Comparison of the safety and immunogenicity of delta aroC delta aroD and delta cya delta crp Salmonella typhi strains in adult volunteers

The aroA and luxS Double-Gene Mutant Strain Has Potential to Be a Live Attenuated Vaccine against Salmonella Typhimurium

Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) is a zoonotic pathogen posing a threat to animal husbandry and public health. Due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains, alternative prevention and control strategies are needed. Live attenuated vaccines are an ideal option that provide protection against an S. Typhimurium pandemic. To develop a safe and effective vaccine, double-gene mutations are recommended to attenuate virulence. In this study, we chose aroA and luxS genes, whose deletion significantly attenuates S. Typhimurium's virulence and enhances immunogenicity, to construct the double-gene mutant vaccine strain SAT52ΔaroAΔluxS. The results show that the mutant strain's growth rate, adherence and invasion of susceptible cells are comparable to a wild-type strain, but the intracellular survival, virulence and host persistence are significantly attenuated. Immunization assay showed that 106 colony-forming units (CFUs) of SAT52ΔaroAΔluxS conferred 100% protection against wild-type challenges; the bacteria persistence in liver and spleen were significantly reduced, and no obvious pathological lesions were observed. Therefore, the double-gene mutant strain SAT52ΔaroAΔluxS exhibits potential as a live attenuated vaccine candidate against S. Typhimurium infection.

Vaccines to Control Salmonella in Poultry

This review is focused on describing and analyzing means by which Salmonella enterica serotype strains have been genetically modified with the purpose of developing safe, efficacious vaccines to present Salmonella-induced disease in poultry and to prevent Salmonella colonization of poultry to reduce transmission through the food chain in and on eggs and poultry meat. Emphasis is on use of recently developed means to generate defined deletion mutations to eliminate genetic sequences conferring antimicrobial resistance or residual elements that might lead to genetic instability. Problems associated with prior means to develop vaccines are discussed with presentation of various means by which these problems have been lessened, if not eliminated. Practical considerations are also discussed in hope of facilitating means to move lab-proven successful vaccination procedures and vaccine candidates to the marketplace to benefit the poultry industry.

Quinate-based ligands for irreversible inactivation of the bacterial virulence factor DHQ1 enzyme-A molecular insight

Irreversible inhibition of the enzyme type I dehydroquinase (DHQ1), a promising target for anti-virulence drug development, has been explored by enhancing the electrophilicity of specific positions of the ligand towards covalent lysine modification. For ligand design, we made use of the advantages offered by the intrinsic acid-base properties of the amino substituents introduced in the quinate scaffold, namely compounds 6-7 (R configuration at C3), to generate a potential leaving group, as well as the recognition pattern of the enzyme. The reactivity of the C2-C3 bond (Re face) in the scaffold was also explored using compound 8. The results of the present study show that replacement of the C3 hydroxy group of (-)-quinic acid by a hydroxyamino substituent (compound 6) provides a time-dependent irreversible inhibitor, while compound 7, in which the latter functionality was substituted by an amino group, and the introduction of an oxirane ring at C2-C3 bond, compound 8, do not allow covalent modification of the enzyme. These outcomes were supported by resolution of the crystal structures of DHQ1 from Staphylococcus aureus (Sa-DHQ1) and Salmonella typhi (St-DHQ1) chemically modified by 6 at a resolution of 1.65 and 1.90 Å, respectively, and of St-DHQ1 in the complex with 8 (1.55 Å). The combination of these structural studies with extensive molecular dynamics simulation studies allowed us to understand the molecular basis of the type of inhibition observed. This study is a good example of the importance of achieving the correct geometry between the reactive center of the ligand (electrophile) and the enzyme nucleophile (lysine residue) to allow selective covalent modification. The outcomes obtained with the hydroxyamino derivative 6 also open up new possibilities in the design of irreversible inhibitors based on the use of amino substituents.

Strategies for Enhancement of Live-Attenuated Salmonella-Based Carrier Vaccine Immunogenicity

The use of live-attenuated bacterial vaccines as carriers for the mucosal delivery of foreign antigens to stimulate the mucosal immune system was first proposed over three decades ago. This novel strategy aimed to induce immunity against at least two distinct pathogens using a single bivalent carrier vaccine. It was first tested using a live-attenuated Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi strain in clinical trials in 1984, with excellent humoral immune responses against the carrier strain but only modest responses elicited against the foreign antigen. Since then, clinical trials with additional Salmonella-based carrier vaccines have been conducted. As with the original trial, only modest foreign antigen-specific immunity was achieved in most cases, despite the incorporation of incremental improvements in antigen expression technologies and carrier design over the years. In this review, we will attempt to deconstruct carrier vaccine immunogenicity in humans by examining the basis of bacterial immunity in the human gastrointestinal tract and how the gut detects and responds to pathogens versus benign commensal organisms. Carrier vaccine design will then be explored to determine the feasibility of retaining as many characteristics of a pathogen as possible to elicit robust carrier and foreign antigen-specific immunity, while avoiding over-stimulation of unacceptably reactogenic inflammatory responses.

Attenuated Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium, Strain NC983, Is Immunogenic, and Protective against Virulent Typhimurium Challenges in Mice

Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) serovars are significant health burden worldwide. Although much effort has been devoted to developing typhoid-based vaccines for humans, currently there is no NTS vaccine available. Presented here is the efficacy of a live attenuated serovar Typhimurium strain (NC983). Oral delivery of strain NC983 was capable of fully protecting C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice against challenge with virulent Typhimurium. Strain NC983 was found to elicit an anti-Typhimurium IgG response following administration of vaccine and boosting doses. Furthermore, in competition experiments with virulent S. Typhimurium (ATCC 14028), NC983 was highly defective in colonization of the murine liver and spleen. Collectively, these results indicate that strain NC983 is a potential live attenuated vaccine strain that warrants further development.

Vaccine Approaches To Protect against Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis

Streptococcal pharyngitis (or strep throat) is a common childhood disease affecting millions of children each year, but it is one of the only childhood diseases for which a vaccine does not exist. While for decades the development of a vaccine has been the center of attention in many laboratories worldwide, with some successes, no corporate development has yet to be initiated. The reason for this probably lies in our inability to conclusively identify the streptococcal molecule or molecules responsible for the heart cross-reactive antibodies observed in the serum of rheumatic fever patients. Without this specific knowledge, any streptococcal vaccine antigen is suspect and thus not the target for a billion-dollar investment, despite the fact that the exact role of cross-reactive antibodies in rheumatic fever is still questionable. This article will describe the development of several approaches to protect against Streptococcus pyogenes infections over the past several decades.

A roadmap for enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli vaccine development based on volunteer challenge studies

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a major cause of travelers’ diarrhea and of diarrhea among young children in developing countries. Experimental challenge studies in adult volunteers have played a pivotal role in establishing ETEC as an enteric pathogen, elucidating its pathogenesis by identifying specific virulence attributes, characterizing the human immune response to clinical and sub-clinical ETEC infection and assessing preliminarily the clinical acceptability, immunogenicity and efficacy of prototype ETEC vaccines. This review provides a historical perspective of experimental challenge studies with ETEC. It summarizes pioneering early studies carried out by investigators at the University of Maryland School of Medicine to show how those studies provided key information that influenced the directions taken by many research groups to develop vaccines to prevent ETEC. In addition, key experimental challenge studies undertaken at other institutions will also be cited.

Live-Attenuated Bacterial Vectors for Delivery of Mucosal Vaccines, DNA Vaccines, and Cancer Immunotherapy

Vaccines save millions of lives each year from various life-threatening infectious diseases, and there are more than 20 vaccines currently licensed for human use worldwide. Moreover, in recent decades immunotherapy has become the mainstream therapy, which highlights the tremendous potential of immune response mediators, including vaccines for prevention and treatment of various forms of cancer. However, despite the tremendous advances in microbiology and immunology, there are several vaccine preventable diseases which still lack effective vaccines. Classically, weakened forms (attenuated) of pathogenic microbes were used as vaccines. Although the attenuated microbes induce effective immune response, a significant risk of reversion to pathogenic forms remains. While in the twenty-first century, with the advent of genetic engineering, microbes can be tailored with desired properties.

In this review, I have focused on the use of genetically modified bacteria for the delivery of vaccine antigens. More specifically, the live-attenuated bacteria, derived from pathogenic bacteria, possess many features that make them highly suitable vectors for the delivery of vaccine antigens. Bacteria can theoretically express any heterologous gene or can deliver mammalian expression vectors harboring vaccine antigens (DNA vaccines). These properties of live-attenuated microbes are being harnessed to make vaccines against several infectious and noninfectious diseases. In this regard, I have described the desired features of live-attenuated bacterial vectors and the mechanisms of immune responses manifested by live-attenuated bacterial vectors. Interestingly anaerobic bacteria are naturally attracted to tumors, which make them suitable vehicles to deliver tumor-associated antigens thus I have discussed important studies investigating the role of bacterial vectors in immunotherapy. Finally, I have provided important discussion on novel approaches for improvement and tailoring of live-attenuated bacterial vectors for the generation of desired immune responses.

Vaccines for preventing typhoid fever

BACKGROUND

Typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever continue to be important causes of illness and death, particularly among children and adolescents in south-central and southeast Asia. Two typhoid vaccines are widely available, Ty21a (oral) and Vi polysaccharide (parenteral). Newer typhoid conjugate vaccines are at varying stages of development and use. The World Health Organization has recently recommended a Vi tetanus toxoid (Vi-TT) conjugate vaccine, Typbar-TCV, as the preferred vaccine for all ages.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of vaccines for preventing typhoid fever.

SEARCH METHODS

In February 2018, we searched the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group Specialized Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS, and mRCT. We also searched the reference lists of all included trials.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing typhoid fever vaccines with other typhoid fever vaccines or with an inactive agent (placebo or vaccine for a different disease) in adults and children. Human challenge studies were not eligible.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently applied inclusion criteria and extracted data, and assessed the certainty of the evidence using the GRADE approach. We computed vaccine efficacy per year of follow-up and cumulative three-year efficacy, stratifying for vaccine type and dose. The outcome addressed was typhoid fever, defined as isolation of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi in blood. We calculated risk ratios (RRs) and efficacy (1 - RR as a percentage) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

MAIN RESULTS

In total, 18 RCTs contributed to the quantitative analysis in this review: 13 evaluated efficacy (Ty21a: 5 trials; Vi polysaccharide: 6 trials; Vi-rEPA: 1 trial; Vi-TT: 1 trial), and 9 reported on adverse events. All trials but one took place in typhoid-endemic countries. There was no information on vaccination in adults aged over 55 years of age, pregnant women, or travellers. Only one trial included data on children under two years of age.Ty21a vaccine (oral vaccine, three doses)A three-dose schedule of Ty21a vaccine probably prevents around half of typhoid cases during the first three years after vaccination (cumulative efficacy 2.5 to 3 years: 50%, 95% CI 35% to 61%, 4 trials, 235,239 participants, moderate-certainty evidence). These data include patients aged 3 to 44 years.Compared with placebo, this vaccine probably does not cause more vomiting, diarrhoea, nausea or abdominal pain (2 trials, 2066 participants; moderate-certainty evidence), headache, or rash (1 trial, 1190 participants; moderate-certainty evidence); however, fever (2 trials, 2066 participants; moderate-certainty evidence) is probably more common following vaccination.Vi polysaccharide vaccine (injection, one dose)A single dose of Vi polysaccharide vaccine prevents around two-thirds of typhoid cases in the first year after vaccination (year 1: 69%, 95% CI 63% to 74%; 3 trials, 99,979 participants; high-certainty evidence). In year 2, trial results were more variable, with the vaccine probably preventing between 45% and 69% of typhoid cases (year 2: 59%, 95% CI 45% to 69%; 4 trials, 194,969 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). These data included participants aged 2 to 55 years of age.The three-year cumulative efficacy of the vaccine may be around 55% (95% CI 30% to 70%; 11,384 participants, 1 trial; low-certainty evidence). These data came from a single trial conducted in South Africa in the 1980s in participants aged 5 to 15 years.Compared with placebo, this vaccine probably did not increase the incidence of fever (3 trials, 132,261 participants; moderate-certainty evidence) or erythema (3 trials, 132,261 participants; low-certainty evidence); however, swelling (3 trials, 1767 participants; moderate-certainty evidence) and pain at the injection site (1 trial, 667 participants; moderate-certainty evidence) were more common in the vaccine group.Vi-rEPA vaccine (two doses)Administration of two doses of the Vi-rEPA vaccine probably prevents between 50% and 96% of typhoid cases during the first two years after vaccination (year 1: 94%, 95% CI 75% to 99%; year 2: 87%, 95% CI 56% to 96%, 1 trial, 12,008 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). These data came from a single trial with children two to five years of age conducted in Vietnam.Compared with placebo, both the first and the second dose of this vaccine increased the risk of fever (1 trial, 12,008 and 11,091 participants, low-certainty evidence) and the second dose increase the incidence of swelling at the injection site (one trial, 11,091 participants, moderate-certainty evidence).Vi-TT vaccine (two doses)We are uncertain of the efficacy of administration of two doses of Vi-TT (PedaTyph) in typhoid cases in children during the first year after vaccination (year 1: 94%, 95% CI -1% to 100%, 1 trial, 1625 participants; very low-certainty evidence). These data come from a single cluster-randomized trial in children aged six months to 12 years and conducted in India. For single dose Vi-TT (Typbar-TCV), we found no efficacy trials evaluating the vaccine with natural exposure.There were no reported serious adverse effects in RCTs of any of the vaccines studied.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The licensed Ty21a and Vi polysaccharide vaccines are efficacious in adults and children older than two years in endemic countries. The Vi-rEPA vaccine is just as efficacious, although data is only available for children. The new Vi-TT vaccine (PedaTyph) requires further evaluation to determine if it provides protection against typhoid fever. At the time of writing, there were only efficacy data from a human challenge setting in adults on the Vi-TT vaccine (Tybar), which clearly justify the ongoing field trials to evaluate vaccine efficacy.

Conversion of RpoS- Attenuated Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhi Vaccine Strains to RpoS+ Improves Their Resistance to Host Defense Barriers

Recombinant attenuated Salmonella vaccines (RASVs) represent a unique prevention strategy to combating infectious disease because they utilize the ability of Salmonella to invade and colonize deep effector lymphoid tissues and deliver hetero- and homologous derived antigens at the lowest immunizing dose. Our recent clinical trial in human volunteers indicated that an RpoS⁺ derivative of Ty2 was better at inducing immune responses than its RpoS⁻ counterpart. In this study, we demonstrate that a functional RpoS allele is beneficial for developing effective live attenuated vaccines against S. Typhi or in using S. Typhi as a recombinant attenuated vaccine vector to deliver other protective antigens.

The vast majority of live attenuated typhoid vaccines are constructed from the Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi strain Ty2, which is devoid of a functioning alternative sigma factor, RpoS, due to the presence of a frameshift mutation. RpoS is a specialized sigma factor that plays an important role in the general stress response of a number of Gram-negative organisms, including Salmonella. Previous studies have demonstrated that this sigma factor is necessary for survival following exposure to acid, hydrogen peroxide, nutrient-limiting conditions, and starvation. In addition, studies with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and the mouse model of typhoid fever have shown that RpoS is important in colonization and survival within the infected murine host. We converted 4 clinically studied candidate typhoid vaccine strains derived from Ty2 [CVD908-htrA, Ty800, and χ9639(pYA3493)] and the licensed live typhoid vaccine Ty21a (also derived from Ty2) to RpoS⁺ and compared their abilities to withstand environmental stresses that may be encountered within the host to those of the RpoS⁻ parent strains. The results of our study indicate that strains that contain a functional RpoS were better able to survive following stress and that they would be ideal for further development as safe, effective vaccines to prevent S. Typhi infections or as vectors in recombinant attenuated Salmonella vaccines (RASVs) designed to protect against other infectious disease agents in humans. The S. Typhi strains constructed and described here will be made freely available upon request, as will the suicide vector used to convert rpoS mutants to RpoS⁺.

IMPORTANCE Recombinant attenuated Salmonella vaccines (RASVs) represent a unique prevention strategy to combating infectious disease because they utilize the ability of Salmonella to invade and colonize deep effector lymphoid tissues and deliver hetero- and homologous derived antigens at the lowest immunizing dose. Our recent clinical trial in human volunteers indicated that an RpoS⁺ derivative of Ty2 was better at inducing immune responses than its RpoS⁻ counterpart. In this study, we demonstrate that a functional RpoS allele is beneficial for developing effective live attenuated vaccines against S. Typhi or in using S. Typhi as a recombinant attenuated vaccine vector to deliver other protective antigens.

Recombinant attenuated Salmonella Typhimurium with heterologous expression of the Salmonella Choleraesuis O-polysaccharide: high immunogenicity and protection

Non-typhoidal Salmonella are associated with gastrointestinal disease worldwide and invasive disease in Africa. We constructed novel bivalent vaccines through the recombinant expression of heterologous O-antigens from Salmonella Choleraesuis in Salmonella Typhimurium. A recombinant Asd⁺ plasmid pCZ1 with the cloned Salmonella Choleraesuis O-antigen gene cluster was introduced into three constructed Salmonella Typhimurium Δasd mutants: SLT11 (ΔrfbP), SLT12 (ΔrmlB-rfbP) and SLT16 (ΔrfbP ∆pagL::TT araCP_BADrfbP). Immunoblotting demonstrated that SLT11 (pCZ1) and SLT12 (pCZ1) efficiently expressed the heterologous O-antigen. In the presence of arabinose, SLT16 (pCZ1) expressed both the homologous and heterologous O-antigens, whereas in the absence of arabinose, SLT16 (pCZ1) mainly expressed the heterologous O-antigen. We deleted the crp/cya genes in SLT12 (pCZ1) and SLT16 (pCZ1) for attenuation purposes, generating the recombinant vaccine strains SLT17 (pCZ1) and SLT18 (pCZ1). Immunization with either SLT17 (pCZ1) or SLT18 (pCZ1) induced specific IgG against the heterologous O-antigen, which mediated significant killing of Salmonella Choleraesuis and provided full protection against a lethal homologous challenge in mice. Furthermore, SLT17 (pCZ1) or SLT18 (pCZ1) immunization resulted in 83% or 50% heterologous protection against Salmonella Choleraesuis challenge, respectively. Our study demonstrates that heterologous O-antigen expression is a promising strategy for the development of multivalent Salmonella vaccines.

Live Attenuated Human Salmonella Vaccine Candidates: Tracking the Pathogen in Natural Infection and Stimulation of Host Immunity

Salmonellosis, caused by members of the genus Salmonella, is responsible for considerable global morbidity and mortality in both animals and humans. In this review, we will discuss the pathogenesis of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, focusing on human Salmonella infections. We will trace the path of Salmonella through the body, including host entry sites, tissues and organs affected, and mechanisms involved in both pathogenesis and stimulation of host immunity. Careful consideration of the natural progression of disease provides an important context in which attenuated live oral vaccines can be rationally designed and developed. With this in mind, we will describe a series of attenuated live oral vaccines that have been successfully tested in clinical trials and demonstrated to be both safe and highly immunogenic. The attenuation strategies summarized in this review offer important insights into further development of attenuated vaccines against other Salmonella for which live oral candidates are currently unavailable.

A conditionally lethal mutant of Salmonella Typhimurium induces a protective response in mice

Here we present the design of a conditionally lethal mutant of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) which growth depends on tetracycline (Tet). Four mutants of S. Typhimurium, with Tet-conditional growth, were created by inserting the tetRA cassette. Three of the mutants presented a conditional-lethal phenotype in vitro. One mutant in the yabB gene remained conditional inside cells and did not persisted after 24 h in cell cultures. The capacity of S. Typhimurium yabB::tetRA to invade deep organs was investigated in intraperitoneally (IP) infected mice fed with or without chlortetracycline (CTet), a Tet analog with lower antibiotic activity. The yabB::tetRA mutant was undetectable in liver or spleen of animals under normal diet, while in mice under diet including CTet, yabB::tetRA invaded at a level comparable to the WT in mice under normal diet. Moreover, yabB::tetRA produced a strong humoral-immunoresponse after one IP immunization with 10(6) bacteria, measured as serum reactivity against S. Typhimurium whole cell extract. By contrast, oral immunization with 10(6) bacteria was weaker and variable on inducing antibodies. Consistently, IP infected mice were fully protected in a challenge with 10(4) oral S. Typhimurium, while protection was partial in orally immunized mice. Our data indicate that S. Typhimurium yabB::tetRA is a conditionally attenuated strain capable of inducing a protective response in mice in non-permissive conditions.

Specific chemical modification of bacterial type I dehydroquinase – opportunities for drug discovery

Type I dehydroquinase (DHQ1) is a class I aldolase enzyme that catalyzes the reversible dehydration of 3-dehydroquinic acid to form 3-dehydroshikimic acid by multistep mechanism that involves the formation of Schiff-base species. DHQ1 is present in plants and several bacterial sources but it does not have any counterpart in human cells. It has been suggested that DHQ1 may act as a virulence factor in vivo and therefore a promising target in the search for new antivirulence agents to combat widespread antibiotic resistance. This review covers recent progress in the structure-based design and chemical modifications caused by selective irreversible inhibitors. Computational studies aimed at understanding the experimentally obtained covalent modifications and inhibitory potencies of these inhibitors are also described.

Vaccination Method Affects Immune Response and Bacterial Growth but Not Protection in the Salmonella Typhimurium Animal Model of Typhoid

Understanding immune responses elicited by vaccines, together with immune responses required for protection, is fundamental to designing effective vaccines and immunisation programs. This study examines the effects of the route of administration of a live attenuated vaccine on its interactions with, and stimulation of, the murine immune system as well as its ability to increase survival and provide protection from colonisation by a virulent challenge strain. We assess the effect of administration method using the murine model for typhoid, where animals are infected with S. Typhimurium. Mice were vaccinated either intravenously or orally with the same live attenuated S. Typhimurium strain and data were collected on vaccine strain growth, shedding and stimulation of antibodies and cytokines. Following vaccination, mice were challenged with a virulent strain of S. Typhimurium and the protection conferred by the different vaccination routes was measured in terms of challenge suppression and animal survival. The main difference in immune stimulation found in this study was the development of a secretory IgA response in orally-vaccinated mice, which was absent in IV vaccinated mice. While both strains showed similar protection in terms of challenge suppression in systemic organs (spleen and liver) as well as survival, they differed in terms of challenge suppression of virulent pathogens in gut-associated organs. This difference in gut colonisation presents important questions around the ability of vaccines to prevent shedding and transmission. These findings demonstrate that while protection conferred by two vaccines can appear to be the same, the mechanisms controlling the protection can differ and have important implications for infection dynamics within a population.

Live attenuated vaccines for invasive Salmonella infections

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi produces significant morbidity and mortality worldwide despite the fact that there are licensed Salmonella Typhi vaccines available. This is primarily due to the fact that these vaccines are not used in the countries that most need them. There is growing recognition that an effective invasive Salmonella vaccine formulation must also prevent infection due to other Salmonella serovars. We anticipate that a multivalent vaccine that targets the following serovars will be needed to control invasive Salmonella infections worldwide: Salmonella Typhi, Salmonella Paratyphi A, Salmonella Paratyphi B (currently uncommon but may become dominant again), Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Choleraesuis (as well as other Group C Salmonella). Live attenuated vaccines are an attractive vaccine formulation for use in developing as well as developed countries. Here, we describe the methods of attenuation that have been used to date to create live attenuated Salmonella vaccines and provide an update on the progress that has been made on these vaccines.

Irreversible covalent modification of type I dehydroquinase with a stable Schiff base

Structural and computational studies carried out with two epoxides provide insight into the irreversible inhibition of type I dehydroquinase.

Complex adaptive immunity to enteric fevers in humans: lessons learned and the path forward

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi), the causative agent of typhoid fever, and S. Paratyphi A and B, causative agents of paratyphoid fever, are major public health threats throughout the world. Although two licensed typhoid vaccines are currently available, they are only moderately protective and immunogenic necessitating the development of novel vaccines. A major obstacle in the development of improved typhoid, as well as paratyphoid vaccines is the lack of known immunological correlates of protection in humans. Considerable progress has been made in recent years in understanding the complex adaptive host responses against S. Typhi. Although the induction of S. Typhi-specific antibodies (including their functional properties) and memory B cells, as well as their cross-reactivity with S. Paratyphi A and S. Paratyphi B has been shown, the role of humoral immunity in protection remains undefined. Cell mediated immunity (CMI) is likely to play a dominant role in protection against enteric fever pathogens. Detailed measurements of CMI performed in volunteers immunized with attenuated strains of S. Typhi have shown, among others, the induction of lymphoproliferation, multifunctional type 1 cytokine production, and CD8(+) cytotoxic T-cell responses. In addition to systemic responses, the local microenvironment of the gut is likely to be of paramount importance in protection from these infections. In this review, we will critically assess current knowledge regarding the role of CMI and humoral immunity following natural S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi infections, experimental challenge, and immunization in humans. We will also address recent advances regarding cross-talk between the host's gut microbiota and immunization with attenuated S. Typhi, mechanisms of systemic immune responses, and the homing potential of S. Typhi-specific B- and T-cells to the gut and other tissues.

Insights into substrate binding and catalysis in bacterial type I dehydroquinase

The crystal structure of S. typhi type I dehydroquinase in complex with (2R)-3-methyl-3-dehydroquinic acid is described. A previously unknown key role of several conserved residues and a detailed knowledge of the substrate binding process is detailed.

Metabolic engineering of Salmonella vaccine bacteria to boost human Vγ2Vδ2 T cell immunity

Human Vγ2Vδ2 T cells monitor isoprenoid metabolism by recognizing foreign (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate (HMBPP), a metabolite in the 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate pathway used by most eubacteria and apicomplexan parasites, and self isopentenyl pyrophosphate, a metabolite in the mevalonate pathway used by humans. Whereas microbial infections elicit prolonged expansion of memory Vγ2Vδ2 T cells, immunization with prenyl pyrophosphates or aminobisphosphonates elicit short-term Vγ2Vδ2 expansion with rapid anergy and deletion upon subsequent immunizations. We hypothesized that a live, attenuated bacterial vaccine that overproduces HMBPP would elicit long-lasting Vγ2Vδ2 T cell immunity by mimicking a natural infection. Therefore, we metabolically engineered the avirulent aroA(-) Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium SL7207 strain by deleting the gene for LytB (the downstream enzyme from HMBPP) and functionally complementing for this loss with genes encoding mevalonate pathway enzymes. LytB(-) Salmonella SL7207 had high HMBPP levels, infected human cells as efficiently as did the wild-type bacteria, and stimulated large ex vivo expansions of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells from human donors. Importantly, vaccination of a rhesus monkey with live lytB(-) Salmonella SL7207 stimulated a prolonged expansion of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells without significant side effects or anergy induction. These studies provide proof-of-principle that metabolic engineering can be used to derive live bacterial vaccines that boost Vγ2Vδ2 T cell immunity. Similar engineering of metabolic pathways to produce lipid Ags or B vitamin metabolite Ags could be used to derive live bacterial vaccine for other unconventional T cells that recognize nonpeptide Ags.

Salmonella as a vaccine delivery vehicle

Attenuated Salmonella vaccines can be administered orally to deliver recombinant antigens to mucosal surfaces inducing a protective immune response against a variety of targeted pathogens. A number of exciting new approaches and technologies for attenuated Salmonella vaccines have been developed recently. However, a disconnect remains between results obtained with mice in preclinical studies and results obtained in human clinical trials. This is due to an incomplete understanding of Salmonella Typhi interactions with human hosts and inadequate animal models available for study. In this review, the authors describe recent progress in identifying important differences underlying S. Typhi-host interactions, the development of novel approaches to vaccine design and six recent clinical trials evaluating Salmonella-vectored vaccines.

Use of attenuated bacteria as delivery vectors for DNA vaccines

Live, attenuated bacterial vaccines (LBV) are promising candidates for the induction of a broad-based immune response directed at recombinant heterologous antigens and the corresponding pathogen. LBVs allow vaccination through the mucosal surfaces and specific targeting of professional antigen-presenting cells located at the inductive sites of the immune system. A novel approach exploits attenuated intracellular bacteria as delivery vectors for eukaryotic antigen-expression plasmids (so-called DNA vaccines). Candidate carrier bacteria include attenuated strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. These bacteria have been shown to deliver DNA vaccines to human cells in vitro and have also proven their in vivo efficacy in several experimental animal models of infectious diseases and different cancers. The clinical assessment of the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of these candidate strains will be the next challenging step towards live bacterial DNA vaccines.

Vaccines for preventing typhoid fever

BACKGROUND

Typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever continue to be important causes of illness and death, particularly among children and adolescents in south-central and southeast Asia. Two typhoid vaccines are commercially available, Ty21a (oral) and Vi polysaccharide (parenteral), but neither is used routinely. Other vaccines, such as a new, modified, conjugated Vi vaccine called Vi-rEPA, are in development.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of vaccines used to prevent typhoid fever.

SEARCH METHODS

In June 2013, we searched the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group Specialized Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, and mRCT. We also searched relevant conference proceedings up to 2013 and scanned the reference lists of all included trials.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing typhoid fever vaccines with other typhoid fever vaccines or with an inactive agent (placebo or vaccine for a different disease).

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently applied inclusion criteria and extracted data. We computed vaccine efficacy per year of follow-up and cumulative three-year efficacy, stratifying for vaccine type and dose. The outcome addressed was typhoid fever, defined as isolation of Salmonella typhi in blood. We calculated risk ratios (RRs) and efficacy (1-RR as a percentage) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

MAIN RESULTS

In total, 18 RCTs were included in this review; 12 evaluated efficacy (Ty21a: five trials; Vi polysaccharide: six trials; Vi-rEPA: one trial), and 11 reported on adverse events. Ty21a vaccine (oral vaccine, three doses) A three-dose schedule of Ty21a vaccine prevents around one-third to one-half of typhoid cases in the first two years after vaccination (Year 1: 35%, 95% CI 8% to 54%; Year 2: 58%, 95% CI 40% to 71%; one trial, 20,543 participants; moderate quality evidence; data taken from a single trial conducted in Indonesia in the 1980s). No benefit was detected in the third year after vaccination. Four additional cluster-RCTs have been conducted, but the study authors did not adjust for clustering.Compared with placebo, this vaccine was not associated with more participants with vomiting, diarrhoea, nausea or abdominal pain (four trials, 2066 participants; moderate quality evidence) headache, or rash (two trials, 1190 participants; moderate quality evidence); however, fever (four trials, 2066 participants; moderate quality evidence) was more common in the vaccine group. Vi polysaccharide vaccine (injection, one dose) A single dose of Vi polysaccharide vaccine prevents around two-thirds of typhoid cases in the first year after vaccination (Year 1: 69%, 95% CI 63% to 74%; three trials, 99,979 participants; high quality evidence). In Year 2, the trial results were more variable, with the vaccine preventing between 45% and 69% of typhoid cases (Year 2: 59%, 95% CI 45% to 69%; four trials, 194,969 participants; moderate quality evidence). The three-year cumulative efficacy of the vaccine is around 55% (95% CI 30% to 70%; 11,384 participants, one trial; moderate quality evidence). These data are taken from a single trial in South Africa in the 1980s.Compared with placebo, this vaccine was not associated with more participants with fever (four trials, 133,038 participants; moderate quality evidence) or erythema (three trials, 132,261 participants; low quality evidence); however, swelling (three trials, 1767 participants; moderate quality evidence) and pain at the injection site (one trial, 667 participants; moderate quality evidence) were more common in the vaccine group. Vi-rEPA vaccine (two doses) Administration of two doses of the Vi-rEPA vaccine prevents between 50% and 96% of typhoid cases during the first two years after vaccination (Year 1: 94%, 95% CI 75% to 99%; Year 2: 87%, 95% CI 56% to 96%; one trial, 12,008 participants; moderate quality evidence). These data are taken from a single trial with children 2 to 5 years of age conducted in Vietnam.Compared with placebo, the first and second doses of this vaccine were not associated with increased risk of adverse events. The first dose of this vaccine was not associated with fever (2 studies, 12,209 participants; low quality evidence), erythema (two trials, 12,209 participants; moderate quality evidence) or swelling at the injection site (two trials, 12,209 participants; moderate quality evidence). The second dose of this vaccine was not associated with fever (two trials, 11,286 participants; low quality evidence), erythema (two trials, 11,286 participants; moderate quality evidence) and swelling at the injection site (two trials, 11,286 participants; moderate quality evidence).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The licensed Ty21a and Vi polysaccharide vaccines are efficacious. The new and unlicensed Vi-rEPA vaccine is as efficacious and may confer longer immunity.

Low-pH rescue of acid-sensitive Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhi Strains by a Rhamnose-regulated arginine decarboxylase system

For Salmonella, transient exposure to gastric pH prepares invading bacteria for the stresses of host-cell interactions. To resist the effects of low pH, wild-type Salmonella enterica uses the acid tolerance response and the arginine decarboxylase acid resistance system. However, arginine decarboxylase is typically repressed under routine culture conditions, and for many live attenuated Salmonella vaccine strains, the acid tolerance response is unable to provide the necessary protection. The objective of this study was to enhance survival of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi vaccine strains at pHs 3.0 and 2.5 to compensate for the defects in the acid tolerance response imposed by mutations in rpoS, phoPQ, and fur. We placed the arginine decarboxylase system (adiA and adiC) under the control of the ParaBAD or PrhaBAD promoter to provide inducible acid resistance when cells are grown under routine culture conditions. The rhamnose-regulated promoter PrhaBAD was less sensitive to the presence of its cognate sugar than the arabinose-regulated promoter ParaBAD and provided tighter control over adiA expression. Increased survival at low pH was only observed when adiA and adiC were coregulated by rhamnose and depended on the presence of rhamnose in the culture medium and arginine in the challenge medium. Rhamnose-regulated acid resistance significantly improved the survival of ΔaroD and ΔphoPQ mutants at pHs 3 and 2.5 but only modestly improved the survival of a fur mutant. The construction of the rhamnose-regulated arginine decarboxylase system allowed us to render S. Typhi acid resistant (to pH 2.5) on demand, with survival levels approximately equivalent to that of the native arginine decarboxylase system.

Novel methods for expression of foreign antigens in live vector vaccines

Bacterial live vector vaccines represent a vaccine development strategy that offers exceptional flexibility. In this approach, genes encoding protective antigens of unrelated bacterial, viral or parasitic pathogens are expressed in an attenuated bacterial vaccine strain that delivers these foreign antigens to the immune system, thereby eliciting relevant immune responses. Rather than expressing these antigens using low copy expression plasmids, here we pursue expression of foreign proteins from the live vector chromosome. Our strategy is designed to compensate for the inherent disadvantage of loss of gene dosage (vs. plasmid-based expression) by integrating antigen-encoding gene cassettes into multiple chromosomal sites already inactivated in an attenuated Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi vaccine candidate. We tested expression of a cassette encoding the green fluorescent protein (GFPuv) integrated separately into native guaBA, htrA or clyA chromosomal loci. Using single integrations, we show that expression levels of GFPuv are significantly affected by the site of integration, regardless of the inclusion of additional strong promoters within the incoming cassette. Using cassettes integrated into both guaBA and htrA, we observe cumulative synthesis levels from two integration sites superior to single integrations. Most importantly, we observe that GFPuv expression increases in a growth phase-dependent manner, suggesting that foreign antigen synthesis may be “tuned” to the physiology of the live vaccine. We expect this novel platform expression technology to prove invaluable in the development of a wide variety of multivalent live vector vaccines, capable of expressing multiple antigens from both chromosomal and plasmid-based expression systems within a single strain.

New technologies in developing recombinant attenuated Salmonella vaccine vectors

Recombinant attenuated Salmonella vaccine (RASV) vectors producing recombinant gene-encoded protective antigens should have special traits. These features ensure that the vaccines survive stresses encountered in the gastrointestinal tract following oral vaccination to colonize lymphoid tissues without causing disease symptoms and to result in induction of long-lasting protective immune responses. We recently described ways to achieve these goals by using regulated delayed in vivo attenuation and regulated delayed in vivo antigen synthesis, enabling RASVs to efficiently colonize effector lymphoid tissues and to serve as factories to synthesize protective antigens that induce higher protective immune responses. We also developed some additional new strategies to increase vaccine safety and efficiency. Modification of lipid A can reduce the inflammatory responses without compromising the vaccine efficiency. Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) from Salmonella-containing heterologous protective antigens can be used to increase vaccine efficiency. A dual-plasmid system, possessing Asd+ and DadB+ selection markers, each specifying a different protective antigen, can be used to develop multivalent live vaccines. These new technologies have been adopted to develop a novel, low-cost RASV synthesizing multiple protective pneumococcal protein antigens that could be safe for newborns/infants and induce protective immunity to diverse Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes after oral immunization.

Live attenuated S. Typhimurium vaccine with improved safety in immuno-compromised mice

Live attenuated vaccines are of great value for preventing infectious diseases. They represent a delicate compromise between sufficient colonization-mediated adaptive immunity and minimizing the risk for infection by the vaccine strain itself. Immune defects can predispose to vaccine strain infections. It has remained unclear whether vaccine safety could be improved via mutations attenuating a vaccine in immune-deficient individuals without compromising the vaccine's performance in the normal host. We have addressed this hypothesis using a mouse model for Salmonella diarrhea and a live attenuated Salmonella Typhimurium strain (ssaV). Vaccination with this strain elicited protective immunity in wild type mice, but a fatal systemic infection in immune-deficient cybb^−/−nos2^−/− animals lacking NADPH oxidase and inducible NO synthase. In cybb^−/−nos2^−/− mice, we analyzed the attenuation of 35 ssaV strains carrying one additional mutation each. One strain, Z234 (ssaV SL1344_3093), was >1000-fold attenuated in cybb^−/−nos2^−/− mice and ≈100 fold attenuated in tnfr1^−/− animals. However, in wt mice, Z234 was as efficient as ssaV with respect to host colonization and the elicitation of a protective, O-antigen specific mucosal secretory IgA (sIgA) response. These data suggest that it is possible to engineer live attenuated vaccines which are specifically attenuated in immuno-compromised hosts. This might help to improve vaccine safety.

Selection of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi genes involved during interaction with human macrophages by screening of a transposon mutant library

The human-adapted Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) causes a systemic infection known as typhoid fever. This disease relies on the ability of the bacterium to survive within macrophages. In order to identify genes involved during interaction with macrophages, a pool of approximately 10⁵ transposon mutants of S. Typhi was subjected to three serial passages of 24 hours through human macrophages. Mutants recovered from infected macrophages (output) were compared to the initial pool (input) and those significantly underrepresented resulted in the identification of 130 genes encoding for cell membrane components, fimbriae, flagella, regulatory processes, pathogenesis, and many genes of unknown function. Defined deletions in 28 genes or gene clusters were created and mutants were evaluated in competitive and individual infection assays for uptake and intracellular survival during interaction with human macrophages. Overall, 26 mutants had defects in the competitive assay and 14 mutants had defects in the individual assay. Twelve mutants had defects in both assays, including acrA, exbDB, flhCD, fliC, gppA, mlc, pgtE, typA, waaQGP, SPI-4, STY1867-68, and STY2346. The complementation of several mutants by expression of plasmid-borne wild-type genes or gene clusters reversed defects, confirming that the phenotypic impairments within macrophages were gene-specific. In this study, 35 novel phenotypes of either uptake or intracellular survival in macrophages were associated with Salmonella genes. Moreover, these results reveal several genes encoding molecular mechanisms not previously known to be involved in systemic infection by human-adapted typhoidal Salmonella that will need to be elucidated.

Simple Deletion: a vector- and marker-free method to generate and isolate site-directed deletion mutants

We have designed a new vector- and marker-free site-directed deletion system for gram-negative bacteria. In this system, a specific DNA fragment is amplified from a parental strain by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), then circularized and introduced back into the parental strain for homologous recombination. The recombinant mutant is then detected and isolated by PCR-based sib selection. Unlike conventional methods, our Simple Deletion method requires no cloning procedures, and no foreign genes such as antibiotic-resistance genes are introduced as selection markers. The resulting mutant is, therefore, the same as the parental strain except for the lack of the target region. This method is categorized as a type of "self-cloning," and the resulting mutant can be used for laboratory research without restrictions. Using this method, we generated a mutant of a plant pathogenic bacterium, Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris, in which the 20.4-kb hrp gene cluster involved in the type III secretion system and in pathogenicity was deleted. In addition, we proved that this method can also be used to delete smaller DNA regions of X. campestris pv. campestris and to generate deletion mutants of the bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum.

Typhoid fever & vaccine development: a partially answered question

Typhoid fever is a systemic disease caused by the human specific Gram-negative pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi). The extra-intestinal infections caused by Salmonella are very fatal. The incidence of typhoid fever remains very high in impoverished areas and the emergence of multidrug resistance has made the situation worse. To combat and to reduce the morbidity and mortality caused by typhoid fever, many preventive measures and strategies have been employed, the most important being vaccination. In recent years, many Salmonella vaccines have been developed including live attenuated as well as DNA vaccines and their clinical trials have shown encouraging results. But with the increasing antibiotic resistance, the development of potent vaccine candidate for typhoid fever is a need of the hour. This review discusses the latest trends in the typhoid vaccine development and the clinical trials which are underway.

Phenotype, virulence and immunogenicity of Edwardsiella ictaluri cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate receptor protein (Crp) mutants in catfish host

Edwardsiella ictaluri is an Enterobacteriaceae that causes lethal enteric septicemia in catfish. Being a mucosal facultative intracellular pathogen, this bacterium is an excellent candidate to develop immersion-oral live attenuated vaccines for the catfish aquaculture industry. Deletion of the cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) receptor protein (crp) gene in several Enterobacteriaceae has been utilized in live attenuated vaccines for mammals and birds. Here we characterize the crp gene and report the effect of a crp deletion in E. ictaluri. The E. ictaluri crp gene and encoded protein are similar to other Enterobacteriaceae family members, complementing Salmonella enterica Δcrp mutants in a cAMP-dependent fashion. The E. ictaluri Δcrp-10 in-frame deletion mutant demonstrated growth defects, loss of maltose utilization, and lack of flagella synthesis. We found that the E. ictaluri Δcrp-10 mutant was attenuated, colonized lymphoid tissues, and conferred immune protection against E. ictaluri infection to zebrafish (Danio rerio) and catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Evaluation of the IgM titers indicated that bath immunization with the E. ictaluri Δcrp-10 mutant triggered systemic and skin immune responses in catfish. We propose that deletion of the crp gene in E. ictaluri is an effective strategy to develop immersion live attenuated antibiotic-sensitive vaccines for the catfish aquaculture industry.

Salmonella synthesizing 1-dephosphorylated [corrected] lipopolysaccharide exhibits low endotoxic activity while retaining its immunogenicity

The development of safe live, attenuated Salmonella vaccines may be facilitated by detoxification of its LPS. Recent characterization of the lipid A 1-phosphatase, LpxE, from Francisella tularensis allowed us to construct recombinant, plasmid-free strains of Salmonella that produce predominantly 1-dephosphorylated lipid A, similar to the adjuvant approved for human use. Complete lipid A 1-dephosphorylation was also confirmed under low pH, low Mg(2+) culture conditions, which induce lipid A modifications. LpxE expression in Salmonella reduced its virulence in mice by five orders of magnitude. Moreover, mice inoculated with these detoxified strains were protected against wild-type challenge. Candidate Salmonella vaccine strains synthesizing pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) were also confirmed to possess nearly complete lipid A 1-dephosphorylation. After inoculation by the LpxE/PspA strains, mice produced robust levels of anti-PspA Abs and showed significantly improved survival against challenge with wild-type Streptococcus pneumoniae WU2 compared with vector-only-immunized mice, validating Salmonella synthesizing 1-dephosphorylated lipid A as an Ag-delivery system.

Improving Salmonella vector with rec mutation to stabilize the DNA cargoes

BACKGROUND

Salmonella has been employed to deliver therapeutic molecules against cancer and infectious diseases. As the carrier for target gene(s), the cargo plasmid should be stable in the bacterial vector. Plasmid recombination has been reduced in E. coli by mutating several genes including the recA, recE, recF and recJ. However, to our knowledge, there have been no published studies of the effect of these or any other genes that play a role in plasmid recombination in Salmonella enterica.

RESULTS

The effect of recA, recF and recJ deletions on DNA recombination was examined in three serotypes of Salmonella enterica. We found that (1) intraplasmid recombination between direct duplications was RecF-independent in Typhimurium and Paratyphi A, but could be significantly reduced in Typhi by a ΔrecA or ΔrecF mutation; (2) in all three Salmonella serotypes, both ΔrecA and ΔrecF mutations reduced intraplasmid recombination when a 1041 bp intervening sequence was present between the duplications; (3) ΔrecA and ΔrecF mutations resulted in lower frequencies of interplasmid recombination in Typhimurium and Paratyphi A, but not in Typhi; (4) in some cases, a ΔrecJ mutation could reduce plasmid recombination but was less effective than ΔrecA and ΔrecF mutations. We also examined chromosome-related recombination. The frequencies of intrachromosomal recombination and plasmid integration into the chromosome were 2 and 3 logs lower than plasmid recombination frequencies in Rec+ strains. A ΔrecA mutation reduced both intrachromosomal recombination and plasmid integration frequencies.

CONCLUSIONS

The ΔrecA and ΔrecF mutations can reduce plasmid recombination frequencies in Salmonella enterica, but the effect can vary between serovars. This information will be useful for developing Salmonella delivery vectors able to stably maintain plasmid cargoes for vaccine development and gene therapy.

Live recombinant Salmonella Typhi vaccines constructed to investigate the role of rpoS in eliciting immunity to a heterologous antigen

We hypothesized that the immunogenicity of live Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi vaccines expressing heterologous antigens depends, at least in part, on its rpoS status. As part of our project to develop a recombinant attenuated S. Typhi vaccine (RASTyV) to prevent pneumococcal diseases in infants and children, we constructed three RASTyV strains synthesizing the Streptococcus pneumoniae surface protein PspA to test this hypothesis. Each vector strain carried ten engineered mutations designed to optimize safety and immunogenicity. Two S. Typhi vector strains (chi9639 and chi9640) were derived from the rpoS mutant strain Ty2 and one (chi9633) from the RpoS(+) strain ISP1820. In chi9640, the nonfunctional rpoS gene was replaced with the functional rpoS gene from ISP1820. Plasmid pYA4088, encoding a secreted form of PspA, was moved into the three vector strains. The resulting RASTyV strains were evaluated for safety in vitro and for immunogenicity in mice. All three RASTyV strains were similar to the live attenuated typhoid vaccine Ty21a in their ability to survive in human blood and human monocytes. They were more sensitive to complement and were less able to survive and persist in sewage and surface water than their wild-type counterparts. Adult mice intranasally immunized with any of the RASTyV strains developed immune responses against PspA and Salmonella antigens. The RpoS(+) vaccines induced a balanced Th1/Th2 immune response while the RpoS(-) strain chi9639(pYA4088) induced a strong Th2 immune response. Immunization with any RASTyV provided protection against S. pneumoniae challenge; the RpoS(+) strain chi9640(pYA4088) provided significantly greater protection than the ISP1820 derivative, chi9633(pYA4088). In the pre-clinical setting, these strains exhibited a desirable balance between safety and immunogenicity and are currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial to determine which of the three RASTyVs has the optimal safety and immunogenicity profile in human hosts.

So similar, yet so different: uncovering distinctive features in the genomes of Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium and Typhi

Salmonella enterica represents a major human and animal pathogen. Many S. enterica genomes have been completed and many more genome sequencing projects are underway, constituting an excellent resource for comparative genome analysis studies leading to a better understanding of bacterial evolution and pathogenesis. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and Typhi are the best-characterized serovars, with the first being involved in localized gastroenteritis in many hosts and the latter causing a systemic human-specific disease. Here, we summarize the major genetic differences between the two different serovars. We detail the divergent repertoires of the virulence factors responsible for the pathogenesis of the organisms and that ultimately result in the distinct clinical outcomes of infection. This comparative genomic overview highlights hypotheses for future investigations on S. enterica pathogenesis and the basis of host specificity.

Mutations in the Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis cAMP-receptor protein gene lead to functional defects in the SPI-1 Type III secretion system

Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis (Salmonella Choleraesuis) causes a lethal systemic infection (salmonellosis) in swine. Live attenuated Salmonella Choleraesuis vaccines are effective in preventing the disease, and isolates of Salmonella Choleraesuis with mutations in the cAMP-receptor protein (CRP) gene (Salmonella Choleraesuis ∆crp) are the most widely used, although the basis of the attenuation remains unclear. The objective of this study was to determine if the attenuated phenotype of Salmonella Choleraesuis ∆crp was due to alterations in susceptibility to gastrointestinal factors such as pH and bile salts, ability to colonize or invade the intestine, or cytotoxicity for macrophages. Compared with the parental strain, the survival rate of Salmonella Choleraesuis ∆crp at low pH or in the presence of bile salts was higher, while the ability of the mutant to invade intestinal epithelia was significantly decreased. In examining the role of CRP on the secretory function of the Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) encoded type III secretion system (T3SS), it was shown that Salmonella Choleraesuis ∆crp was unable to secrete the SPI-1 T3SS effector proteins, SopB and SipB, which play a role in Salmonella intestinal invasiveness and macrophage cytotoxicity, respectively. In addition, caspase-1 dependent cytotoxicity for macrophages was significantly reduced in Salmonella Choleraesuis ∆crp. Collectively, this study demonstrates that the CRP affects the secretory function of SPI-1 T3SS and the resulting ability to invade the host intestinal epithelium, which is a critical element in the pathogenesis of Salmonella Choleraesuis.

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi live vector vaccines finally come of age

Attenuated Salmonella Typhi vaccine strains hold great promise as live vectors for presentation of foreign antigens from unrelated bacterial, viral and parasitic pathogens to the immune system. Although this approach has proved quite successful in experimental animal models for eliciting antigen-specific mucosal, humoral and cellular responses, results have been disappointing for clinical trials carried out thus far. We hypothesize that the paucity of human responses to foreign antigens delivered by live vectors suggests that the strains and genetic approaches used to date have resulted in overattenuated vaccine strains with severely reduced immunogenicity. However, remarkable advances have now been made in the genetics of foreign antigen expression, understanding mechanisms of live vector immunity and refining immunization strategies. The time has now come for development of multivalent live vectors in which stable antigen expression and export is balanced with metabolic fitness to create highly immunogenic vaccines.

Regulation of Vi capsular polysaccharide synthesis in Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi

The synthesis of Vi polysaccharide, a major virulence determinant in Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi (S. Typhi), is under the control of two regulatory systems, ompR-envZ and rscB-rscC, which respond to changes in osmolarity. Some S. Typhi isolates exhibit over-expression of Vi polysaccharide, which masks clinical detection of LPS O-antigen. This variation in Vi polysaccharide and O-antigen display (VW variation) has been observed since the initial studies of S. Typhi. We have reported that the status of the rpoS gene is responsible for this phenomenon. We review the regulatory network of the Vi polysaccharide, linking osmolarity and RpoS expression. Also, we discuss how this may impact live attenuated Salmonella vaccine development.

A sopB deletion mutation enhances the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a heterologous antigen delivered by live attenuated Salmonella enterica vaccines

SopB is a virulence factor of Salmonella encoded by SPI-5. Salmonella sopB deletion mutants are impaired in their ability to cause local inflammatory responses and fluid secretion into the intestinal lumen and also can enhance the immunogenicity of a vectored antigen. In this study, we evaluated the effects on immunogenicity and the efficacy of a sopB deletion mutation on two Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium vaccine strains with different attenuating mutations expressing a highly antigenic alpha-helical region of the Streptococcus pneumoniae surface protein PspA from an Asd(+)-balanced lethal plasmid. After oral administration to mice, the two pairs of strains induced high levels of serum antibodies specific for PspA as well as to Salmonella antigens. The levels of antigen-specific serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and mucosal IgA were higher in mice immunized with sopB mutants. Enzyme-linked immunospot assay results indicated that the spleen cells from mice immunized with a sopB mutant showed higher interleukin-4 and gamma interferon secretion levels than did the mice immunized with the isogenic sopB(+) strain. The sopB mutants also induced higher numbers of CD4(+) CD44(hi) CD62L(hi) and CD8(+) CD44(hi) CD62L(hi) central memory T cells. Eight weeks after primary oral immunization, mice were challenged with 100 50% lethal doses of virulent S. pneumoniae WU2. Immunization with either of the sopB mutant strains led to increased levels of protection compared to that with the isogenic sopB(+) parent. Together, these results demonstrate that the deletion of sopB leads to an overall enhancement of the immunogenicity and efficacy of recombinant attenuated Salmonella vaccine strains.

Presence of wild-type and attenuated Salmonella enterica strains in brain tissues following inoculation of mice by different routes

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi and Typhimurium vaccine candidates elicit significant immune responses in mice by intranasal (i.n.) immunization. Because of the proximity of the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone, we were concerned that Salmonella bacteria delivered i.n. might access the brain. Accordingly, wild-type and attenuated (by single and double mutations) strains of S. enterica serovars Typhimurium and Typhi were recovered at low numbers initially from the olfactory lobe and then from the brain for 3 to 4 days after i.n. immunization. This was independent of invA gene function. Although the presence of bacteria in blood 1 to 3 h after i.n. inoculation was sometimes observed, this was infrequent compared to the frequency of bacteria detected in brain tissues. In confirmation of recent observations by Wickham et al. (M. E. Wickham, N. F. Brown, J. Provias, B. B. Finlay, and B. K. Coombes, BMC Infect. Dis. 7:65, 2007) that oral inoculation with wild-type S. enterica serovar Typhimurium strains lead to bacteria in blood with subsequent colonization of brain tissues with neurological symptoms of disease, we found similar results by using the i.n. and intraperitoneal (i.p.) routes of inoculation for wild-type but not for attenuated strains of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium. In contrast, a highly modified attenuated S. enterica serovar Typhimurium strain was not present in brain tissues when administered at higher doses by the oral, i.n., and i.p. routes than the wild-type strain even though the presence of bacteria in blood was detectable 1 to 3 h after inoculation by each of the three routes. Our results indicate that i.n. and possibly even oral delivery of live Salmonella vaccines may be unsafe although it is possible to reduce this risk by appropriate genetic modifications.

Attenuated Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium lacking the ZnuABC transporter confers immune-based protection against challenge infections in mice

Salmonella enterica has long been recognised as an important zoonotic pathogen of economic significance, both in animals and humans. We have recently shown that inactivation of the ZnuABC high affinity zinc transporter significantly affects the pathogenicity of S. enterica, likely due to zinc shortage in the eukaryotic tissues. Here, we demonstrate that a S. enterica serovar Typhimurium znuABC deleted strain is able to induce a short lasting infection in mice. On the same time, it primes a cell-mediated immune response, which confers a solid and durable immune-based protection against challenge infections with virulent strains of S. Typhimurium. These findings suggest the possibility to explore the use of S. enterica ZnuABC deleted mutants for the production on novel vaccines.