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Alberto Alcalá-Orozco E, Grote V, Fiebig T, Klamt S, Reichl U, Rexer T. A Cell-Free Multi-enzyme Cascade Reaction for the Synthesis of CDP-Glycerol. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202300463. [PMID: 37578628 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300463] [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] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
CDP-glycerol is a nucleotide-diphosphate-activated version of glycerol. In nature, it is required for the biosynthesis of teichoic acid in Gram-positive bacteria, which is an appealing target epitope for the development of new vaccines. Here, a cell-free multi-enzyme cascade was developed to synthetize nucleotide-activated glycerol from the inexpensive and readily available substrates cytidine and glycerol. The cascade comprises five recombinant enzymes expressed in Escherichia coli that were purified by immobilized metal affinity chromatography. As part of the cascade, ATP is regenerated in situ from polyphosphate to reduce synthesis costs. The enzymatic cascade was characterized at the laboratory scale, and the products were analyzed by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC)-UV and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). After the successful synthesis had been confirmed, a design-of-experiments approach was used to screen for optimal operation conditions (temperature, pH value and MgCl2 concentration). Overall, a substrate conversion of 89 % was achieved with respect to the substrate cytidine.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Alberto Alcalá-Orozco
- Bioprocess Engineering, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, 39106, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Valerian Grote
- Bioprocess Engineering, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, 39106, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Timm Fiebig
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Steffen Klamt
- Analysis and Redesign of Biological Networks, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, 39106, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Udo Reichl
- Bioprocess Engineering, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, 39106, Magdeburg, Germany
- Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, 39104, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Rexer
- Bioprocess Engineering, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, 39106, Magdeburg, Germany
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2
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Hussnaetter KP, Palm P, Pich A, Franzreb M, Rapp E, Elling L. Strategies for Automated Enzymatic Glycan Synthesis (AEGS). Biotechnol Adv 2023; 67:108208. [PMID: 37437855 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108208] [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] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Glycans are the most abundant biopolymers on earth and are constituents of glycoproteins, glycolipids, and proteoglycans with multiple biological functions. The availability of different complex glycan structures is of major interest in biotechnology and basic research of biological systems. High complexity, establishment of general and ubiquitous synthesis techniques, as well as sophisticated analytics, are major challenges in the development of glycan synthesis strategies. Enzymatic glycan synthesis with Leloir-glycosyltransferases is an attractive alternative to chemical synthesis as it can achieve quantitative regio- and stereoselective glycosylation in a single step. Various strategies for synthesis of a wide variety of different glycan structures has already be established and will exemplarily be discussed in the scope of this review. However, the application of enzymatic glycan synthesis in an automated system has high demands on the equipment, techniques, and methods. Different automation approaches have already been shown. However, while these techniques have been applied for several glycans, only a few strategies are able to conserve the full potential of enzymatic glycan synthesis during the process - economical and enzyme technological recycling of enzymes is still rare. In this review, we show the major challenges towards Automated Enzymatic Glycan Synthesis (AEGS). First, we discuss examples for immobilization of glycans or glycosyltransferases as an important prerequisite for the embedment and implementation in an enzyme reactor. Next, improvement of bioreactors towards automation will be described. Finally, analysis and monitoring of the synthesis process are discussed. Furthermore, automation processes and cycle design are highlighted. Accordingly, the transition of recent approaches towards a universal automated glycan synthesis platform will be projected. To this end, this review aims to describe essential key features for AEGS, evaluate the current state-of-the-art and give thought- encouraging impulses towards future full automated enzymatic glycan synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Philip Hussnaetter
- Laboratory for Biomaterials, Institute for Biotechnology and Helmholtz-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 20, D-52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Philip Palm
- Laboratory for Biomaterials, Institute for Biotechnology and Helmholtz-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 20, D-52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Andrij Pich
- Functional and Interactive Polymers, Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry and DWI Leibniz-Institute for Interactive Materials e.V., RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeckstr. 50, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Matthias Franzreb
- Karlsruher Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Functional Interfaces, Hermann v. Helmholtz, Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Erdmann Rapp
- glyXera GmbH, Brenneckestrasse 20 * ZENIT, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical System, Bioprocess Engineering, Sandtorstrasse 1, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Lothar Elling
- Laboratory for Biomaterials, Institute for Biotechnology and Helmholtz-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 20, D-52074 Aachen, Germany.
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3
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Cifuente JO, Schulze J, Bethe A, Di Domenico V, Litschko C, Budde I, Eidenberger L, Thiesler H, Ramón Roth I, Berger M, Claus H, D'Angelo C, Marina A, Gerardy-Schahn R, Schubert M, Guerin ME, Fiebig T. A multi-enzyme machine polymerizes the Haemophilus influenzae type b capsule. Nat Chem Biol 2023; 19:865-877. [PMID: 37277468 PMCID: PMC10299916 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01324-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial capsules have critical roles in host-pathogen interactions. They provide a protective envelope against host recognition, leading to immune evasion and bacterial survival. Here we define the capsule biosynthesis pathway of Haemophilus influenzae serotype b (Hib), a Gram-negative bacterium that causes severe infections in infants and children. Reconstitution of this pathway enabled the fermentation-free production of Hib vaccine antigens starting from widely available precursors and detailed characterization of the enzymatic machinery. The X-ray crystal structure of the capsule polymerase Bcs3 reveals a multi-enzyme machine adopting a basket-like shape that creates a protected environment for the synthesis of the complex Hib polymer. This architecture is commonly exploited for surface glycan synthesis by both Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens. Supported by biochemical studies and comprehensive 2D nuclear magnetic resonance, our data explain how the ribofuranosyltransferase CriT, the phosphatase CrpP, the ribitol-phosphate transferase CroT and a polymer-binding domain function as a unique multi-enzyme assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier O Cifuente
- Structural Glycobiology Laboratory, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain
- Structural Glycobiology Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Derio, Spain
| | - Julia Schulze
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Andrea Bethe
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Valerio Di Domenico
- Structural Glycobiology Laboratory, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain
| | - Christa Litschko
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Insa Budde
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Lukas Eidenberger
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hauke Thiesler
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Isabel Ramón Roth
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Monika Berger
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Heike Claus
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Cecilia D'Angelo
- Structural Glycobiology Laboratory, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain
- Structural Glycobiology Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Derio, Spain
| | - Alberto Marina
- Structural Glycobiology Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Derio, Spain
| | - Rita Gerardy-Schahn
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Mario Schubert
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Marcelo E Guerin
- Structural Glycobiology Laboratory, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain.
- Structural Glycobiology Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Derio, Spain.
- Ikerbasque Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain.
| | - Timm Fiebig
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
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Rohokale R, Guo Z. Development in the Concept of Bacterial Polysaccharide Repeating Unit-Based Antibacterial Conjugate Vaccines. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:178-212. [PMID: 36706246 PMCID: PMC9930202 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The surface of cells is coated with a dense layer of glycans, known as the cell glycocalyx. The complex glycans in the glycocalyx are involved in various biological events, such as bacterial pathogenesis, protection of bacteria from environmental stresses, etc. Polysaccharides on the bacterial cell surface are highly conserved and accessible molecules, and thus they are excellent immunological targets. Consequently, bacterial polysaccharides and their repeating units have been extensively studied as antigens for the development of antibacterial vaccines. This Review surveys the recent developments in the synthetic and immunological investigations of bacterial polysaccharide repeating unit-based conjugate vaccines against several human pathogenic bacteria. The major challenges associated with the development of functional carbohydrate-based antibacterial conjugate vaccines are also considered.
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5
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Sorieul C, Dolce M, Romano MR, Codée J, Adamo R. Glycoconjugate vaccines against antimicrobial resistant pathogens. Expert Rev Vaccines 2023; 22:1055-1078. [PMID: 37902243 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2023.2274955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is responsible for the death of millions worldwide and stands as a major threat to our healthcare systems, which are heavily reliant on antibiotics to fight bacterial infections. The development of vaccines against the main pathogens involved is urgently required as prevention remains essential against the rise of AMR. AREAS COVERED A systematic research review was conducted on MEDLINE database focusing on the six AMR pathogens defined as ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli), which are considered critical or high priority pathogens by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The analysis was intersecated with the terms carbohydrate, glycoconjugate, bioconjugate, glyconanoparticle, and multiple presenting antigen system vaccines. EXPERT OPINION Glycoconjugate vaccines have been successful in preventing meningitis and pneumoniae, and there are high expectations that they will play a key role in fighting AMR. We herein discuss the recent technological, preclinical, and clinical advances, as well as the challenges associated with the development of carbohydrate-based vaccines against leading AMR bacteria, with focus on the ESKAPE pathogens. The need of innovative clinical and regulatory approaches to tackle these targets is also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Sorieul
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marta Dolce
- GSK, Via Fiorentina 1, Siena, Italy
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | | | - Jeroen Codée
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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6
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Shivatare SS, Shivatare VS, Wong CH. Glycoconjugates: Synthesis, Functional Studies, and Therapeutic Developments. Chem Rev 2022; 122:15603-15671. [PMID: 36174107 PMCID: PMC9674437 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c01032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Glycoconjugates are major constituents of mammalian cells that are formed via covalent conjugation of carbohydrates to other biomolecules like proteins and lipids and often expressed on the cell surfaces. Among the three major classes of glycoconjugates, proteoglycans and glycoproteins contain glycans linked to the protein backbone via amino acid residues such as Asn for N-linked glycans and Ser/Thr for O-linked glycans. In glycolipids, glycans are linked to a lipid component such as glycerol, polyisoprenyl pyrophosphate, fatty acid ester, or sphingolipid. Recently, glycoconjugates have become better structurally defined and biosynthetically understood, especially those associated with human diseases, and are accessible to new drug, diagnostic, and therapeutic developments. This review describes the status and new advances in the biological study and therapeutic applications of natural and synthetic glycoconjugates, including proteoglycans, glycoproteins, and glycolipids. The scope, limitations, and novel methodologies in the synthesis and clinical development of glycoconjugates including vaccines, glyco-remodeled antibodies, glycan-based adjuvants, glycan-specific receptor-mediated drug delivery platforms, etc., and their future prospectus are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachin S Shivatare
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Vidya S Shivatare
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Chi-Huey Wong
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
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7
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Hoyos P, Perona A, Bavaro T, Berini F, Marinelli F, Terreni M, Hernáiz MJ. Biocatalyzed Synthesis of Glycostructures with Anti-infective Activity. Acc Chem Res 2022; 55:2409-2424. [PMID: 35942874 PMCID: PMC9454102 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.2c00136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Molecules containing carbohydrate moieties play essential roles in fighting a variety of bacterial and viral infections. Consequently, the design of new carbohydrate-containing drugs or vaccines has attracted great attention in recent years as means to target several infectious diseases.Conventional methods to produce these compounds face numerous challenges because their current production technology is based on chemical synthesis, which often requires several steps and uses environmentally unfriendly reactants, contaminant solvents, and inefficient protocols. The search for sustainable processes such as the use of biocatalysts and eco-friendly solvents is of vital importance. Therefore, their use in a variety of reactions leading to the production of pharmaceuticals has increased exponentially in the last years, fueled by recent advances in protein engineering, enzyme directed evolution, combinatorial biosynthesis, immobilization techniques, and flow biocatalysis. In glycochemistry and glycobiology, enzymes belonging to the families of glycosidases, glycosyltransferases (Gtfs), lipases, and, in the case of nucleoside and nucleotide analogues, also nucleoside phosphorylases (NPs) are the preferred choices as catalysts.In this Account, on the basis of our expertise, we will discuss the recent biocatalytic and sustainable approaches that have been employed to synthesize carbohydrate-based drugs, ranging from antiviral nucleosides and nucleotides to antibiotics with antibacterial activity and glycoconjugates such as neoglycoproteins (glycovaccines, GCVs) and glycodendrimers that are considered as very promising tools against viral and bacterial infections.In the first section, we will report the use of NPs and N-deoxyribosyltransferases for the development of transglycosylation processes aimed at the synthesis of nucleoside analogues with antiviral activity. The use of deoxyribonucleoside kinases and hydrolases for the modification of the sugar moiety of nucleosides has been widely investigated.Next, we will describe the results obtained using enzymes for the chemoenzymatic synthesis of glycoconjugates such as GCVs and glycodendrimers with antibacterial and antiviral activity. In this context, the search for efficient enzymatic syntheses represents an excellent strategy to produce structure-defined antigenic or immunogenic oligosaccharide analogues with high purity. Lipases, glycosidases, and Gtfs have been used for their preparation.Interestingly, many authors have proposed the use Gtfs originating from the biosynthesis of natural glycosylated antibiotics such as glycopeptides, macrolides, and aminoglycosides. These have been used in the chemoenzymatic semisynthesis of novel antibiotic derivatives by modification of the sugar moiety linked to their complex scaffold. These contributions will be described in the last section of this review because of their relevance in the fight against the spreading phenomenon of antibiotic resistance. In this context, the pioneering in vivo synthesis of novel derivatives obtained by genetic manipulation of producer strains (combinatorial biosynthesis) will be shortly described as well.All of these strategies provide a useful and environmentally friendly synthetic toolbox. Likewise, the field represents an illustrative example of how biocatalysis can contribute to the sustainable development of complex glycan-based therapies and how problems derived from the integration of natural tools in synthetic pathways can be efficiently tackled to afford high yields and selectivity. The use of enzymatic synthesis is becoming a reality in the pharmaceutical industry and in drug discovery to rapidly afford collections of new antibacterial or antiviral molecules with improved specificity and better metabolic stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilar Hoyos
- Departamento
de Química en Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza Ramón y Cajal s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Almudena Perona
- Departamento
de Química en Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza Ramón y Cajal s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Teodora Bavaro
- Dipartimento
di Scienze del Farmaco, Università
di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Francesca Berini
- Dipartimento
di Biotecnologie e Scienze della Vita, Università
degli Studi dell’Insubria, Via Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Flavia Marinelli
- Dipartimento
di Biotecnologie e Scienze della Vita, Università
degli Studi dell’Insubria, Via Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Marco Terreni
- Dipartimento
di Scienze del Farmaco, Università
di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - María J. Hernáiz
- Departamento
de Química en Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza Ramón y Cajal s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain,
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8
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Brusletto BS, Hellerud BC, Olstad OK, Øvstebø R, Brandtzaeg P. Transcriptomic changes in the large organs in lethal meningococcal shock are reflected in a porcine shock model. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:908204. [PMID: 36034711 PMCID: PMC9413276 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.908204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Fulminant meningococcal sepsis with shock and multiple organ failure is associated with a massive systemic inflammatory response involving solid organs. We have previously established a porcine model of the disease to study pathophysiologic and possible therapeutic strategies. Objective This study examined whether the organ specific gene expression profile in such a large animal model reflects the profile seen in patients with fulminant meningococcal sepsis. Patients and methods Data from gene expression profiles induced in organs from patients (n=5) and the porcine model (n=8) were imported into the Ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) software for comparison analysis. The number of meningococci in the organs were quantified by real time-PCR. Results The all-over transcriptional activation between different organs revealed a striking concordance between the patients and the pigs regarding the pattern of transcriptional activation and activated pathways. Comparison analysis demonstrated similar pattern of upregulation of genes being associated with a large range of inflammatory biofunctions in the patients and the porcine model. Genes associated with biofunctions such as organismal death, morbidity and mortality were similarly downregulated in the patients and the porcine model. Comparison analysis of main predicted canonical pathways also demonstrated a high degree of similarity regarding up- and downregulation in both groups. Core analysis revealed different top-upstream regulators in the different organs in the patients. In the patients pro-inflammatory regulators were most activated in the lungs. In the other organs up-stream factors that regulate signaling pathways involved in development, growth, repair and homeostasis and triglyceride synthesis were most activated. In the porcine model, the top-upstream regulators were pro-inflammatory in all organs. The difference may reflect the shorter duration of the porcine experiment than the duration of the patient’s infection before death. Conclusion The inflammatory responses measured on the transcriptomic level in organs in patients with fulminant meningococcal sepsis is reproduced in the porcine model of the disease, although some differences may exist regarding the top-upregulated factors in individual organs. Thus, this large animal model reproduces important immunological features of meningococcal sepsis and can be a valuable tool in further investigations of inflammatory aspects and possible treatment options
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Affiliation(s)
- Berit Sletbakk Brusletto
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- *Correspondence: Berit Sletbakk Brusletto,
| | | | | | - Reidun Øvstebø
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Petter Brandtzaeg
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Pediatrics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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9
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Cross reacting material (CRM197) as a carrier protein for carbohydrate conjugate vaccines targeted at bacterial and fungal pathogens. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 218:775-798. [PMID: 35872318 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.07.137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
This paper gives an overview of conjugate glycovaccines which contain recombinant diphtheria toxoid CRM197 as a carrier protein. A special focus is given to synthetic methods used for preparation of neoglycoconjugates of CRM197 with oligosaccharide epitopes of cell surface carbohydrates of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Syntheses of commercial vaccines and laboratory specimen on the basis of CRM197 are outlined briefly.
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10
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Del Bino L, Østerlid KE, Wu DY, Nonne F, Romano MR, Codée J, Adamo R. Synthetic Glycans to Improve Current Glycoconjugate Vaccines and Fight Antimicrobial Resistance. Chem Rev 2022; 122:15672-15716. [PMID: 35608633 PMCID: PMC9614730 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is emerging as the next potential pandemic. Different microorganisms, including the bacteria Acinetobacter baumannii, Clostridioides difficile, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, non-typhoidal Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus, and the fungus Candida auris, have been identified by the WHO and CDC as urgent or serious AMR threats. Others, such as group A and B Streptococci, are classified as concerning threats. Glycoconjugate vaccines have been demonstrated to be an efficacious and cost-effective measure to combat infections against Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and, more recently, Salmonella typhi. Recent times have seen enormous progress in methodologies for the assembly of complex glycans and glycoconjugates, with developments in synthetic, chemoenzymatic, and glycoengineering methodologies. This review analyzes the advancement of glycoconjugate vaccines based on synthetic carbohydrates to improve existing vaccines and identify novel candidates to combat AMR. Through this literature survey we built an overview of structure-immunogenicity relationships from available data and identify gaps and areas for further research to better exploit the peculiar role of carbohydrates as vaccine targets and create the next generation of synthetic carbohydrate-based vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kitt Emilie Østerlid
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Dung-Yeh Wu
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Jeroen Codée
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
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11
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Pietri GP, Tontini M, Brogioni B, Oldrini D, Robakiewicz S, Henriques P, Calloni I, Abramova V, Santini L, Malić S, Miklić K, Lisnic B, Bertuzzi S, Unione L, Balducci E, de Ruyck J, Romano MR, Jimenez-Barbero J, Bouckaert J, Jonjic S, Rovis TL, Adamo R. Elucidating the Structural and Minimal Protective Epitope of the Serogroup X Meningococcal Capsular Polysaccharide. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:745360. [PMID: 34722634 PMCID: PMC8551719 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.745360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the considerable progress toward the eradication of meningococcal disease with the introduction of glycoconjugate vaccines, previously unremarkable serogroup X has emerged in recent years, recording several outbreaks throughout the African continent. Different serogroup X polysaccharide-based vaccines have been tested in preclinical trials, establishing the principles for further improvement. To elucidate the antigenic determinants of the MenX capsular polysaccharide, we generated a monoclonal antibody, and its bactericidal nature was confirmed using the rabbit serum bactericidal assay. The antibody was tested by the inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and surface plasmon resonance against a set of oligosaccharide fragments of different lengths. The epitope was shown to be contained within five to six α-(1–4) phosphodiester mannosamine repeating units. The molecular interactions between the protective monoclonal antibody and the MenX capsular polysaccharide fragment were further detailed at the atomic level by saturation transfer difference nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The NMR results were used for validation of the in silico docking analysis between the X-ray crystal structure of the antibody (Fab fragment) and the modeled hexamer oligosaccharide. The antibody recognizes the MenX fragment by binding all six repeating units of the oligosaccharide via hydrogen bonding, salt bridges, and hydrophobic interactions. In vivo studies demonstrated that conjugates containing five to six repeating units can produce high functional antibody levels. These results provide an insight into the molecular basis of MenX vaccine-induced protection and highlight the requirements for the epitope-based vaccine design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gian Pietro Pietri
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | | | | | | | - Stefania Robakiewicz
- Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, Université de Lille, Villeneuve D'Ascq, France
| | | | - Ilaria Calloni
- Chemical Glycobiology Lab CIC BioGUNE Technology Park, Derio, Spain
| | - Vera Abramova
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | | | - Suzana Malić
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Karmela Miklić
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Berislav Lisnic
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Sara Bertuzzi
- Chemical Glycobiology Lab CIC BioGUNE Technology Park, Derio, Spain
| | - Luca Unione
- Chemical Glycobiology Lab CIC BioGUNE Technology Park, Derio, Spain
| | | | - Jérôme de Ruyck
- Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, Université de Lille, Villeneuve D'Ascq, France
| | | | - Jesus Jimenez-Barbero
- Chemical Glycobiology Lab CIC BioGUNE Technology Park, Derio, Spain.,Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain.,Department of Organic Chemistry II, University of the Basque Country, Universidad Del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Leioa, Spain
| | - Julie Bouckaert
- Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, Université de Lille, Villeneuve D'Ascq, France
| | - Stipan Jonjic
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Tihana Lenac Rovis
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
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12
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Semi- and fully synthetic carbohydrate vaccines against pathogenic bacteria: recent developments. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:2411-2429. [PMID: 34495299 PMCID: PMC8589429 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210766] [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: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The importance of vaccine-induced protection was repeatedly demonstrated over the last three decades and emphasized during the recent COVID-19 pandemic as the safest and most effective way of preventing infectious diseases. Vaccines have controlled, and in some cases, eradicated global viral and bacterial infections with high efficiency and at a relatively low cost. Carbohydrates form the capsular sugar coat that surrounds the outer surface of human pathogenic bacteria. Specific surface-exposed bacterial carbohydrates serve as potent vaccine targets that broadened our toolbox against bacterial infections. Since first approved for commercial use, antibacterial carbohydrate-based vaccines mostly rely on inherently complex and heterogenous naturally derived polysaccharides, challenging to obtain in a pure, safe, and cost-effective manner. The introduction of synthetic fragments identical with bacterial capsular polysaccharides provided well-defined and homogenous structures that resolved many challenges of purified polysaccharides. The success of semisynthetic glycoconjugate vaccines against bacterial infections, now in different phases of clinical trials, opened up new possibilities and encouraged further development towards fully synthetic antibacterial vaccine solutions. In this mini-review, we describe the recent achievements in semi- and fully synthetic carbohydrate vaccines against a range of human pathogenic bacteria, focusing on preclinical and clinical studies.
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13
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Adegbite A, McCarthy PC. Recent and Future Advances in the Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Homogeneous Glycans for Bacterial Glycoconjugate Vaccine Development. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:1021. [PMID: 34579258 PMCID: PMC8473158 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9091021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Vaccines are important in preventing disease outbreaks and controlling the spread of disease in a population. A variety of vaccines exist, including subunit, recombinant, and conjugate vaccines. Glycoconjugate vaccines have been an important tool to fight against diseases caused by a number of bacteria. Glycoconjugate vaccines are often heterogeneous. Vaccines of the future are becoming more rationally designed to have a defined oligosaccharide chain length and position of conjugation. Homogenous vaccines could play an important role in assessing the relationship between vaccine structure and immune response. This review focuses on recent advances in the chemoenzymatic production of defined bacterial oligosaccharides for vaccine development with a focus on Neisseria meningitidis and selected WHO-prioritized antibacterial resistant-pathogens. We also provide some perspective on future advances in the chemoenzymatic synthesis of well-defined oligosaccharides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayobami Adegbite
- Bioenvironmental Sciences Program, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 21251, USA;
- Department of Chemistry, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 21251, USA
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14
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Sato K, Hagio T, Sano M, Muramoto K, Yaoita A, Noro M, Hara RI, Wada T. Solid-Phase Stereocontrolled Synthesis of Oligomeric P-Modified Glycosyl Phosphate Derivatives Using the Oxazaphospholidine Method. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:20026-20041. [PMID: 34368588 PMCID: PMC8340430 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c03058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Glycosyl phosphate repeating units can be found in the glycoconjugates of some bacteria and protozoa parasites. These structures and their P-modified analogs are attractive synthetic targets as antimicrobial, antiparasitic, and vaccine agents. However, P-modified glycosyl phosphates exist in different diastereomeric forms due to the chiral phosphorus atoms, whose configuration would highly affect their physiochemical and biochemical properties. In this study, a stereocontrolled method was developed for the synthesis of P-modified glycosyl phosphate repeating units derived from the lipophosphoglycan of Leishmania using the oxazaphospholidine approach. The solid-phase synthesis facilitated the elongation and purification of the glycosyl phosphate derivatives, while two P-modified glycosyl phosphates (boranophosphate and phosphorothioate) were successfully synthesized with up to three repeating units.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuki Sato
- Department
of Medicinal and Life Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
| | - Tomoya Hagio
- Department
of Medicinal and Life Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
| | - Michi Sano
- Department
of Medicinal and Life Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
| | - Kazumasa Muramoto
- Department
of Medicinal and Life Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
| | - Aya Yaoita
- Department
of Medicinal and Life Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
| | - Mihoko Noro
- Department
of Medical Genome Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bioscience Building, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Rintaro Iwata Hara
- Department
of Medicinal and Life Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
- Department
of Neurology and Neurological Science, Graduate School of Medicinal
and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental
University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
| | - Takeshi Wada
- Department
of Medicinal and Life Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
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15
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Litschko C, Budde I, Berger M, Bethe A, Schulze J, Alcala Orozco EA, Mahour R, Goettig P, Führing JI, Rexer T, Gerardy-Schahn R, Schubert M, Fiebig T. Mix-and-Match System for the Enzymatic Synthesis of Enantiopure Glycerol-3-Phosphate-Containing Capsule Polymer Backbones from Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Bibersteinia trehalosi. mBio 2021; 12:e0089721. [PMID: 34076489 PMCID: PMC8262930 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00897-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Capsule polymers are crucial virulence factors of pathogenic bacteria and are used as antigens in glycoconjugate vaccine formulations. Some Gram-negative pathogens express poly(glycosylglycerol phosphate) capsule polymers that resemble Gram-positive wall teichoic acids and are synthesized by TagF-like capsule polymerases. So far, the biotechnological use of these enzymes for vaccine developmental studies was restricted by the unavailability of enantiopure CDP-glycerol, one of the donor substrates required for polymer assembly. Here, we use CTP:glycerol-phosphate cytidylyltransferases (GCTs) and TagF-like polymerases to synthesize the poly(glycosylglycerol phosphate) capsule polymer backbones of the porcine pathogen Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, serotypes 3 and 7 (App3 and App7). GCT activity was confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography, and polymers were analyzed using comprehensive nuclear magnetic resonance studies. Solid-phase synthesis protocols were established to allow potential scale-up of polymer production. In addition, one-pot reactions exploiting glycerol-kinase allowed us to start the reaction from inexpensive, widely available substrates. Finally, this study highlights that multidomain TagF-like polymerases can be transformed by mutagenesis of active site residues into single-action transferases, which in turn can act in trans to build-up structurally new polymers. Overall, our protocols provide enantiopure, nature-identical capsule polymer backbones from App2, App3, App7, App9, and App11, Neisseria meningitidis serogroup H, and Bibersteinia trehalosi serotypes T3 and T15. IMPORTANCE Economic synthesis platforms for the production of animal vaccines could help reduce the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in animal husbandry, which contributes greatly to the increase of antibiotic resistance. Here, we describe a highly versatile, easy-to-use mix-and-match toolbox for the generation of glycerol-phosphate-containing capsule polymers that can serve as antigens in glycoconjugate vaccines against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae and Bibersteinia trehalosi, two pathogens causing considerable economic loss in the swine, sheep, and cattle industries. We have established scalable protocols for the exploitation of a versatile enzymatic cascade with modular architecture, starting with the preparative-scale production of enantiopure CDP-glycerol, a precursor for a multitude of bacterial surface structures. Thereby, our approach not only allows the synthesis of capsule polymers but might also be exploitable for the (chemo)enzymatic synthesis of other glycerol-phosphate-containing structures such as Gram-positive wall teichoic acids or lipoteichoic acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christa Litschko
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Insa Budde
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Monika Berger
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Andrea Bethe
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Julia Schulze
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - E. Alberto Alcala Orozco
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Bioprocess Engineering, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Reza Mahour
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Bioprocess Engineering, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Peter Goettig
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Jana Indra Führing
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Fraunhofer International Consortium for Anti-Infective Research (iCAIR), Hannover, Germany
| | - Thomas Rexer
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Bioprocess Engineering, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Rita Gerardy-Schahn
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Mario Schubert
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Timm Fiebig
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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16
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Berti F, Romano MR, Micoli F, Adamo R. Carbohydrate based meningococcal vaccines: past and present overview. Glycoconj J 2021; 38:401-409. [PMID: 33905086 PMCID: PMC8076658 DOI: 10.1007/s10719-021-09990-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis is a major cause of bacterial meningitidis worldwide. Children less than five years and adolescents are particularly affected. Nearly all invasive strains are surrounded by a polysaccharide capsule, based on which, 12 N. meningitidis serogroups are differentiated. Six of them, A, B, C, W, X, and Y, cause the vast majority of infections in humans. Mono- and multi-valent carbohydrate-based vaccines against meningococcal infections have been licensed or are currently in clinical development. In this mini-review, an overview of the past and present approaches for producing meningococcal glycoconjugate vaccines is provided.
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17
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Morelli L, Polito L, Richichi B, Compostella F. Glyconanoparticles as tools to prevent antimicrobial resistance. Glycoconj J 2021; 38:475-490. [PMID: 33728545 PMCID: PMC7964520 DOI: 10.1007/s10719-021-09988-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The increased phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance and the slow pace of development of new antibiotics are at the base of a global health concern regarding microbial infections. Antibiotic resistance kills an estimated 700,000 people each year worldwide, and this number is expected to increase dramatically if efforts are not made to develop new drugs or alternative containment strategies. Increased vaccination coverage, improved sanitation or sustained implementation of infection control measures are among the possible areas of action. Indeed, vaccination is one of the most effective tools of preventing infections. Starting from 1970s polysaccharide-based vaccines against Meningococcus, Pneumococcus and Haemophilus influenzae type b have been licensed, and provided effective protection for population. However, the development of safe and effective vaccines for infectious diseases with broad coverage remains a major challenge in global public health. In this scenario, nanosystems are receiving attention as alternative delivery systems to improve vaccine efficacy and immunogenicity. In this report, we provide an overview of current applications of glyconanomaterials as alternative platforms in the development of new vaccine candidates. In particular, we will focus on nanoparticle platforms, used to induce the activation of the immune system through the multivalent-displacement of saccharide antigens. ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Morelli
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Via Saldini 50, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Polito
- National Research Council, CNR-SCITEC, Via G. Fantoli 16/15, 20138, Milan, Italy
| | - Barbara Richichi
- Department of Chemistry 'Ugo Schiff', University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy
| | - Federica Compostella
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Via Saldini 50, 20133, Milan, Italy.
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18
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Litschko C, Budde I, Berger M, Fiebig T. Exploitation of Capsule Polymerases for Enzymatic Synthesis of Polysaccharide Antigens Used in Glycoconjugate Vaccines. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2183:313-330. [PMID: 32959251 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0795-4_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The exploitation of recombinant enzymes for the synthesis of complex carbohydrates is getting increasing attention. Unfortunately, the analysis of the resulting products often requires advanced methods like nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Here, we use the capsule polymerases Cps4B and Cps11D from Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotypes 4 and 11, respectively, as examples for the in vitro synthesis of capsule polymers similar to those used in glycoconjugate vaccine formulations. We demonstrate how substrate turnover in an enzymatic reaction can be analyzed by HPLC-based anion exchange chromatography and provide the protocol for separation and detection of UV-active polymer. Moreover, we describe how UV-inactive polymer can be separated and visualized using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by combined alcian blue-silver staining.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christa Litschko
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Insa Budde
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Monika Berger
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Timm Fiebig
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
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19
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Enzymatic Synthesis of Glycans and Glycoconjugates. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2020; 175:231-280. [PMID: 33052414 DOI: 10.1007/10_2020_148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Glycoconjugates have great potential to improve human health in a multitude of different ways and fields. Prominent examples are human milk oligosaccharides and glycosaminoglycans. The typical choice for the production of homogeneous glycoconjugates is enzymatic synthesis. Through the availability of expression and purification protocols, recombinant Leloir glycosyltransferases are widely applied as catalysts for the synthesis of a wide range of glycoconjugates. Extensive utilization of these enzymes also depends on the availability of activated sugars as building blocks. Multi-enzyme cascades have proven a versatile technique to synthesize and in situ regenerate nucleotide sugar.In this chapter, the functions and mechanisms of Leloir glycosyltransferases are revisited, and the advantage of prokaryotic sources and production systems is discussed. Moreover, in vivo and in vitro pathways for the synthesis of nucleotide sugar are reviewed. In the second part, recent and prominent examples of the application of Leloir glycosyltransferase are given, i.e., the synthesis of glycosaminoglycans, glycoconjugate vaccines, and human milk oligosaccharides as well as the re-glycosylation of biopharmaceuticals, and the status of automated glycan assembly is revisited.
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20
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Oldrini D, del Bino L, Arda A, Carboni F, Henriques P, Angiolini F, Quintana JI, Calloni I, Romano MR, Berti F, Jimenez‐Barbero J, Margarit I, Adamo R. Structure-Guided Design of a Group B Streptococcus Type III Synthetic Glycan-Conjugate Vaccine. Chemistry 2020; 26:7018-7025. [PMID: 32058627 PMCID: PMC7317837 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202000284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Identification of glycan functional epitopes is of paramount importance for rational design of glycoconjugate vaccines. We recently mapped the structural epitope of the capsular polysaccharide from type III Group B Streptococcus (GBSIII), a major cause of invasive disease in newborns, by using a dimer fragment (composed of two pentasaccharide repeating units) obtained by depolymerization complexed with a protective mAb. Although reported data had suggested a highly complex epitope contained in a helical structure composed of more than four repeating units, we showed that such dimer conjugated to a carrier protein with a proper glycosylation degree elicited functional antibodies comparably to the full-length conjugated polysaccharide. Here, starting from the X-ray crystallographic structure of the polysaccharide fragment-mAb complex, we synthesized a hexasaccharide comprising exclusively the relevant positions involved in binding. Combining competitive surface plasmon resonance and saturation transfer difference NMR spectroscopy as well as in-silico modeling, we demonstrated that this synthetic glycan was recognized by the mAb similarly to the dimer. The hexasaccharide conjugated to CRM197 , a mutant of diphtheria toxin, elicited a robust functional immune response that was not inferior to the polysaccharide conjugate, indicating that it may suffice as a vaccine antigen. This is the first evidence of an X-ray crystallography-guided design of a synthetic carbohydrate-based conjugate vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Oldrini
- Research CenterGlaxoSmithKline PlcVia Fiorentina 153100SienaItaly
| | - Linda del Bino
- Research CenterGlaxoSmithKline PlcVia Fiorentina 153100SienaItaly
| | - Ana Arda
- Chemical Glycobiology Lab, CIC bioGUNEBasque Research Technology Alliance (BRTA)Bizkaia Technology Park48160DerioSpain
| | - Filippo Carboni
- Research CenterGlaxoSmithKline PlcVia Fiorentina 153100SienaItaly
| | - Pedro Henriques
- Research CenterGlaxoSmithKline PlcVia Fiorentina 153100SienaItaly
| | | | - Jon I. Quintana
- Chemical Glycobiology Lab, CIC bioGUNEBasque Research Technology Alliance (BRTA)Bizkaia Technology Park48160DerioSpain
| | - Ilaria Calloni
- Chemical Glycobiology Lab, CIC bioGUNEBasque Research Technology Alliance (BRTA)Bizkaia Technology Park48160DerioSpain
| | - Maria R. Romano
- Research CenterGlaxoSmithKline PlcVia Fiorentina 153100SienaItaly
| | - Francesco Berti
- Research CenterGlaxoSmithKline PlcVia Fiorentina 153100SienaItaly
| | - Jesus Jimenez‐Barbero
- Chemical Glycobiology Lab, CIC bioGUNEBasque Research Technology Alliance (BRTA)Bizkaia Technology Park48160DerioSpain
- IkerbasqueBasque Foundation for Science48013BilbaoBizkaiaSpain
- Department Organic Chemistry IIUniversity of the Basque Country UPV/EHU48940LeioaBizkaiaSpain
| | | | - Roberto Adamo
- Research CenterGlaxoSmithKline PlcVia Fiorentina 153100SienaItaly
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21
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Budde I, Litschko C, Führing JI, Gerardy-Schahn R, Schubert M, Fiebig T. An enzyme-based protocol for cell-free synthesis of nature-identical capsular oligosaccharides from Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:5771-5784. [PMID: 32152227 PMCID: PMC7186170 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.012961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (App) is the etiological agent of acute porcine pneumonia and responsible for severe economic losses worldwide. The capsule polymer of App serotype 1 (App1) consists of [4)-GlcNAc-β(1,6)-Gal-α-1-(PO4-] repeating units that are O-acetylated at O-6 of the GlcNAc. It is a major virulence factor and was used in previous studies in the successful generation of an experimental glycoconjugate vaccine. However, the application of glycoconjugate vaccines in the animal health sector is limited, presumably because of the high costs associated with harvesting the polymer from pathogen culture. Consequently, here we exploited the capsule polymerase Cps1B of App1 as an in vitro synthesis tool and an alternative for capsule polymer provision. Cps1B consists of two catalytic domains, as well as a domain rich in tetratricopeptide repeats (TPRs). We compared the elongation mechanism of Cps1B with that of a ΔTPR truncation (Cps1B-ΔTPR). Interestingly, the product profiles displayed by Cps1B suggested processive elongation of the nascent polymer, whereas Cps1B-ΔTPR appeared to work in a more distributive manner. The dispersity of the synthesized products could be reduced by generating single-action transferases and immobilizing them on individual columns, separating the two catalytic activities. Furthermore, we identified the O-acetyltransferase Cps1D of App1 and used it to modify the polymers produced by Cps1B. Two-dimensional NMR analyses of the products revealed O-acetylation levels identical to those of polymer harvested from App1 culture supernatants. In conclusion, we have established a protocol for the pathogen-free in vitro synthesis of tailored, nature-identical App1 capsule polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Insa Budde
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Strasse 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Christa Litschko
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Strasse 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Jana I Führing
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Strasse 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany; Fraunhofer International Consortium for Anti-Infective Research (iCAIR), 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Rita Gerardy-Schahn
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Strasse 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany; Fraunhofer International Consortium for Anti-Infective Research (iCAIR), 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Mario Schubert
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Timm Fiebig
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Strasse 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
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22
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Mettu R, Chen CY, Wu CY. Synthetic carbohydrate-based vaccines: challenges and opportunities. J Biomed Sci 2020; 27:9. [PMID: 31900143 PMCID: PMC6941340 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-019-0591-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Glycoconjugate vaccines based on bacterial capsular polysaccharides (CPS) have been extremely successful in preventing bacterial infections. The glycan antigens for the preparation of CPS based glycoconjugate vaccines are mainly obtained from bacterial fermentation, the quality and length of glycans are always inconsistent. Such kind of situation make the CMC of glycoconjugate vaccines are difficult to well control. Thanks to the advantage of synthetic methods for carbohydrates syntheses. The well controlled glycan antigens are more easily to obtain, and them are conjugated to carrier protein to from the so-call homogeneous fully synthetic glycoconjugate vaccines. Several fully glycoconjugate vaccines are in different phases of clinical trial for bacteria or cancers. The review will introduce the recent development of fully synthetic glycoconjugate vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravinder Mettu
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, No. 128 Academia Road, Section 2, Nangang District, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Chiang-Yun Chen
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, No. 128 Academia Road, Section 2, Nangang District, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan.,Chemical Biology and Molecular Biophysics, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica, No. 128 Academia Road, Section 2, Nangang District, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Yi Wu
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, No. 128 Academia Road, Section 2, Nangang District, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan.
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23
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Mestrom L, Przypis M, Kowalczykiewicz D, Pollender A, Kumpf A, Marsden SR, Bento I, Jarzębski AB, Szymańska K, Chruściel A, Tischler D, Schoevaart R, Hanefeld U, Hagedoorn PL. Leloir Glycosyltransferases in Applied Biocatalysis: A Multidisciplinary Approach. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20215263. [PMID: 31652818 PMCID: PMC6861944 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20215263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Enzymes are nature’s catalyst of choice for the highly selective and efficient coupling of carbohydrates. Enzymatic sugar coupling is a competitive technology for industrial glycosylation reactions, since chemical synthetic routes require extensive use of laborious protection group manipulations and often lack regio- and stereoselectivity. The application of Leloir glycosyltransferases has received considerable attention in recent years and offers excellent control over the reactivity and selectivity of glycosylation reactions with unprotected carbohydrates, paving the way for previously inaccessible synthetic routes. The development of nucleotide recycling cascades has allowed for the efficient production and reuse of nucleotide sugar donors in robust one-pot multi-enzyme glycosylation cascades. In this way, large glycans and glycoconjugates with complex stereochemistry can be constructed. With recent advances, LeLoir glycosyltransferases are close to being applied industrially in multi-enzyme, programmable cascade glycosylations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luuk Mestrom
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Section Biocatalysis, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands.
| | - Marta Przypis
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Bioorganic Chemistry and Biotechnology, Silesian University of Technology, B. Krzywoustego 4, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland.
- Biotechnology Center, Silesian University of Technology, B. Krzywoustego 8, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland.
| | - Daria Kowalczykiewicz
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Bioorganic Chemistry and Biotechnology, Silesian University of Technology, B. Krzywoustego 4, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland.
- Biotechnology Center, Silesian University of Technology, B. Krzywoustego 8, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland.
| | - André Pollender
- Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Biosciences, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Leipziger Str. 29, 09599 Freiberg, Germany.
| | - Antje Kumpf
- Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Biosciences, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Leipziger Str. 29, 09599 Freiberg, Germany.
- Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology & Biotechnology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
| | - Stefan R Marsden
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Section Biocatalysis, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands.
| | - Isabel Bento
- EMBL Hamburg, Notkestraβe 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Andrzej B Jarzębski
- Institute of Chemical Engineering, Polish Academy of Sciences, Bałtycka 5, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland.
| | - Katarzyna Szymańska
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Ks. M. Strzody 7, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland.
| | | | - Dirk Tischler
- Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Biosciences, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Leipziger Str. 29, 09599 Freiberg, Germany.
- Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology & Biotechnology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
| | - Rob Schoevaart
- ChiralVision, J.H. Oortweg 21, 2333 CH Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Ulf Hanefeld
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Section Biocatalysis, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands.
| | - Peter-Leon Hagedoorn
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Section Biocatalysis, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands.
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Micoli F, Del Bino L, Alfini R, Carboni F, Romano MR, Adamo R. Glycoconjugate vaccines: current approaches towards faster vaccine design. Expert Rev Vaccines 2019; 18:881-895. [PMID: 31475596 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2019.1657012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Over the last decades, glycoconjugate vaccines have been proven to be a successful strategy to prevent infectious diseases. Many diseases remain to be controlled, especially in developing countries, and emerging antibiotic-resistant bacteria present an alarming public-health threat. The increasing complexity of future vaccines, and the need to accelerate development processes have triggered the development of faster approaches to glycoconjugate vaccines design. Areas covered: This review provides an overview of recent progress in glycoconjugation technologies toward faster vaccine design. Expert opinion: Among the different emerging approaches, glycoengineering has the potential to combine glycan assembly and conjugation to carrier systems (such as proteins or outer membrane vesicles) in one step, resulting in a simplified manufacturing process and fewer analytical controls. Chemical and enzymatic strategies, and their automation can facilitate glycoepitope identification for vaccine design. Other approaches, such as the liposomal encapsulation of polysaccharides, potentially enable fast and easy combination of numerous antigens in the same formulation. Additional progress is envisaged in the near future, and some of these systems still need to be further validated in humans. In parallel, new strategies are needed to accelerate the vaccine development process, including the associated clinical trials, up to vaccine release onto the market.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Micoli
- Technology Platform, GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health s.r.l , Siena , Italy
| | | | - Renzo Alfini
- Technology Platform, GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health s.r.l , Siena , Italy
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25
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Benkoulouche M, Fauré R, Remaud-Siméon M, Moulis C, André I. Harnessing glycoenzyme engineering for synthesis of bioactive oligosaccharides. Interface Focus 2019; 9:20180069. [PMID: 30842872 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2018.0069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Combined with chemical synthesis, the use of glycoenzyme biocatalysts has shown great synthetic potential over recent decades owing to their remarkable versatility in terms of substrates and regio- and stereoselectivity that allow structurally controlled synthesis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates. Nonetheless, the lack of appropriate enzymatic tools with requisite properties in the natural diversity has hampered extensive exploration of enzyme-based synthetic routes to access relevant bioactive oligosaccharides, such as cell-surface glycans or prebiotics. With the remarkable progress in enzyme engineering, it has become possible to improve catalytic efficiency and physico-chemical properties of enzymes but also considerably extend the repertoire of accessible catalytic reactions and tailor novel substrate specificities. In this review, we intend to give a brief overview of the advantageous use of engineered glycoenzymes, sometimes in combination with chemical steps, for the synthesis of natural bioactive oligosaccharides or their precursors. The focus will be on examples resulting from the three main classes of glycoenzymes specialized in carbohydrate synthesis: glycosyltransferases, glycoside hydrolases and glycoside phosphorylases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mounir Benkoulouche
- Laboratoire d'Ingénierie des Systèmes Biologiques et Procédés, LISBP, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRA, INSA, 135, avenue de Rangueil, 31077 Toulouse cedex 04, France
| | - Régis Fauré
- Laboratoire d'Ingénierie des Systèmes Biologiques et Procédés, LISBP, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRA, INSA, 135, avenue de Rangueil, 31077 Toulouse cedex 04, France
| | - Magali Remaud-Siméon
- Laboratoire d'Ingénierie des Systèmes Biologiques et Procédés, LISBP, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRA, INSA, 135, avenue de Rangueil, 31077 Toulouse cedex 04, France
| | - Claire Moulis
- Laboratoire d'Ingénierie des Systèmes Biologiques et Procédés, LISBP, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRA, INSA, 135, avenue de Rangueil, 31077 Toulouse cedex 04, France
| | - Isabelle André
- Laboratoire d'Ingénierie des Systèmes Biologiques et Procédés, LISBP, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRA, INSA, 135, avenue de Rangueil, 31077 Toulouse cedex 04, France
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26
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Berti F, Adamo R. Antimicrobial glycoconjugate vaccines: an overview of classic and modern approaches for protein modification. Chem Soc Rev 2018; 47:9015-9025. [PMID: 30277489 DOI: 10.1039/c8cs00495a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Glycoconjugate vaccines obtained by chemical linkage of a carbohydrate antigen to a protein are part of routine vaccinations in many countries. Licensed antimicrobial glycan-protein conjugate vaccines are obtained by random conjugation of native or sized polysaccharides to lysine, aspartic or glutamic amino acid residues that are generally abundantly exposed on the protein surface. In the last few years, the structural approaches for the definition of the polysaccharide portion (epitope) responsible for the immunological activity has shown potential to aid a deeper understanding of the mode of action of glycoconjugates and to lead to the rational design of more efficacious and safer vaccines. The combination of technologies to obtain more defined carbohydrate antigens of higher purity and novel approaches for protein modification has a fundamental role. In particular, methods for site selective glycoconjugation like chemical or enzymatic modification of specific amino acid residues, incorporation of unnatural amino acids and glycoengineering, are rapidly evolving. Here we discuss the state of the art of protein engineering with carbohydrates to obtain glycococonjugates vaccines and future perspectives.
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27
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Colombo C, Pitirollo O, Lay L. Recent Advances in the Synthesis of Glycoconjugates for Vaccine Development. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23071712. [PMID: 30011851 PMCID: PMC6099631 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23071712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
During the last decade there has been a growing interest in glycoimmunology, a relatively new research field dealing with the specific interactions of carbohydrates with the immune system. Pathogens’ cell surfaces are covered by a thick layer of oligo- and polysaccharides that are crucial virulence factors, as they mediate receptors binding on host cells for initial adhesion and organism invasion. Since in most cases these saccharide structures are uniquely exposed on the pathogen surface, they represent attractive targets for vaccine design. Polysaccharides isolated from cell walls of microorganisms and chemically conjugated to immunogenic proteins have been used as antigens for vaccine development for a range of infectious diseases. However, several challenges are associated with carbohydrate antigens purified from natural sources, such as their difficult characterization and heterogeneous composition. Consequently, glycoconjugates with chemically well-defined structures, that are able to confer highly reproducible biological properties and a better safety profile, are at the forefront of vaccine development. Following on from our previous review on the subject, in the present account we specifically focus on the most recent advances in the synthesis and preliminary immunological evaluation of next generation glycoconjugate vaccines designed to target bacterial and fungal infections that have been reported in the literature since 2011.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Colombo
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Universita' degli Studi di Milano, via Golgi 19, 20133 Milano, Italy.
| | - Olimpia Pitirollo
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Universita' degli Studi di Milano, via Golgi 19, 20133 Milano, Italy.
| | - Luigi Lay
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Universita' degli Studi di Milano, via Golgi 19, 20133 Milano, Italy.
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Litschko C, Oldrini D, Budde I, Berger M, Meens J, Gerardy-Schahn R, Berti F, Schubert M, Fiebig T. A New Family of Capsule Polymerases Generates Teichoic Acid-Like Capsule Polymers in Gram-Negative Pathogens. mBio 2018; 9:e00641-18. [PMID: 29844111 PMCID: PMC5974469 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00641-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Group 2 capsule polymers represent crucial virulence factors of Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria. They are synthesized by enzymes called capsule polymerases. In this report, we describe a new family of polymerases that combine glycosyltransferase and hexose- and polyol-phosphate transferase activity to generate complex poly(oligosaccharide phosphate) and poly(glycosylpolyol phosphate) polymers, the latter of which display similarity to wall teichoic acid (WTA), a cell wall component of Gram-positive bacteria. Using modeling and multiple-sequence alignment, we showed homology between the predicted polymerase domains and WTA type I biosynthesis enzymes, creating a link between Gram-negative and Gram-positive cell wall biosynthesis processes. The polymerases of the new family are highly abundant and found in a variety of capsule-expressing pathogens such as Neisseria meningitidis, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Bibersteinia trehalosi, and Escherichia coli with both human and animal hosts. Five representative candidates were purified, their activities were confirmed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and their predicted folds were validated by site-directed mutagenesis.IMPORTANCE Bacterial capsules play an important role in the interaction between a pathogen and the immune system of its host. During the last decade, capsule polymerases have become attractive tools for the production of capsule polymers applied as antigens in glycoconjugate vaccine formulations. Conventional production of glycoconjugate vaccines requires the cultivation of the pathogen and thus the highest biosafety standards, leading to tremendous costs. With regard to animal husbandry, where vaccines could avoid the extensive use of antibiotics, conventional production is not sufficiently cost-effective. In contrast, enzymatic synthesis of capsule polymers is pathogen-free and fast, offers high stereo- and regioselectivity, and works with high efficacy. The new capsule polymerase family described here vastly increases the toolbox of enzymes available for biotechnology purposes. Representatives are abundantly found in human pathogens but also in animal pathogens, paving the way for the exploitation of polymerases for the development of a new generation of vaccines for animal husbandry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christa Litschko
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Insa Budde
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Monika Berger
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jochen Meens
- Institute for Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Rita Gerardy-Schahn
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Mario Schubert
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Timm Fiebig
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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