic memory such that future confrontations with the pathogen will not end in disease. On the other hand, many vaccine candidates have been evaluated for the control of bovine anaplasmosis yet without no commercial worldwide effective vaccine. Lastly, the diversity of the pathogen and how this diversity has impaired the many efforts to control the disease are reviewed.

Evaluation of the immune response to Anaplasma marginale MSP5 protein using a HSV-1 amplicon vector system or recombinant protein

Anaplasma marginale is an intraerythrocytic vector-borne infectious agent of cattle. Immunization with the current vaccine, based on parasitized erythrocytes with live Anaplasma centrale, shows some constraints and confers partial protection, suggesting the feasibility for the development of new generation of vaccines. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of sequential immunization of BALB/c mice, with herpesvirus amplicon vector-based vaccines combined with protein-based vaccines, on the quality of the immune response against the major surface protein 5 of A. marginale. The highest antibody titers against MSP5 were elicited in mice that received two doses of adjuvanted recombinant protein (p < 0.0001). Mice treated with a heterologous prime-boost strategy generated sustained antibody titers at least up to 200 days, and a higher specific cellular response. The results presented here showed that sequential immunization with HSV-based vectors and purified antigen enhances the quality of the immune response against A. marginale.

Immune response of calves inoculated with proteins of Anaplasma marginale bound to an immunostimulant complex

Despite our current knowledge of the immunology, pathology, and genetics of Anaplasma marginale, prevention in cattle is currently based on old standbys, including live attenuated vaccines, antibiotic treatment, and maintaining enzootic stability in cattle herds. In the present study, we evaluated the use of an immunostimulant complex (ISCOMATRIX) adjuvant, associated with a pool of recombinant major surface proteins (rMSP1a, rMSP1b, rMSP4 and rMSP5) to improve the humoral immune response triggered in calves mainly by IgG2. Ten calves were divided in three groups: 4 calves were inoculated with the ISCOMATRIX/rMSPs (G1); 2 calves were inoculated with ISCOMATRIX adjuvant (G2); and 4 calves received saline (G3). Three inoculations were administered at 21-day intervals. In G1, the calves showed significant increases in total IgG, IgG1 and IgG2 levels 21 days after the second inoculation, compared to the control group (p < 0.05), and G1 calves remained above the cut-off value 28 days after the third inoculation (p < 0.05). The post-immunized sera from calves in G1 reacted specifically for each of the rMSPs used. In conclusion, the ISCOMATRIX/rMSPs induced antigen-specific seroconversion in calves. Therefore, additional testing to explore the protection induced by rMSPs, both alone and in conjunction with proteins previously identified as subdominant epitopes, is warranted.

Knockout of an outer membrane protein operon of Anaplasma marginale by transposon mutagenesis

Background

The large amounts of data generated by genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics have increased our understanding of the biology of Anaplasma marginale. However, these data have also led to new assumptions that require testing, ideally through classical genetic mutation. One example is the definition of genes associated with virulence. Here we describe the molecular characterization of a red fluorescent and spectinomycin and streptomycin resistant A. marginale mutant generated by Himar1 transposon mutagenesis.

Results

High throughput genome sequencing to determine the Himar1-A. marginale genome junctions established that the transposon sequences were integrated within the coding region of the omp10 gene. This gene is arranged within an operon with AM1225 at the 5’ end and with omp9, omp8, omp7 and omp6 arranged in tandem at the 3’ end. RNA analysis to determine the effects of the transposon insertion on the expression of omp10 and downstream genes revealed that the Himar1 insertion not only reduced the expression of omp10 but also that of downstream genes. Transcript expression from omp9, and omp8 dropped by more than 90% in comparison with their counterparts in wild-type A. marginale. Immunoblot analysis showed a reduction in the production of Omp9 protein in these mutants compared to wild-type A. marginale.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate that transposon mutagenesis in A. marginale is possible and that this technology can be used for the creation of insertional gene knockouts that can be evaluated in natural host-vector systems.

Epitope-based vaccines with the Anaplasma marginale MSP1a functional motif induce a balanced humoral and cellular immune response in mice

Bovine anaplasmosis is a hemoparasitic disease that causes considerable economic loss to the dairy and beef industries. Cattle immunized with the Anaplasma marginale MSP1 outer membrane protein complex presents a protective humoral immune response; however, its efficacy is variable. Immunodominant epitopes seem to be a key-limiting factor for the adaptive immunity. We have successfully demonstrated that critical motifs of the MSP1a functional epitope are essential for antibody recognition of infected animal sera, but its protective immunity is yet to be tested. We have evaluated two synthetic vaccine formulations against A. marginale, using epitope-based approach in mice. Mice infection with bovine anaplasmosis was demonstrated by qPCR analysis of erythrocytes after 15-day exposure. A proof-of-concept was obtained in this murine model, in which peptides conjugated to bovine serum albumin were used for immunization in three 15-day intervals by intraperitoneal injections before challenging with live bacteria. Blood samples were analyzed for the presence of specific IgG2a and IgG1 antibodies, as well as for the rickettsemia analysis. A panel containing the cytokines’ transcriptional profile for innate and adaptive immune responses was carried out through qPCR. Immunized BALB/c mice challenged with A. marginale presented stable body weight, reduced number of infected erythrocytes, and no mortality; and among control groups mortality rates ranged from 15% to 29%. Additionally, vaccines have significantly induced higher IgG2a than IgG1 response, followed by increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This is a successful demonstration of epitope-based vaccines, and protection against anaplasmosis may be associated with elicitation of effector functions of humoral and cellular immune responses in murine model.

Characterization of monoclonal antibodies against goat interleukin-18 and their application in the measurement of goat interleukin-18 in LPS-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells by sandwich ELISA

In order to develop a specific assay for the measurement of goat IL-18 level, two stable hybridoma cell lines were established which secreted IgG1 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against goat IL-18. Specific binding of two mAbs named 2E8 and 4C4 to recombinant goat IL-18 expressed in Escherichia coli was demonstrated in an ELISA and Western blotting. Results also showed that mAbs 2E8 and 4C4 bound to distinct epitopes in the ELISA additivity test. These two mAbs were applied in IFA analysis for the detection of goat IL-18 expressed in 293FT cells and in the sandwich ELISA for the measurement of goat IL-18 levels in LPS-stimulated PBMC. Results from this study demonstrated that mAbs against goat IL-18 recognize bovine and human IL-18 and could be used to measure IL-18 levels in different inflammations or immune responses in future studies.