1
|
Ghunaim H, Kumar A, Torres J, Diaz-Mitoma F, Azizi A. An immunological comparison between lipidated and non-lipidated multivalent HIV-1 peptides representing Gp120 and Gag hypervariable regions. Vaccine 2011; 29:5950-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.06.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2011] [Revised: 06/08/2011] [Accepted: 06/14/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
2
|
Kang KH, Yamamura Y, Carlos MP, Karvelas N, Kim IS, Sunkara D, Rivera R, Gardner MB, Anderson DE, Diaz-Mitoma F, Torres J, Marquez JP. Synthetic antigens representing the antigenic variation of human hepatitis C virus. Viral Immunol 2011; 23:497-508. [PMID: 20883164 DOI: 10.1089/vim.2010.0043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune responses against hepatitis C virus (HCV) have been studied by numerous groups. However, details concerning the production of antibodies to antigenically variable epitopes remain to be elucidated. Since the sequences of the variable regions of several HCV proteins are different among the virus strains infecting patients, we decided to design peptide combinations that represent the theoretical maximum antigenic variation of each epitope to be used as capture antigens. We prepared six peptide mixtures (hypervariable epitope constructs; HECs) representing six different epitopes from structural and non-structural proteins of HCV from genotypes 1-6. Plasma from 300 HCV patients was tested to determine if their antibodies recognize the synthetic constructs. All the patients were chronically infected with diverse HCV genotypes and did not receive antiviral treatment. Antibodies to one or more of the HECs were detected in all of the HCV-infected individuals. Immunogenicity of the HCV HECs was also evaluated in outbred and inbred mice. Strong HEC-specific antibodies were produced, and cellular responses were also induced that were Th-1 rather than Th-2. Our results show that HCV HECs are both antigens that can be used to detect the broad cross-reactivity of antibodies from HCV-infected patients, and strong immunogens that can induce antigen-specific humoral and cellular immune responses in mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyung Hee Kang
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Paul S, Piontkivska H. Frequent associations between CTL and T-Helper epitopes in HIV-1 genomes and implications for multi-epitope vaccine designs. BMC Microbiol 2010; 10:212. [PMID: 20696039 PMCID: PMC2924856 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-10-212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2010] [Accepted: 08/09/2010] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epitope vaccines have been suggested as a strategy to counteract viral escape and development of drug resistance. Multiple studies have shown that Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte (CTL) and T-Helper (Th) epitopes can generate strong immune responses in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1). However, not much is known about the relationship among different types of HIV epitopes, particularly those epitopes that can be considered potential candidates for inclusion in the multi-epitope vaccines. RESULTS In this study we used association rule mining to examine relationship between different types of epitopes (CTL, Th and antibody epitopes) from nine protein-coding HIV-1 genes to identify strong associations as potent multi-epitope vaccine candidates. Our results revealed 137 association rules that were consistently present in the majority of reference and non-reference HIV-1 genomes and included epitopes of two different types (CTL and Th) from three different genes (Gag, Pol and Nef). These rules involved 14 non-overlapping epitope regions that frequently co-occurred despite high mutation and recombination rates, including in genomes of circulating recombinant forms. These epitope regions were also highly conserved at both the amino acid and nucleotide levels indicating strong purifying selection driven by functional and/or structural constraints and hence, the diminished likelihood of successful escape mutations. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide a comprehensive systematic survey of CTL, Th and Ab epitopes that are both highly conserved and co-occur together among all subtypes of HIV-1, including circulating recombinant forms. Several co-occurring epitope combinations were identified as potent candidates for inclusion in multi-epitope vaccines, including epitopes that are immuno-responsive to different arms of the host immune machinery and can enable stronger and more efficient immune responses, similar to responses achieved with adjuvant therapies. Signature of strong purifying selection acting at the nucleotide level of the associated epitopes indicates that these regions are functionally critical, although the exact reasons behind such sequence conservation remain to be elucidated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sinu Paul
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Azizi A, Anderson DE, Torres JV, Ogrel A, Ghorbani M, Soare C, Sandstrom P, Fournier J, Diaz-Mitoma F. Induction of Broad Cross-Subtype-Specific HIV-1 Immune Responses by a Novel Multivalent HIV-1 Peptide Vaccine in Cynomolgus Macaques. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2008; 180:2174-86. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.180.4.2174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
|
5
|
Abstract
Synthetic peptide vaccines have potential to control viral infections. Successful experimental models using this approach include the protection of mice against the lethal Sendai virus infection by MHC class I binding CTL peptide epitope. The main benefit of vaccination with peptide epitopes is the ability to minimize the amount and complexity of a well-defined antigen. An appropriate peptide immunogen would also decrease the chance of stimulating a response against self-antigens, thereby providing a safer vaccine by avoiding autoimmunity. In general, the peptide vaccine strategy needs to dissect the specificity of antigen processing, the presence of B-and T-cell epitopes and the MHC restriction of the T-cell responses. This article briefly reviews the implications in the design of peptide vaccines and discusses the various approaches that are applied to improve their immunogenicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ali Azizi
- Variation Biotechnologies Inc., 22 de Varennes, Suite 210, Gatineau, QC J8T 8R1, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Andrianov AM, Veresov VG. Determination of structurally conservative amino acids of the HIV-1 protein gp120 V3 loop as promising targets for drug design by protein engineering approaches. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2006; 71:906-14. [PMID: 16978155 DOI: 10.1134/s000629790608013x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Based on the published NMR spectroscopy data, three-dimensional structures of the HIV-1 gp120 protein V3 loop were obtained by computer modeling in the viral strains HIV-Haiti and HIV-MN. In both cases, the secondary structure elements and conformations of irregular stretches were determined for the fragment representing the principal antigenic determinant of the virus, as well as determinants of the cellular tropism and syncytium formation. Notwithstanding the high variability of the amino acid sequence of gp120 protein, more than 50% of the V3 loop residues retained their conformations in the different HIV-1 virions. The combined analysis of the findings and the literature data on the biological activity of the individual residues of the HIV-1 V3 loop resulted in identification of its structurally conservative amino acids, which seem to be promising targets for antiviral drug design by protein engineering approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A M Andrianov
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk, 220141, Belarus.
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Reddy KJ, Banapour B, Anderson DE, Lee SH, Marquez JP, Carlos MP, Torres JV. Induction of immune responses against human papillomaviruses by hypervariable epitope constructs. Immunology 2004; 112:321-7. [PMID: 15147575 PMCID: PMC1782473 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2567.2004.01873.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
An ideal prophylactic vaccine against human papillomaviruses (HPV) would be one that can induce broadly reactive antibody titres to at least the major oncogenic strains of HPV. It has been previously shown that HPV structural proteins are highly immunogenic but fail to elicit cross-reactive immune responses against heterologous strains of HPV. Recent studies have demonstrated that the immunity induced by virus-like particles is mostly type specific. In the present study, we determined the breadth of reactivity of antibodies induced in mice immunized with hypervariable epitope constructs (HECs), which represent sequence variants of immunodominant B-cell epitopes of the major capsid protein L1 of HPV. In order to test the breadth of reactivity, sera from immunized mice were tested against peptides representing analogous sequences of HPV types 16, 18, 31 and 45. Mice immunized with HECs based on two epitopes mounted antibody responses that cross-reacted with two different analogues, 16 and 18. Significantly, antibodies from mice immunized with HECs also inhibited haemagglutination mediated by HPV-16 L1 VLPs, suggesting that immunization resulted in the development of antibodies that could bind to viral capsid proteins in their native conformation. Our observations suggest that HECs may overcome the restriction of type specific immunity against HPV.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K Jyotsna Reddy
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Carlos MP, Yamamura Y, Vu Q, Conzen K, Anderson DE, Torres JV. Humoral immunity to immunodominant epitopes of Hepatitis C virus in individuals infected with genotypes 1a or 1b. Clin Immunol 2004; 111:22-7. [PMID: 15093548 DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2003.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2002] [Accepted: 11/17/2003] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cellular immunity against multiple Hepatitis C virus (HCV) proteins is observed in patients acutely infected with HCV most of whom later resolve infection. We wished to assess humoral immunity in patients infected with HCV 1a or 1b genotypes in relation to viral load using plasma samples from HCV-infected individuals and a panel of peptides representing immunodominant epitopes of HCV structural and nonstructural proteins. Plasma from HCV 1a- and 1b-infected patients, respectively, were divided into two groups: patients with low viral load (<==100,000 RNA copies/ml) and patients with high viral load (>/=10,000,000 RNA copies/ml). The antigens were peptides representing epitopes from immunodominant regions of HCV core, E2, NS3, and NS4 proteins, as well as the hypervariable (HVR) epitopes in E2 from genotypes 1a and 1b. Individuals infected with HCV 1a evoked a stronger immune response to many immunodominant epitopes of HCV relative to individuals infected with HCV 1b. Moreover, among individuals infected with HCV 1a, those with low viral loads mounted significantly greater responses against these epitopes than did individuals with high viral loads. Our observations demonstrate that quantitatively different antibody responses are elicited against HCV depending on the genotype of infecting virus, and suggest that humoral immunity directed against multiple immunodominant epitopes in HCV 1a-infected individuals may help lower viral load in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria P Carlos
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Kuberan B, Sikkander SA, Tomiyama H, Linhardt RJ. Synthesis of a C-glycoside analogue of sTn: an HIV- and tumor-associated antigen. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2003; 42:2073-5. [PMID: 12746827 PMCID: PMC4770452 DOI: 10.1002/anie.200351099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Balagurunathan Kuberan
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry and Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 (USA), Fax: (+ 1) 319-335-6634
| | - Sulthan A. Sikkander
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry and Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 (USA), Fax: (+ 1) 319-335-6634
| | - Hiroshi Tomiyama
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry and Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 (USA), Fax: (+ 1) 319-335-6634
| | - Robert J. Linhardt
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry and Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 (USA), Fax: (+ 1) 319-335-6634
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Abstract
A versatile DNA vaccine (pdIV3) was constructed by replacing the integrase, vif, vpx, and vpr genes of a pathogenic simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) molecular clone with a linker containing unique cloning sites. The 5' long terminal repeat (LTR) is truncated and transcription is controlled by a cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter. The construct expresses Gag and Env in vitro and noninfectious virus particles are produced from transfected cells. The ability of pdIV3 to promote cellular and humoral immune responses, along with the flexibility of the linker design to allow insertion of immunostimulatory genes in future constructs, makes this a useful base vector for immunization against primate lentiviruses. We present the construction of a retroviral plasmid designed to serve as a template for the development of safe and effective vaccines against primate immunodeficiency retroviruses. This vaccine component should facilitate the simultaneous induction of cellular and humoral immune responses that protect primates against infection with SIV and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the development of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). This plasmid could induce the appropriate immune response required to attack both cell-free and cell-associated viruses. The lack of infectivity, the inability to integrate, and the SIV origin make this construct a safe alternative to attenuated vaccines based on HIV. In addition, we intend to develop this construct as an immunotherapeutic approach to lower the viremia in AIDS patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J M Smith
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Hewer R, Meyer D. Producing a highly immunogenic synthetic vaccine construct active against HIV-1 subtype C. Vaccine 2002; 20:2680-3. [PMID: 12034093 DOI: 10.1016/s0264-410x(02)00213-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
A synthetic peptide immunogen designated the multiple epitope immunogen (MEI), based on the principle neutralizing domain (PND) of the third variable region (V3) of the HIV-1 subtype C surface envelope protein was prepared by combining two different modes of synthesis [Vaccine 12 (8) (1994) 736; AIDS Res. Hum. Retroviruses 14 (9) (1998) 751; J. Biol. Chem. 263 (4) (1988) 1719]. The MEI induced strong humoral immune responses (titers of >100) in Swiss White and Balb/c mice and antibodies from individuals with HIV/AIDS recognize the immunogen at similar antibody titers. Anti-MEI antibodies were detected by ELISA (using HIV-1 and the immunogen as antigen) and confirmed by proliferation assays (stimulation indices of >5).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Hewer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Rand Afrikaans University, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa
| | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Suzuki S, Carlos MP, Chuang LF, Torres JV, Doi RH, Chuang RY. Methadone induces CCR5 and promotes AIDS virus infection. FEBS Lett 2002; 519:173-7. [PMID: 12023039 DOI: 10.1016/s0014-5793(02)02746-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Methadone, a regimen for the treatment of opioid dependency, was found to induce the expression of CCR5, a co-receptor for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/simian form of HIV (SIV) entry, on human CEM x174 lymphocytes. Both CCR5 mRNA and protein were elevated in methadone-treated cells. A concomitant increase of mu opioid receptors was also observed. Upon methadone exposure, SIVmac239-infected CEM x174 cells released greater amounts of virus particles as revealed by both the number of syncytia formation and reverse transcriptase activities. Similar methadone effect was not observed on CEM x174 cells infected with other simian retroviruses that do not depend on CCR5 for cellular entry. These studies raise concerns considering methadone as an innocuous morphine substitute.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shunji Suzuki
- Department of Medical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Abstract
Original antigenic sin describes a phenomenon in which the antibody response elicited in an individual after a secondary viral infection reacts more strongly to the viral variant that originally infected the individual. As T helper cells play critical roles in promoting antibody responses, a similar phenomenon may hold true for T helper cell responses. This concept is particularly relevant to the development of vaccines against viruses such as human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus, in which myriad viral variants are present throughout the human population. We have compared the effects of priming the immune system with a single peptide epitope or with a cocktail of related peptides based on the epitope. Our data demonstrate that immunization with multiple peptide variants expands a more broadly reactive and durable T helper cell response than does immunization with a single peptide. This vaccine strategy may circumvent original antigenic sin.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D E Anderson
- School of Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Antibodies From HIV-Positive and AIDS Patients Bind to an HIV Envelope Multivalent Vaccine. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 1999. [DOI: 10.1097/00042560-199912010-00001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
15
|
Carlos MP, Yamamura Y, Díaz-Mitoma F, Torres JV. Antibodies from HIV-positive and AIDS patients bind to an HIV envelope multivalent vaccine. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 1999; 22:317-24. [PMID: 10634192 DOI: 10.1097/00126334-199912010-00001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
A major problem impeding development of an effective HIV vaccine is the rapid antigenic variability that is characteristic of several envelope glycoprotein epitopes. Frequent mutations alter the composition of the most immunogenic regions of the envelope glycoprotein. We have prepared a synthetic immunogen representing the evolution of the major hypervariable epitopes on the envelope glycoprotein (gp120) of HIV-1. Five synthetic constructs, representing each of the HIV-1 gp120 hypervariable epitopes were tested for recognition by antibodies from patients infected with HIV-1 from different geographic regions worldwide. An HIV-1 human plasma panel provided a representation of the antibodies recognizing subtype-specific epitope sequences prevalent at different parts of the world. The vaccine construct was recognized by antibodies from HIV-1-positive individuals infected with subtypes A, B, C, D, E, and F. Antibodies in pooled HIV-1 patient sera from San Francisco also recognized all five constructs. This complex immunogen was recognized by antibodies in sera from individual HIV-1-positive and AIDS patients from Puerto Rico and Canada, with a strong binding to the complete vaccine and the V3 component. Altogether, our results demonstrate that antibodies from seropositive patients infected with different HIV-1 clades recognize and bind to the HIV hypervariable epitope construct vaccine preparation and its individual components.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M P Carlos
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|