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Ali A, Waris A, Khan MA, Asim M, Khan AU, Khan S, Zeb J. Recent advancement, immune responses, and mechanism of action of various vaccines against intracellular bacterial infections. Life Sci 2023; 314:121332. [PMID: 36584914 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.121332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Emerging and re-emerging bacterial infections are a serious threat to human and animal health. Extracellular bacteria are free-living, while facultative intracellular bacteria replicate inside eukaryotic host cells. Many serious human illnesses are now known to be caused by intracellular bacteria such as Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Rickettsia massiliae, Chlamydia species, Brucella abortus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Listeria monocytogenes, which result in substantial morbidity and mortality. Pathogens like Mycobacterium, Brucella, MRSA, Shigella, Listeria, and Salmonella can infiltrate and persist in mammalian host cells, particularly macrophages, where they proliferate and establish a repository, resulting in chronic and recurrent infections. The current treatment for these bacteria involves the application of narrow-spectrum antibiotics. FDA-approved vaccines against obligate intracellular bacterial infections are lacking. The development of vaccines against intracellular pathogenic bacteria are more difficult because host defense against these bacteria requires the activation of the cell-mediated pathway of the immune system, such as CD8+ T and CD4+ T. However, different types of vaccines, including live, attenuated, subunit, killed whole cell, nano-based and DNA vaccines are currently in clinical trials. Substantial development has been made in various vaccine strategies against intracellular pathogenic bacteria. This review focuses on the mechanism of intracellular bacterial infection, host immune response, and recent advancements in vaccine development strategies against various obligate intracellular bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmat Ali
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Hazara University Mansehra, Pakistan
| | - Abdul Waris
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
| | - Muhammad Ajmal Khan
- Division of Life Sciences, Center for Cancer Research and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neurosciences, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
| | - Muhammad Asim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Atta Ullah Khan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Standardization and Measurement for Nanotechnology, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, China
| | - Sahrish Khan
- Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Jehan Zeb
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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2
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Ranaudo A, Cosentino U, Greco C, Moro G, Bonardi A, Maiocchi A, Moroni E. Evaluation of docking procedures reliability in affitins-partners interactions. Front Chem 2022; 10:1074249. [DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.1074249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Affitins constitute a class of small proteins belonging to Sul7d family, which, in microorganisms such as Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, bind DNA preventing its denaturation. Thanks to their stability and small size (60–66 residues in length) they have been considered as ideal candidates for engineering and have been used for more than 10 years now, for different applications. The individuation of a mutant able to recognize a specific target does not imply the knowledge of the binding geometry between the two proteins. However, its identification is of undoubted importance but not always experimentally accessible. For this reason, computational approaches such as protein-protein docking can be helpful for an initial structural characterization of the complex. This method, which produces tens of putative binding geometries ordered according to a binding score, needs to be followed by a further reranking procedure for finding the most plausible one. In the present paper, we use the server ClusPro for generating docking models of affitins with different protein partners whose experimental structures are available in the Protein Data Bank. Then, we apply two protocols for reranking the docking models. The first one investigates their stability by means of Molecular Dynamics simulations; the second one, instead, compares the docking models with the interacting residues predicted by the Matrix of Local Coupling Energies method. Results show that the more efficient way to deal with the reranking problem is to consider the information given by the two protocols together, i.e. employing a consensus approach.
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3
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Quilici G, Berardi A, Fabris C, Ghitti M, Punta M, Gourlay LJ, Bolognesi M, Musco G. Solution Structure of the BPSL1445 Protein of Burkholderia pseudomallei Reveals the SYLF Domain Three-Dimensional Fold. ACS Chem Biol 2022; 17:230-239. [PMID: 34968022 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The SYLF domain is an evolutionary conserved protein domain with phosphatidylinositol binding ability, whose three-dimensional structure is unknown. Here, we present the solution structure and the dynamics characterization of the SYLF domain of the bacterial BPSL1445 protein. BPSL1445 is a seroreactive antigen and a diagnostic marker of Burkholderia pseudomallei, the etiological agent of melioidosis, a severe infectious disease in the tropics. The BPSL1445 SYLF domain (BPSL1445-SYLF) consists of a β-barrel core, with two flexible loops protruding out of the barrel and three helices packing on its surface. Our structure allows for a more precise definition of the boundaries of the SYLF domain compared to the previously reported one and suggests common ancestry with bacterial EipA domains. We also demonstrate by phosphatidyl-inositol phosphate arrays and nuclear magnetic resonance titrations that BPSL1445-SYLF weakly interacts with phosphoinositides, thus supporting lipid binding abilities of this domain also in prokaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Quilici
- Biomolecular NMR Laboratory, I.R.C.C.S. Ospedale San Raffaele, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Berardi
- Biomolecular NMR Laboratory, I.R.C.C.S. Ospedale San Raffaele, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Chantal Fabris
- Biomolecular NMR Laboratory, I.R.C.C.S. Ospedale San Raffaele, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Ghitti
- Biomolecular NMR Laboratory, I.R.C.C.S. Ospedale San Raffaele, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Punta
- Unit of Immunogenetics, Leukemia Genomics and Immunobiology and Center for Omics Sciences, I.R.C.C.S. Ospedale San Raffaele, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Louise J. Gourlay
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Centro di Ricerca Pediatrica Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Martino Bolognesi
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Centro di Ricerca Pediatrica Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanna Musco
- Biomolecular NMR Laboratory, I.R.C.C.S. Ospedale San Raffaele, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy
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Abstract
The bacterial flagellum is a large macromolecular assembly that acts as propeller, providing motility through the rotation of a long extracellular filament. It is composed of over 20 different proteins, many of them highly oligomeric. Accordingly, it has attracted a huge amount of interest amongst researchers and the wider public alike. Nonetheless, most of its molecular details had long remained elusive.This however has changed recently, with the emergence of cryo-EM to determine the structure of protein assemblies at near-atomic resolution. Within a few years, the atomic details of most of the flagellar components have been elucidated, revealing not only its overall architecture but also the molecular details of its rotation mechanism. However, many questions remained unaddressed, notably on the complexity of the assembly of such an intricate machinery.In this chapter, we review the current state of our understanding of the bacterial flagellum structure, focusing on the recent development from cryo-EM. We also highlight the various elements that still remain to be fully characterized. Finally, we summarize the existing model for flagellum assembly and discuss some of the outstanding questions that are still pending in our understanding of the diversity of assembly pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie S Al-Otaibi
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Julien R C Bergeron
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, London, UK.
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5
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Triveri A, Serapian SA, Marchetti F, Doria F, Pavoni S, Cinquini F, Moroni E, Rasola A, Frigerio F, Colombo G. SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Mutations and Escape from Antibodies: A Computational Model of Epitope Loss in Variants of Concern. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:4687-4700. [PMID: 34468141 PMCID: PMC8479857 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein is exposed on the viral surface and is the first point of contact between the virus and the host. For these reasons it represents the prime target for Covid-19 vaccines. In recent months, variants of this protein have started to emerge. Their ability to reduce or evade recognition by S-targeting antibodies poses a threat to immunological treatments and raises concerns for their consequences on vaccine efficacy. To develop a model able to predict the potential impact of S-protein mutations on antibody binding sites, we performed unbiased multi-microsecond molecular dynamics of several glycosylated S-protein variants and applied a straightforward structure-dynamics-energy based strategy to predict potential changes in immunogenic regions on each variant. We recover known epitopes on the reference D614G sequence. By comparing our results, obtained on isolated S-proteins in solution, to recently published data on antibody binding and reactivity in new S variants, we directly show that modifications in the S-protein consistently translate into the loss of potentially immunoreactive regions. Our findings can thus be qualitatively reconnected to the experimentally characterized decreased ability of some of the Abs elicited against the dominant S-sequence to recognize variants. While based on the study of SARS-CoV-2 spike variants, our computational epitope-prediction strategy is portable and could be applied to study immunoreactivity in mutants of proteins of interest whose structures have been characterized, helping the development/selection of vaccines and antibodies able to control emerging variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Triveri
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 12, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Stefano A. Serapian
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 12, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Filippo Marchetti
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 12, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Filippo Doria
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 12, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Silvia Pavoni
- Department
of Physical Chemistry, R&D Eni SpA, Via Maritano 27, San Donato Milanese, Milan 20097, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Cinquini
- Upstream
& Technical Services—TECS/STES—Eni Spa, Via Emilia 1, San
Donato Milanese, Milan 20097, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Moroni
- Istituto
di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta”—SCITEC, CNR Via Mario Bianco 9, Milano 20131, Italy
| | - Andrea Rasola
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, Viale G. Colombo 3, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Francesco Frigerio
- Department
of Physical Chemistry, R&D Eni SpA, Via Maritano 27, San Donato Milanese, Milan 20097, Italy
| | - Giorgio Colombo
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 12, Pavia 27100, Italy
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6
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Burkholderia pseudomallei OMVs derived from infection mimicking conditions elicit similar protection to a live-attenuated vaccine. NPJ Vaccines 2021; 6:18. [PMID: 33514749 PMCID: PMC7846723 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-021-00281-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia pseudomallei is a Gram-negative, facultative intracellular bacillus that causes the disease melioidosis. B. pseudomallei expresses a number of proteins that contribute to its intracellular survival in the mammalian host. We previously demonstrated that immunization with OMVs derived from B. pseudomallei grown in nutrient-rich media protects mice against lethal disease. Here, we evaluated if OMVs derived from B. pseudomallei grown under macrophage-mimicking growth conditions could be enriched with intracellular-stage proteins in order to improve the vaccine. We show that OMVs produced in this manner (M9 OMVs) contain proteins associated with intracellular survival yet are non-toxic to living cells. Immunization of mice provides significant protection against pulmonary infection similar to that achieved with a live attenuated vaccine and is associated with increased IgG, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells. OMVs possess inherent adjuvanticity and drive DC activation and maturation. These results indicate that M9 OMVs constitute a new promising vaccine against melioidosis.
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Serapian S, Marchetti F, Triveri A, Morra G, Meli M, Moroni E, Sautto GA, Rasola A, Colombo G. The Answer Lies in the Energy: How Simple Atomistic Molecular Dynamics Simulations May Hold the Key to Epitope Prediction on the Fully Glycosylated SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein. J Phys Chem Lett 2020; 11:8084-8093. [PMID: 32885971 PMCID: PMC7491317 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c02341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is a health threat with dire socioeconomical consequences. As the crucial mediator of infection, the viral glycosylated spike protein (S) has attracted the most attention and is at the center of efforts to develop therapeutics and diagnostics. Herein, we use an original decomposition approach to identify energetically uncoupled substructures as antibody binding sites on the fully glycosylated S. Crucially, all that is required are unbiased MD simulations; no prior knowledge of binding properties or ad hoc parameter combinations is needed. Our results are validated by experimentally confirmed structures of S in complex with anti- or nanobodies. We identify poorly coupled subdomains that are poised to host (several) epitopes and potentially involved in large functional conformational transitions. Moreover, we detect two distinct behaviors for glycans: those with stronger energetic coupling are structurally relevant and protect underlying peptidic epitopes, and those with weaker coupling could themselves be prone to antibody recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano
A. Serapian
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pavia, viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Filippo Marchetti
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pavia, viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Milan, via Venezian 21, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Alice Triveri
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pavia, viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Giulia Morra
- SCITEC−CNR, via Mario Bianco 9, 20131 Milano, Italy
| | | | | | - Giuseppe A. Sautto
- Center
for Vaccines and Immunology, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, 501 D. W. Brooks Drive, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Andrea Rasola
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Biomediche, Università
di Padova, viale G. Colombo
3, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Giorgio Colombo
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pavia, viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
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8
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Song WS, Hong HJ, Yoon SI. Structural study of the flagellar junction protein FlgL from Legionella pneumophila. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 529:513-518. [PMID: 32703460 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila is a flagellated pathogenic bacterium that causes atypical pneumonia called Legionnaires' disease. The flagellum plays a key role in the pathogenesis of L. pneumophila in the host. The protein FlgL forms a junction between the flagellar hook and filament and has been reported to elicit the host humoral immune response. To provide structural insights into FlgL-mediated junction assembly and FlgL-based vaccine design, we performed structural and serological studies on L. pneumophila FlgL (lpFlgL). The crystal structure of a truncated lpFlgL protein that consists of the D1 and D2 domains was determined at 3.06 Å resolution. The D1 domain of lpFlgL adopts a primarily helical, rod-shaped structure, and the D2 domain folds into a β-sandwich structure that is affixed to the upper region of the D1 domain. The D1 domain of lpFlgL exhibits structural similarity to the flagellar filament protein flagellin, allowing us to propose a structural model of the lpFlgL junction based on the polymeric structure of flagellin. Furthermore, the D1 domain of lpFlgL exhibited substantially higher protein stability than the D2 domain and was responsible for most of the antigenicity of lpFlgL, suggesting that the D1 domain of lpFlgL would be a suitable target for the development of an anti-L. pneumophila vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan Seok Song
- Division of Biomedical Convergence, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 24341, Republic of Korea; Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Ho Jeong Hong
- Division of Biomedical Convergence, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Il Yoon
- Division of Biomedical Convergence, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 24341, Republic of Korea; Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 24341, Republic of Korea.
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9
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Meli M, Morra G, Colombo G. Simple Model of Protein Energetics To Identify Ab Initio Folding Transitions from All-Atom MD Simulations of Proteins. J Chem Theory Comput 2020; 16:5960-5971. [PMID: 32693598 PMCID: PMC8009504 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.0c00524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
A fundamental
requirement to predict the native conformation, address
questions of sequence design and optimization, and gain insights into
the folding mechanisms of proteins lies in the definition of an unbiased
reaction coordinate that reports on the folding state without the
need to compare it to reference values, which might be unavailable
for new (designed) sequences. Here, we introduce such a reaction coordinate,
which does not depend on previous structural knowledge of the native
state but relies solely on the energy partition within the protein:
the spectral gap of the pair nonbonded energy matrix (ENergy Gap,
ENG). This quantity can be simply calculated along unbiased MD trajectories.
We show that upon folding the gap increases significantly, while its
fluctuations are reduced to a minimum. This is consistently observed
for a diverse set of systems and trajectories. Our approach allows
one to promptly identify residues that belong to the folding core
as well as residues involved in non-native contacts that need to be
disrupted to guide polypeptides to the folded state. The energy gap
and fluctuations criteria are then used to develop an automatic detection
system which allows us to extract and analyze folding transitions
from a generic MD trajectory. We speculate that our method can be
used to detect conformational ensembles in dynamic and intrinsically
disordered proteins, revealing potential preorganization for binding.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Giulia Morra
- SCITEC-CNR, Via Mario Bianco 9, Milano 20131, Italy.,Weill-Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Giorgio Colombo
- SCITEC-CNR, Via Mario Bianco 9, Milano 20131, Italy.,University of Pavia, Department of Chemistry, Viale Taramelli 12, Pavia 27100, Italy
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10
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Nithichanon A, Tussakhon I, Samer W, Kewcharoenwong C, Ato M, Bancroft GJ, Lertmemongkolchai G. Immune responses in beta-thalassaemia: heme oxygenase 1 reduces cytokine production and bactericidal activity of human leucocytes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10297. [PMID: 32581238 PMCID: PMC7314746 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67346-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with beta-thalassaemia increase the risk of bacterial infections, particularly Burkholderia pseudomallei (Bp), the causative agent of melioidosis in Thailand. Impaired immune cell functions may be the cause of this susceptibility, but detailed mechanisms have not been defined. In this study, we observed impaired production of IFN-gamma and IL-10 by whole blood from beta-thalassaemia patients upon stimulation with a range of bacteria-derived stimuli. In contrast, IFN-gamma response via TCR and plasma IgG specific for Bp were still intact. Importantly, mRNA expression of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), a potential modulator of immune function, was increased in whole blood from beta-thalassaemia patients, either with or without stimulation with Bp in vitro. Induction of HO-1 by hemin or CoPP in vitro reduced production of IFN-gamma and IL-10 from healthy human PBMCs and decreased bacterial clearance activity of whole blood from healthy controls and beta-thalassaemia, while inhibition of HO-1 by SnPP enhanced both functions in healthy controls. These results were confirmed to some extent in purified human monocytes of healthy controls. Our results suggest a mechanism that excess hemin of beta-thalassaemia patients is a significant cause of immune suppression via HO-1 induction and may underlie the susceptibility of these individuals to severe bacterial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnone Nithichanon
- The Centre for Research and Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand
| | - Inthira Tussakhon
- The Centre for Research and Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand
| | - Waraporn Samer
- The Centre for Research and Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand
| | - Chidchamai Kewcharoenwong
- The Centre for Research and Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand
| | - Manabu Ato
- Department of Immunology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Gregory J Bancroft
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Ganjana Lertmemongkolchai
- The Centre for Research and Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.
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Morici L, Torres AG, Titball RW. Novel multi-component vaccine approaches for Burkholderia pseudomallei. Clin Exp Immunol 2019; 196:178-188. [PMID: 30963550 DOI: 10.1111/cei.13286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis. Historically believed to be a relatively rare human disease in tropical countries, a recent study estimated that, worldwide, there are approximately 165 000 human melioidosis cases per year, more than half of whom die. The bacterium is inherently resistant to many antibiotics and treatment of the disease is often protracted and ineffective. There is no licensed vaccine against melioidosis, but a vaccine is predicted to be of value if used in high-risk populations. There has been progress over the last decade in the pursuit of an effective vaccine against melioidosis. Animal models of disease including mouse and non-human primates have been developed, and these models show that antibody responses play a key role in protection against melioidosis. Surprisingly, although B. pseudomallei is an intracellular pathogen there is limited evidence that CD8+ T cells play a role in protection. It is evident that a multi-component vaccine, incorporating one or more protective antigens, will probably be essential for protection because of the pathogen's sophisticated virulence mechanisms as well as strain heterogeneity. Multi-component vaccines in development include glycoconjugates, multivalent subunit preparations, outer membrane vesicles and other nano/microparticle platforms and live-attenuated or inactivated bacteria. A consistent finding with vaccine candidates tested in mice is the ability to induce sterilizing immunity at low challenge doses and extended time to death at higher challenge doses. Further research to identify ways of eliciting more potent immune responses might provide a path for licensing an effective vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Morici
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - A G Torres
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - R W Titball
- College of Life and Environmental Science, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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12
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Crystal structure of FlgL and its implications for flagellar assembly. Sci Rep 2018; 8:14307. [PMID: 30250171 PMCID: PMC6155364 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32460-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria move toward attractants and away from repellants by rotating their flagellum. The bacterial flagellum assembles through the ordered organization of more than 30 different proteins. Among the diverse flagellar proteins, FlgL forms the junction between the hook and the filament in the flagellum together with FlgK and provides a structural base where flagellin, a filament-forming protein, is inserted for the initiation of filament elongation. However, the functional and structural information available for FlgL is highly limited. To provide structural insights into the cross-linkage between the FlgL junction and the flagellin filament, we determined the crystal structures of FlgL from gram-positive Bacillus cereus (bcFlgL) and gram-negative Xanthomonas campestris (xcFlgL). bcFlgL contains one domain (D1), whereas xcFlgL adopts a two-domain structure that consists of the D1 and D2 domains. The constant D1 domain of FlgL adopts a rod structure that is generated by four longitudinal segments. This four-segment structure is recapitulated in filament and junction proteins but not in hook and rod proteins, allowing us to propose a junction-filament assembly mechanism based on a quasi-homotypic interaction. The D2 domain of xcFlgL resembles that of another junction protein, FlgK, suggesting the structural and functional relatedness of FlgL and FlgK.
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13
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Ferraro M, Colombo G. Targeting Difficult Protein-Protein Interactions with Plain and General Computational Approaches. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23092256. [PMID: 30181519 PMCID: PMC6225287 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23092256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Investigating protein-protein interactions (PPIs) holds great potential for therapeutic applications, since they mediate intricate cell signaling networks in physiological and disease states. However, their complex and multifaceted nature poses a major challenge for biochemistry and medicinal chemistry, thereby limiting the druggability of biological partners participating in PPIs. Molecular Dynamics (MD) provides a solid framework to study the reciprocal shaping of proteins’ interacting surfaces. Here, we review successful applications of MD-based methods developed in our group to predict interfacial areas involved in PPIs of pharmaceutical interest. We report two interesting examples of how structural, dynamic and energetic information can be combined into efficient strategies which, complemented by experiments, can lead to the design of new small molecules with promising activities against cancer and infections. Our advances in targeting key PPIs in angiogenic pathways and antigen-antibody recognition events will be discussed for their role in drug discovery and chemical biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariarosaria Ferraro
- Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, CNR, Via Mario Bianco 9, 20131 Milano, Italy.
| | - Giorgio Colombo
- Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, CNR, Via Mario Bianco 9, 20131 Milano, Italy.
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Pavia, V.le Taramelli 10, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
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Yeh HY, Kojima K, Mobley JA. Epitope mapping of Salmonella flagellar hook-associated protein, FlgK, with mass spectrometry-based immuno-capture proteomics using chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) sera. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2018; 201:20-25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2018.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Revised: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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15
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Luo Q, Song W, Li Y, Wang C, Hu Z. Flagella-Associated WDR-Containing Protein CrFAP89 Regulates Growth and Lipid Accumulation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:691. [PMID: 29896207 PMCID: PMC5987165 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
WD40-repeat (WDR) domain-containing proteins are subunits of multi-protein E3 ligase complexes regulating various cellular and developmental activities in eukaryotes. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii serves as a model organism to study lipid metabolism in microalgae. Under nutrition deficient conditions, C. reinhardtii accumulates lipids for survival. The proteins in C. reinhardtii flagella have diverse functions, such as controlling the motility and cell cycle, and environment sensing. Here, we characterized the function of CrFAP89, a flagella-associated WDR-containing protein, which was identified from C. reinhardtii nitrogen deficiency transcriptome analysis. Quantitative real time-PCR showed that the transcription levels of CrFAP89 were significantly enhanced upon nutrient deprivation, including nitrogen, sulfur, or iron starvation, which is considered an effective condition to promote triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulation in microalgae. Under sulfur starvation, the expression of CrFAP89 was 32.2-fold higher than the control. Furthermore, two lines of RNAi mutants of CrFAP89 were generated by transformation, with gene silencing of 24.9 and 16.4%, respectively. Inhibiting the expression of the CrFAP89 gene drastically increased cell density by 112-125% and resulted in larger cells, that more tolerant to nutrition starvation. However, the content of neutral lipids declined by 12.8-19.6%. The fatty acid content in the transgenic algae decreased by 12.4 and 13.3%, mostly decreasing the content of C16:0, C16:4, C18, and C20:1 fatty acids, while the C16:1 fatty acid in the CrFAP89 RNAi lines increased by 238.5 to 318.5%. Suppressed expression of TAG biosynthesis-related genes, such as CrDGAT1 and CrDGTTs, were detected in CrFAP89 gene silencing cells, with a reduction of 16-78%. Overall our results suggest that down-regulating of the expression of CrFAP89 in C. reinhardtii, resulting in an increase of cell growth and a decrease of fatty acid synthesis with the most significant decrease occurring in C16:0, C16:4, C18, and C20:1 fatty acid. CrFAP89 might be a regulator for lipid accumulation in C. reinhardtii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiulan Luo
- Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Bioengineering, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Epigenetic, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource & Eco-environmental Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Crop Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
| | - Wenwen Song
- College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yajun Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Crop Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
| | - Chaogang Wang
- Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Bioengineering, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Epigenetic, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource & Eco-environmental Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory for Marine Algal Biotechnology, Longhua Innovation Institute for Biotechnology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhangli Hu
- Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Bioengineering, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Epigenetic, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource & Eco-environmental Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory for Marine Algal Biotechnology, Longhua Innovation Institute for Biotechnology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
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Nithichanon A, Rinchai D, Buddhisa S, Saenmuang P, Kewcharoenwong C, Kessler B, Khaenam P, Chetchotisakd P, Maillere B, Robinson J, Reynolds CJ, Boyton RJ, Altmann DM, Lertmemongkolchai G. Immune Control of Burkholderia pseudomallei--Common, High-Frequency T-Cell Responses to a Broad Repertoire of Immunoprevalent Epitopes. Front Immunol 2018; 9:484. [PMID: 29616023 PMCID: PMC5869189 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia pseudomallei (Bp) is an environmental bacterial pathogen that causes potentially lethal sepsis in susceptible individuals and is considered a Category B, Tier-1 biothreat agent. As such, it is crucial to gain an improved understanding of protective immunity and potential vaccine candidates. The nature of immune correlates dictating why most exposed individuals in endemic regions undergo asymptomatic seroconversion while others succumb to life-threatening sepsis is largely uncharted. Bp seroreactive, immunogenic proteins have previously been identified by antigen microarray. We here set out to conduct an analysis of T-cell recognition of the Bp immunome using serodominant antigens represented in the original antigen microarray, examining immune correlates of disease in healthy seropositive individuals and those with acute disease or in convalescence. By screening a library of 739 overlapping peptides representing the sequences of 20 different Bp antigens, we aimed to define immune correlates of protection at the level of immunoprevalent T-cell epitopes. Responses to a large number of epitopes were common in healthy seropositive individuals: we found remarkably broad responsiveness to Bp epitopes, with 235 of 739 peptides recognized by ≥80% of all tested donors. The cumulative response to Bp epitopes in healthy, seropositive, donors from this endemic region were of the order of thousands of spot forming cells per million cells, making Bp recognition a significant component of the T-cell repertoire. Noteworthy among our findings, analysis revealed 10 highly immunoprevalent T-cell epitopes, able to induce Bp-specific IFNγ responses that were high in responding T-cell frequency within the repertoire, and also common across individuals with different human leukocyte antigen types. Acute melioidosis patients showed poor T-cell responses to the immunoprevalent epitopes, but acquired responsiveness following recovery from infection. Our findings suggest that a large repertoire of CD4 T cells, high in frequency and with broad coverage of antigens and epitopes, is important in controlling Bp infection. This offers an attractive potential strategy for subunit or epitope-based vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnone Nithichanon
- Centre for Research & Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Mekong Health Science Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Darawan Rinchai
- Centre for Research & Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Mekong Health Science Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Surachat Buddhisa
- Centre for Research & Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Mekong Health Science Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Pornpun Saenmuang
- Centre for Research & Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Mekong Health Science Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Chidchamai Kewcharoenwong
- Centre for Research & Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Mekong Health Science Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Bianca Kessler
- Centre for Research & Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Mekong Health Science Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Prasong Khaenam
- Centre for Research & Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Mekong Health Science Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | | | - Bernard Maillere
- Protein Engineering and Research Department, CEA Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - John Robinson
- Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Daniel M. Altmann
- Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ganjana Lertmemongkolchai
- Centre for Research & Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Mekong Health Science Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
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17
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Bacterial flagellar axial structure and its construction. Biophys Rev 2017; 10:559-570. [PMID: 29235079 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-017-0378-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial flagellum is a motile organelle composed of thousands of protein subunits. The filamentous part that extends from the cell membrane is called the axial structure and consists of three major parts, the filament, hook, and rod, and other minor components. Each of the three main parts shares a similar self-assembly mechanism and a common basic architecture of subunit arrangement while showing quite distinct mechanical properties to achieve its specific function. Structural and molecular mechanisms to produce these various mechanical properties of the axial structure, such as the filament, the hook, and the rod, have been revealed by the complementary use of X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy. In addition, the mechanism of growth of the axial structure is beginning to be revealed based on the molecular structure.
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18
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Structure of FlgK reveals the divergence of the bacterial Hook-Filament Junction of Campylobacter. Sci Rep 2017; 7:15743. [PMID: 29147015 PMCID: PMC5691160 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15837-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolution of a nano-machine consisting of multiple parts, each with a specific function, is a complex process. A change in one part should eventually result in changes in other parts, if the overall function is to be conserved. In bacterial flagella, the filament and the hook have distinct functions and their respective proteins, FliC and FlgE, have different three-dimensional structures. The filament functions as a helical propeller and the hook as a flexible universal joint. Two proteins, FlgK and FlgL, assure a smooth connectivity between the hook and the filament. Here we show that, in Campylobacter, the 3D structure of FlgK differs from that of its orthologs in Salmonella and Burkholderia, whose structures have previously been solved. Docking the model of the FlgK junction onto the structure of the Campylobacter hook provides some clues about its divergence. These data suggest how evolutionary pressure to adapt to structural constraints, due to the structure of Campylobacter hook, causes divergence of one element of a supra-molecular complex in order to maintain the function of the entire flagellar assembly.
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Titball RW, Burtnick MN, Bancroft GJ, Brett P. Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei vaccines: Are we close to clinical trials? Vaccine 2017; 35:5981-5989. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Revised: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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20
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Dunachie SJ, Jenjaroen K, Reynolds CJ, Quigley KJ, Sergeant R, Sumonwiriya M, Chaichana P, Chumseng S, Ariyaprasert P, Lassaux P, Gourlay L, Promwong C, Teparrukkul P, Limmathurotsakul D, Day NPJ, Altmann DM, Boyton RJ. Infection with Burkholderia pseudomallei - immune correlates of survival in acute melioidosis. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12143. [PMID: 28939855 PMCID: PMC5610189 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12331-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Melioidosis, caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, is a potentially lethal infection with no licensed vaccine. There is little understanding of why some exposed individuals have no symptoms, while others rapidly progress to sepsis and death, or why diabetes confers increased susceptibility. We prospectively recruited a cohort of 183 acute melioidosis patients and 21 control subjects from Northeast Thailand and studied immune parameters in the context of survival status and the presence or absence of diabetes. HLA-B*46 (one of the commonest HLA class I alleles in SE Asia) and HLA-C*01 were associated with an increased risk of death (odds ratio 2.8 and 3.1 respectively). Transcriptomic analysis during acute infection in diabetics indicated the importance of interplay between immune pathways including those involved in antigen presentation, chemotaxis, innate and adaptive immunity and their regulation. Survival was associated with enhanced T cell immunity to nine of fifteen immunodominant antigens analysed including AhpC (BPSL2096), BopE (BPSS1525), PilO (BPSS1599), ATP binding protein (BPSS1385) and an uncharacterised protein (BPSL2520). T cell immunity to GroEL (BPSL2697) was specifically impaired in diabetic individuals. This characterization of immunity associated with survival during acute infection offers insights into correlates of protection and a foundation for design of an effective multivalent vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna J Dunachie
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
| | - Kemajittra Jenjaroen
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Kathryn J Quigley
- Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ruhena Sergeant
- Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Panjaporn Chaichana
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Suchintana Chumseng
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | | | - Louise Gourlay
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Direk Limmathurotsakul
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nicholas P J Day
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel M Altmann
- Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rosemary J Boyton
- Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
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21
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Gourlay L, Peri C, Bolognesi M, Colombo G. Structure and Computation in Immunoreagent Design: From Diagnostics to Vaccines. Trends Biotechnol 2017; 35:1208-1220. [PMID: 28739221 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2017.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Novel immunological tools for efficient diagnosis and treatment of emerging infections are urgently required. Advances in the diagnostic and vaccine development fields are continuously progressing, with reverse vaccinology and structural vaccinology (SV) methods for antigen identification and structure-based antigen (re)design playing increasingly relevant roles. SV, in particular, is predicted to be the front-runner in the future development of diagnostics and vaccines targeting challenging diseases such as AIDS and cancer. We review state-of-the-art methodologies for structure-based epitope identification and antigen design, with specific applicative examples. We highlight the implications of such methods for the engineering of biomolecules with improved immunological properties, potential diagnostic and/or therapeutic uses, and discuss the perspectives of structure-based rational design for the production of advanced immunoreagents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Gourlay
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudio Peri
- Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Mario Bianco, 9, 20131, Milan, Italy
| | - Martino Bolognesi
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy; Centro di Ricerca Pediatrica Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, Università di Milano, Milan, Italy.
| | - Giorgio Colombo
- Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Mario Bianco, 9, 20131, Milan, Italy.
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22
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Gori A, Bolognesi M, Colombo G, Gourlay LJ. Structural Vaccinology for Melioidosis Vaccine Design and Immunodiagnostics. CURRENT TROPICAL MEDICINE REPORTS 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s40475-017-0117-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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23
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Paladino A, Marchetti F, Rinaldi S, Colombo G. Protein design: from computer models to artificial intelligence. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-COMPUTATIONAL MOLECULAR SCIENCE 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/wcms.1318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Paladino
- Biomolecular Simulations & Computational Chemistry Group; Istituto Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, CNR; Milano Italy
| | - Filippo Marchetti
- Biomolecular Simulations & Computational Chemistry Group; Istituto Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, CNR; Milano Italy
| | - Silvia Rinaldi
- Biomolecular Simulations & Computational Chemistry Group; Istituto Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, CNR; Milano Italy
| | - Giorgio Colombo
- Biomolecular Simulations & Computational Chemistry Group; Istituto Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, CNR; Milano Italy
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24
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Capelli R, Marchetti F, Tiana G, Colombo G. SAGE: A Fast Computational Tool for Linear Epitope Grafting onto a Foreign Protein Scaffold. J Chem Inf Model 2017; 57:6-10. [PMID: 27992203 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.6b00584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Computational design is becoming a driving force of structural vaccinology, whereby protein antigens are engineered to generate new biomolecules with optimized immunological properties. In particular, the design of new proteins that contain multiple, different epitopes can potentially provide novel highly efficient vaccine candidates. In this context, epitope grafting, which entails the transplantation of an antibody recognition motif from one protein onto a different protein scaffold (possibly containing other immunoreactive sequences) holds great promise for the realization of superantigens. Herein, we present SAGE (strategy for alignment and grafting of epitopes), an automated computational tool for the implantation of immunogenic epitopes onto a given scaffold. It is based on the comparison between the expected secondary structures of the candidates to be grafted with all the secondary structures in the target scaffold. Evaluating the differences both in sequence and in structure between the epitope and the scaffold returns a ranking of most probable molecules containing the new antigenic sequence. We validate this approach identifying the grafting positions obtained in previous works by experimental and computational methods, proving an efficient, flexible, and fast tool to perform the initial scanning for epitope grafting. This approach is fully general and may be applied to any target antigen and candidate epitopes with known 3D structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Capelli
- Center for Complexity & Biosystems and Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Milano and INFN , via Celoria 16, 20133 Milan, Italy.,Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche , via Mario Bianco 9, 20131 Milan, Italy
| | - Filippo Marchetti
- Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche , via Mario Bianco 9, 20131 Milan, Italy
| | - Guido Tiana
- Center for Complexity & Biosystems and Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Milano and INFN , via Celoria 16, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Giorgio Colombo
- Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche , via Mario Bianco 9, 20131 Milan, Italy
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25
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Peri C, Morra G, Colombo G. Surface energetics and protein-protein interactions: analysis and mechanistic implications. Sci Rep 2016; 6:24035. [PMID: 27050828 PMCID: PMC4822145 DOI: 10.1038/srep24035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding protein-protein interactions (PPI) at the molecular level is a fundamental task in the design of new drugs, the prediction of protein function and the clarification of the mechanisms of (dis)regulation of biochemical pathways. In this study, we use a novel computational approach to investigate the energetics of aminoacid networks located on the surface of proteins, isolated and in complex with their respective partners. Interestingly, the analysis of individual proteins identifies patches of surface residues that, when mapped on the structure of their respective complexes, reveal regions of residue-pair couplings that extend across the binding interfaces, forming continuous motifs. An enhanced effect is visible across the proteins of the dataset forming larger quaternary assemblies. The method indicates the presence of energetic signatures in the isolated proteins that are retained in the bound form, which we hypothesize to determine binding orientation upon complex formation. We propose our method, BLUEPRINT, as a complement to different approaches ranging from the ab-initio characterization of PPIs, to protein-protein docking algorithms, for the physico-chemical and functional investigation of protein-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Peri
- Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via Mario Bianco, 9, 20131, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Morra
- Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via Mario Bianco, 9, 20131, Milan, Italy
| | - Giorgio Colombo
- Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via Mario Bianco, 9, 20131, Milan, Italy
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26
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Willcocks SJ, Denman CC, Atkins HS, Wren BW. Intracellular replication of the well-armed pathogen Burkholderia pseudomallei. Curr Opin Microbiol 2016; 29:94-103. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2015.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Revised: 11/27/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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27
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Characterization of New Virulence Factors Involved in the Intracellular Growth and Survival of Burkholderia pseudomallei. Infect Immun 2015; 84:701-10. [PMID: 26712202 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01102-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis, has complex and poorly understood extracellular and intracellular lifestyles. We used transposon-directed insertion site sequencing (TraDIS) to retrospectively analyze a transposon library that had previously been screened through a BALB/c mouse model to identify genes important for growth and survival in vivo. This allowed us to identify the insertion sites and phenotypes of negatively selected mutants that were previously overlooked due to technical constraints. All 23 unique genes identified in the original screen were confirmed by TraDIS, and an additional 105 mutants with various degrees of attenuation in vivo were identified. Five of the newly identified genes were chosen for further characterization, and clean, unmarked bpsl2248, tex, rpiR, bpsl1728, and bpss1528 deletion mutants were constructed from the wild-type strain K96243. Each of these mutants was tested in vitro and in vivo to confirm their attenuated phenotypes and investigate the nature of the attenuation. Our results confirm that we have identified new genes important to in vivo virulence with roles in different stages of B. pseudomallei pathogenesis, including extracellular and intracellular survival. Of particular interest, deletion of the transcription accessory protein Tex was shown to be highly attenuating, and the tex mutant was capable of providing protective immunity against challenge with wild-type B. pseudomallei, suggesting that the genes identified in our TraDIS screen have the potential to be investigated as live vaccine candidates.
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28
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Gourlay LJ, Peano C, Deantonio C, Perletti L, Pietrelli A, Villa R, Matterazzo E, Lassaux P, Santoro C, Puccio S, Sblattero D, Bolognesi M. Selecting soluble/foldable protein domains through single-gene or genomic ORF filtering: structure of the head domain of Burkholderia pseudomallei antigen BPSL2063. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 71:2227-35. [PMID: 26527140 DOI: 10.1107/s1399004715015680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2015] [Accepted: 08/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The 1.8 Å resolution crystal structure of a conserved domain of the potential Burkholderia pseudomallei antigen and trimeric autotransporter BPSL2063 is presented as a structural vaccinology target for melioidosis vaccine development. Since BPSL2063 (1090 amino acids) hosts only one conserved domain, and the expression/purification of the full-length protein proved to be problematic, a domain-filtering library was generated using β-lactamase as a reporter gene to select further BPSL2063 domains. As a result, two domains (D1 and D2) were identified and produced in soluble form in Escherichia coli. Furthermore, as a general tool, a genomic open reading frame-filtering library from the B. pseudomallei genome was also constructed to facilitate the selection of domain boundaries from the entire ORFeome. Such an approach allowed the selection of three potential protein antigens that were also produced in soluble form. The results imply the further development of ORF-filtering methods as a tool in protein-based research to improve the selection and production of soluble proteins or domains for downstream applications such as X-ray crystallography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise J Gourlay
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Clelia Peano
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, 20090 Segrate, Italy
| | - Cecilia Deantonio
- Department of Health Sciences and IRCAD, University of Eastern Piedmont, Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Lucia Perletti
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Pietrelli
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, 20090 Segrate, Italy
| | - Riccardo Villa
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Matterazzo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Patricia Lassaux
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Claudio Santoro
- Department of Health Sciences and IRCAD, University of Eastern Piedmont, Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Simone Puccio
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, 20090 Segrate, Italy
| | - Daniele Sblattero
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Weiss 2, 34128 Trieste, Italy
| | - Martino Bolognesi
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
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Altegoer F, Bange G. Undiscovered regions on the molecular landscape of flagellar assembly. Curr Opin Microbiol 2015; 28:98-105. [PMID: 26490009 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2015.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2015] [Revised: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 08/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The bacterial flagellum is a motility structure and one of the most complicated motors in the biosphere. A flagellum consists of several dozens of building blocks in different stoichiometries and extends from the cytoplasm to the extracellular space. Flagellar biogenesis follows a strict spatio-temporal regime that is guided by a plethora of flagellar assembly factors and chaperones. The goal of this review is to summarize our current structural and mechanistic knowledge of this intricate process and to identify the undiscovered regions on the molecular landscape of flagellar assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Altegoer
- LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology & Department of Chemistry, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Strasse, C7, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Gert Bange
- LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology & Department of Chemistry, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Strasse, C7, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
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Structural and Computational Biology in the Design of Immunogenic Vaccine Antigens. J Immunol Res 2015; 2015:156241. [PMID: 26526043 PMCID: PMC4615220 DOI: 10.1155/2015/156241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Vaccination is historically one of the most important medical interventions for the prevention of infectious disease. Previously, vaccines were typically made of rather crude mixtures of inactivated or attenuated causative agents. However, over the last 10–20 years, several important technological and computational advances have enabled major progress in the discovery and design of potently immunogenic recombinant protein vaccine antigens. Here we discuss three key breakthrough approaches that have potentiated structural and computational vaccine design. Firstly, genomic sciences gave birth to the field of reverse vaccinology, which has enabled the rapid computational identification of potential vaccine antigens. Secondly, major advances in structural biology, experimental epitope mapping, and computational epitope prediction have yielded molecular insights into the immunogenic determinants defining protective antigens, enabling their rational optimization. Thirdly, and most recently, computational approaches have been used to convert this wealth of structural and immunological information into the design of improved vaccine antigens. This review aims to illustrate the growing power of combining sequencing, structural and computational approaches, and we discuss how this may drive the design of novel immunogens suitable for future vaccines urgently needed to increase the global prevention of infectious disease.
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