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Bahadori Z, Shafaghi M, Sabzevari J, Madanchi H, Ranjbar MM, Mousavi SF, Shabani AA. Design, development, and assessment of a novel multi-peptide vaccine targeting PspC, PsaA, and PhtD proteins of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 258:128924. [PMID: 38143051 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Pneumococcus is the top cause of diseases such as pneumonia/meningitis, and of secondary infections after viral respiratory diseases like COVID-19/flu. Pneumococcal protein-based vaccines consisting of proteins with various functions in virulence might provide a qualified alternative for present vaccines. In this project, PspC, PsaA, and PhtD proteins were considered to anticipate B/T-cell epitopes using immunoinformatics to develop 4 multi-peptide constructs (C, A, and D individual constructs, and a fusion construct CAD). We tested whether vaccination with CAD is able to elicit more efficient protective responses against infection than vaccination with the individual constructs or combination of C + A + D. Based on the in silico results, the constructs were predicted to be antigenic, soluble, non-toxic, and stable, and also be able to provoke humoral/cellular immune reactions. When mice were immunized with the fusion protein, significantly higher levels of IgG and cytokines were induced in serum. The IgG in the fusion group had an effective bioactivity for pneumococcus clearance utilizing the complement pathway. The mice immunized with fusion protein were the most protected from challenge. This report for the first time presents a novel multi-peptide vaccine composed of immunodominant peptides of PspC, PsaA, and PhtD. In general, the experimental results supported the immunoinformatics predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohreh Bahadori
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Department of Bacteriology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mona Shafaghi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Department of Bacteriology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Jahangir Sabzevari
- Department of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Madanchi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Drug Design and Bioinformatics Unit, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; Nervous System Stem Cells Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Mehdi Ranjbar
- Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
| | | | - Ali Akbar Shabani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
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Araujo AP, Oliveira MLS, Miyaji EN. Negligible role for pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) and pneumococcal surface protein C (PspC) in the nasopharyngeal colonization of mice with a serotype 6B pneumococcal strain. Microb Pathog 2023; 185:106391. [PMID: 37839762 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae colonizes the human nasopharynx asymptomatically, but it can also cause several diseases, including otitis media, pneumonia, bacteremia, and meningitis. The colonization of the nasopharynx by the bacteria is an essential step for the pneumococcus to invade other sites and cause diseases. Pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) and Pneumococcal surface Protein C (PspC) are important virulence factors and have been described to play roles in adhesion and immune evasion. In this study, we immunized mice subcutaneously with the recombinant α-helical region of PspA and/or PspC combined with different adjuvants to assess protection against colonization with the serotype 6B strain BHN418. Though high serum levels of specific IgG were detected, none of the formulations led to reduction in the colonization of the nasopharynx. The negative result may be due to the poor induction of IgG2c, which has been previously correlated with protection against pneumococcal colonization in mice. Furthermore, BHN418 pspA and pspC single and double knockouts were evaluated in colonization experiments and no differences in bacterial load were observed. In competition assays with the wild-type strain, borderline to no reduction was observed in the loads of the knockouts. Our results contrast with data from the literature using other pneumococcal strains, showing that the role of PspA and PspC in colonization can vary depending on the background of the knockout strain studied. BHN418 has been selected for its capacity to colonize humans in experimental challenge studies and may have redundant factors that compensate for the lack of PspA and PspC during nasopharyngeal colonization of mice.
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3
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Li S, Liang H, Zhao SH, Yang XY, Guo Z. Recent progress in pneumococcal protein vaccines. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1278346. [PMID: 37818378 PMCID: PMC10560988 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1278346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Pneumococcal infections continue to pose a significant global health concern, necessitating the development of effective vaccines. Despite the progress shown by pneumococcal polysaccharide and conjugate vaccines, their limited coverage and the emergence of non-vaccine serotypes have highlighted the need for alternative approaches. Protein-based pneumococcal vaccines, targeting conserved surface proteins of Streptococcus pneumoniae, have emerged as a promising strategy. In this review, we provide an overview of the advancements made in the development of pneumococcal protein vaccines. We discuss the key protein vaccine candidates, highlight their vaccination results in animal studies, and explore the challenges and future directions in protein-based pneumococcal vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sha Li
- Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Research in Chinese Medicine, School of Bioengineering, Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Hangeri Liang
- Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Research in Chinese Medicine, School of Bioengineering, Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Shui-Hao Zhao
- Center for Biological Science and Technology, Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiao-Yan Yang
- Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Research in Chinese Medicine, School of Bioengineering, Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhong Guo
- Center for Biological Science and Technology, Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
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Hockenberry A, Slack E, Stadtmueller BM. License to Clump: Secretory IgA Structure-Function Relationships Across Scales. Annu Rev Microbiol 2023; 77:645-668. [PMID: 37713459 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-032521-041803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Secretory antibodies are the only component of our adaptive immune system capable of attacking mucosal pathogens topologically outside of our bodies. All secretory antibody classes are (a) relatively resistant to harsh proteolytic environments and (b) polymeric. Recent elucidation of the structure of secretory IgA (SIgA) has begun to shed light on SIgA functions at the nanoscale. We can now begin to unravel the structure-function relationships of these molecules, for example, by understanding how the bent conformation of SIgA enables robust cross-linking between adjacent growing bacteria. Many mysteries remain, such as the structural basis of protease resistance and the role of noncanonical bacteria-IgA interactions. In this review, we explore the structure-function relationships of IgA from the nano- to the metascale, with a strong focus on how the seemingly banal "license to clump" can have potent effects on bacterial physiology and colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyson Hockenberry
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG), Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland;
| | - Emma Slack
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland;
- Botnar Research Centre for Child Health, Basel, Switzerland
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Beth M Stadtmueller
- Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA;
- Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
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Barichello T, Rocha Catalão CH, Rohlwink UK, van der Kuip M, Zaharie D, Solomons RS, van Toorn R, Tutu van Furth M, Hasbun R, Iovino F, Namale VS. Bacterial meningitis in Africa. Front Neurol 2023; 14:822575. [PMID: 36864913 PMCID: PMC9972001 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.822575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial meningitis differs globally, and the incidence and case fatality rates vary by region, country, pathogen, and age group; being a life-threatening disease with a high case fatality rate and long-term complications in low-income countries. Africa has the most significant prevalence of bacterial meningitis illness, and the outbreaks typically vary with the season and the geographic location, with a high incidence in the meningitis belt of the sub-Saharan area from Senegal to Ethiopia. Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) and Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus) are the main etiological agents of bacterial meningitis in adults and children above the age of one. Streptococcus agalactiae (group B Streptococcus), Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus are neonatal meningitis's most common causal agents. Despite efforts to vaccinate against the most common causes of bacterial neuro-infections, bacterial meningitis remains a significant cause of mortality and morbidity in Africa, with children below 5 years bearing the heaviest disease burden. The factors attributed to this continued high disease burden include poor infrastructure, continued war, instability, and difficulty in diagnosis of bacterial neuro-infections leading to delay in treatment and hence high morbidity. Despite having the highest disease burden, there is a paucity of African data on bacterial meningitis. In this article, we discuss the common etiologies of bacterial neuroinfectious diseases, diagnosis and the interplay between microorganisms and the immune system, and the value of neuroimmune changes in diagnostics and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Barichello
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, University of Southern Santa Catarina (UNESC), Criciúma, SC, Brazil
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Carlos Henrique Rocha Catalão
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Science, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Ursula K. Rohlwink
- Pediatric Neurosurgery Unit, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Neurosurgery, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Martijn van der Kuip
- Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Dan Zaharie
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- National Health Laboratory Services, Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Regan S. Solomons
- Department of Pediatric and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ronald van Toorn
- Department of Pediatric and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Marceline Tutu van Furth
- Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Rodrigo Hasbun
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Health, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Federico Iovino
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vivian Ssonko Namale
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
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Rafi MO, Al-Khafaji K, Mandal SM, Meghla NS, Biswas PK, Rahman MS. A subunit vaccine against pneumonia: targeting S treptococcus pneumoniae and Klebsiella pneumoniae. NETWORK MODELING AND ANALYSIS IN HEALTH INFORMATICS AND BIOINFORMATICS 2023; 12:21. [PMID: 37096010 PMCID: PMC10115389 DOI: 10.1007/s13721-023-00416-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Community-acquired pneumonia is primarily caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and Klebsiella pneumoniae, two pathogens that have high morbidity and mortality rates. This is largely due to bacterial resistance development against current antibiotics and the lack of effective vaccines. The objective of this work was to develop an immunogenic multi-epitope subunit vaccine capable of eliciting a robust immune response against S. pneumoniae and K. pneumoniae. The targeted proteins were the pneumococcal surface proteins (PspA and PspC) and choline-binding protein (CbpA) of S. pneumoniae and the outer membrane proteins (OmpA and OmpW) of K. pneumoniae. Different computational approaches and various immune filters were employed for designing a vaccine. The immunogenicity and safety of the vaccine were evaluated by utilizing many physicochemical and antigenic profiles. To improve structural stability, disulfide engineering was applied to a portion of the vaccine structure with high mobility. Molecular docking was performed to examine the binding affinities and biological interactions at the atomic level between the vaccine and Toll-like receptors (TLR2 and 4). Further, the dynamic stabilities of the vaccine and TLRs complexes were investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. While the immune response induction capability of the vaccine was assessed by the immune simulation study. Vaccine translation and expression efficiency was determined through an in silico cloning experiment utilizing the pET28a(+) plasmid vector. The obtained results revealed that the designed vaccine is structurally stable and able to generate an effective immune response to combat pneumococcal infection. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13721-023-00416-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Oliullah Rafi
- Bioinformatics and Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Jashore University of Science and Technology, Jashore, 7408 Bangladesh
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Jashore University of Science and Technology, Jashore, 7408 Bangladesh
| | | | - Santi M. Mandal
- Central Research Facility, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721302 India
| | - Nigar Sultana Meghla
- Department of Microbiology, Jashore University of Science and Technology, Jashore, 7408 Bangladesh
| | - Polash Kumar Biswas
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Incurable Disease Animal Model & Stem Cell Institute (IDASI), Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 05029 South Korea
| | - Md. Shahedur Rahman
- Bioinformatics and Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Jashore University of Science and Technology, Jashore, 7408 Bangladesh
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Jashore University of Science and Technology, Jashore, 7408 Bangladesh
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7
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Bahadori Z, Shafaghi M, Madanchi H, Ranjbar MM, Shabani AA, Mousavi SF. In silico designing of a novel epitope-based candidate vaccine against Streptococcus pneumoniae with introduction of a new domain of PepO as adjuvant. J Transl Med 2022; 20:389. [PMID: 36059030 PMCID: PMC9440865 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03590-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Streptococcus pneumoniae is the leading reason for invasive diseases including pneumonia and meningitis, and also secondary infections following viral respiratory diseases such as flu and COVID-19. Currently, serotype-dependent vaccines, which have several insufficiency and limitations, are the only way to prevent pneumococcal infections. Hence, it is plain to need an alternative effective strategy for prevention of this organism. Protein-based vaccine involving conserved pneumococcal protein antigens with different roles in virulence could provide an eligible alternative to existing vaccines. METHODS In this study, PspC, PhtD and PsaA antigens from pneumococcus were taken to account to predict B-cell and helper T-cell epitopes, and epitope-rich regions were chosen to build the construct. To enhance the immunogenicity of the epitope-based vaccine, a truncated N-terminal fragment of pneumococcal endopeptidase O (PepO) was used as a potential TLR2/4 agonist which was identified by molecular docking studies. The ultimate construct was consisted of the chosen epitope-rich regions, along with the adjuvant role (truncated N-PepO) and suitable linkers. RESULTS The epitope-based vaccine was assessed as regards physicochemical properties, allergenicity, antigenicity, and toxicity. The 3D structure of the engineered construct was modeled, refined, and validated. Molecular docking and simulation of molecular dynamics (MD) indicated the proper and stable interactions between the vaccine and TLR2/4 throughout the simulation periods. CONCLUSIONS For the first time this work presents a novel vaccine consisting of epitopes of PspC, PhtD, and PsaA antigens which is adjuvanted with a new truncated domain of PepO. The computational outcomes revealed that the suggested vaccine could be deemed an efficient therapeutic vaccine for S. pneumoniae; nevertheless, in vitro and in vivo examinations should be performed to prove the potency of the candidate vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohreh Bahadori
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.,Research Center of Biotechnology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.,Department of Bacteriology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mona Shafaghi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.,Research Center of Biotechnology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.,Department of Bacteriology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Madanchi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.,Research Center of Biotechnology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.,Drug Design and Bioinformatics Unit, Department of Medical Biotechnology, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Mehdi Ranjbar
- Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension Organization (AREEO), Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Karaj, Iran
| | - Ali Akbar Shabani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran. .,Research Center of Biotechnology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
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8
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Aceil J, Avci FY. Pneumococcal Surface Proteins as Virulence Factors, Immunogens, and Conserved Vaccine Targets. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:832254. [PMID: 35646747 PMCID: PMC9133333 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.832254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is an opportunistic pathogen that causes over 1 million deaths annually despite the availability of several multivalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs). Due to the limitations surrounding PCVs along with an evolutionary rise in antibiotic-resistant and unencapsulated strains, conserved immunogenic proteins as vaccine targets continue to be an important field of study for pneumococcal disease prevention. In this review, we provide an overview of multiple classes of conserved surface proteins that have been studied for their contribution to pneumococcal virulence. Furthermore, we discuss the immune responses observed in response to these proteins and their promise as vaccine targets.
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9
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Gingerich AD, Mousa JJ. Diverse Mechanisms of Protective Anti-Pneumococcal Antibodies. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:824788. [PMID: 35155281 PMCID: PMC8834882 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.824788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of pneumonia, otitis media, septicemia, and meningitis in children and adults. Current prevention and treatment efforts are primarily pneumococcal conjugate vaccines that target the bacterial capsule polysaccharide, as well as antibiotics for pathogen clearance. While these methods have been enormously effective at disease prevention and treatment, there has been an emergence of non-vaccine serotypes, termed serotype replacement, and increasing antibiotic resistance among these serotypes. To combat S. pneumoniae, the immune system must deploy an arsenal of antimicrobial functions. However, S. pneumoniae has evolved a repertoire of evasion techniques and is able to modulate the host immune system. Antibodies are a key component of pneumococcal immunity, targeting both the capsule polysaccharide and protein antigens on the surface of the bacterium. These antibodies have been shown to play a variety of roles including increasing opsonophagocytic activity, enzymatic and toxin neutralization, reducing bacterial adherence, and altering bacterial gene expression. In this review, we describe targets of anti-pneumococcal antibodies and describe antibody functions and effectiveness against S. pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron D. Gingerich
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Jarrod J. Mousa
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- *Correspondence: Jarrod J. Mousa,
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10
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Park SS, Gonzalez-Juarbe N, Martínez E, Hale JY, Lin YH, Huffines JT, Kruckow KL, Briles DE, Orihuela CJ. Streptococcus pneumoniae Binds to Host Lactate Dehydrogenase via PspA and PspC To Enhance Virulence. mBio 2021; 12:e00673-21. [PMID: 33947761 PMCID: PMC8437407 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00673-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) and pneumococcal surface protein C (PspC, also called CbpA) are major virulence factors of Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn). These surface-exposed choline-binding proteins (CBPs) function independently to inhibit opsonization, neutralize antimicrobial factors, or serve as adhesins. PspA and PspC both carry a proline-rich domain (PRD) whose role, other than serving as a flexible connector between the N-terminal and C-terminal domains, was up to this point unknown. Herein, we demonstrate that PspA binds to lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) released from dying host cells during infection. Using recombinant versions of PspA and isogenic mutants lacking PspA or specific domains of PspA, this property was mapped to a conserved 22-amino-acid nonproline block (NPB) found within the PRD of most PspAs and PspCs. The NPB of PspA had specific affinity for LDH-A, which converts pyruvate to lactate. In a mouse model of pneumonia, preincubation of Spn carrying NPB-bearing PspA with LDH-A resulted in increased bacterial titers in the lungs. In contrast, incubation of Spn carrying a version of PspA lacking the NPB with LDH-A or incubation of wild-type Spn with enzymatically inactive LDH-A did not enhance virulence. Preincubation of NPB-bearing Spn with lactate alone enhanced virulence in a pneumonia model, indicating exogenous lactate production by Spn-bound LDH-A had an important role in pneumococcal pathogenesis. Our observations show that lung LDH, released during the infection, is an important binding target for Spn via PspA/PspC and that pneumococci utilize LDH-A derived lactate for their benefit in vivoIMPORTANCEStreptococcus pneumoniae (Spn) is the leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia. PspA and PspC are among its most important virulence factors, and these surface proteins carry the proline-rich domain (PRD), whose role was unknown until now. Herein, we show that a conserved 22-amino-acid nonproline block (NPB) found within most versions of the PRD binds to host-derived lactate dehydrogenase A (LDH-A), a metabolic enzyme which converts pyruvate to lactate. PspA-mediated binding of LDH-A increased Spn titers in the lungs and this required LDH-A enzymatic activity. Enhanced virulence was also observed when Spn was preincubated with lactate, suggesting LDH-A-derived lactate is a vital food source. Our findings define a role for the NPB of the PRD and show that Spn co-opts host enzymes for its benefit. They advance our understanding of pneumococcal pathogenesis and have key implications on the susceptibility of individuals with preexisting airway damage that results in LDH-A release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Sang Park
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Norberto Gonzalez-Juarbe
- Infectious Diseases and Genomic Medicine Group, J Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Eriel Martínez
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Joanetha Yvette Hale
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Yi-Han Lin
- Infectious Diseases and Genomic Medicine Group, J Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Joshua T Huffines
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Katherine L Kruckow
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - David E Briles
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Carlos J Orihuela
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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11
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Pneumococcal Choline-Binding Proteins Involved in Virulence as Vaccine Candidates. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9020181. [PMID: 33672701 PMCID: PMC7924319 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9020181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a pathogen responsible for millions of deaths worldwide. Currently, the available vaccines for the prevention of S. pneumoniae infections are the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide-based vaccine (PPV-23) and the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV10 and PCV13). These vaccines only cover some pneumococcal serotypes (up to 100 different serotypes have been identified) and are unable to protect against non-vaccine serotypes and non-encapsulated pneumococci. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant non-vaccine serotypes after these vaccines is an increasing threat. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new pneumococcal vaccines which could cover a wide range of serotypes. One of the vaccines most characterized as a prophylactic alternative to current PPV-23 or PCVs is a vaccine based on pneumococcal protein antigens. The choline-binding proteins (CBP) are found in all pneumococcal strains, giving them the characteristic to be potential vaccine candidates as they may protect against different serotypes. In this review, we have focused the attention on different CBPs as vaccine candidates because they are involved in the pathogenesis process, confirming their immunogenicity and protection against pneumococcal infection. The review summarizes the major contribution of these proteins to virulence and reinforces the fact that antibodies elicited against many of them may block or interfere with their role in the infection process.
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12
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Du S, Vilhena C, King S, Sahagún-Ruiz A, Hammerschmidt S, Skerka C, Zipfel PF. Molecular analyses identifies new domains and structural differences among Streptococcus pneumoniae immune evasion proteins PspC and Hic. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1701. [PMID: 33462258 PMCID: PMC7814132 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79362-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The PspC and Hic proteins of Streptococcuspneumoniae are some of the most variable microbial immune evasion proteins identified to date. Due to structural similarities and conserved binding profiles, it was assumed for a long time that these pneumococcal surface proteins represent a protein family comprised of eleven subgroups. Recently, however, the evaluation of more proteins revealed a greater diversity of individual proteins. In contrast to previous assumptions a pattern evaluation of six PspC and five Hic variants, each representing one of the previously defined subgroups, revealed distinct structural and likely functionally regions of the proteins, and identified nine new domains and new domain alternates. Several domains are unique to PspC and Hic variants, while other domains are also present in other virulence factors encoded by pneumococci and other bacterial pathogens. This knowledge improved pattern evaluation at the level of full-length proteins, allowed a sequence comparison at the domain level and identified domains with a modular composition. This novel strategy increased understanding of individual proteins variability and modular domain composition, enabled a structural and functional characterization at the domain level and furthermore revealed substantial structural differences between PspC and Hic proteins. Given the exceptional genomic diversity of the multifunctional PspC and Hic proteins a detailed structural and functional evaluation need to be performed at the strain level. Such knowledge will also be useful for molecular strain typing and characterizing PspC and Hic proteins from new clinical S. pneumoniae strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Du
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Jena, Germany
| | - Cláudia Vilhena
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Jena, Germany
| | - Samantha King
- Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Alfredo Sahagún-Ruiz
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Jena, Germany.,Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sven Hammerschmidt
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Infection Biology, Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Christine Skerka
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Jena, Germany
| | - Peter F Zipfel
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Jena, Germany. .,Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany.
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13
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Root-Bernstein R. Possible Cross-Reactivity between SARS-CoV-2 Proteins, CRM197 and Proteins in Pneumococcal Vaccines May Protect Against Symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Disease and Death. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:E559. [PMID: 32987794 PMCID: PMC7712751 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8040559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Various studies indicate that vaccination, especially with pneumococcal vaccines, protects against symptomatic cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection and death. This paper explores the possibility that pneumococcal vaccines in particular, but perhaps other vaccines as well, contain antigens that might be cross-reactive with SARS-CoV-2 antigens. Comparison of the glycosylation structures of SARS-CoV-2 with the polysaccharide structures of pneumococcal vaccines yielded no obvious similarities. However, while pneumococcal vaccines are primarily composed of capsular polysaccharides, some are conjugated to cross-reacting material CRM197, a modified diphtheria toxin, and all contain about three percent protein contaminants, including the pneumococcal surface proteins PsaA, PspA and probably PspC. All of these proteins have very high degrees of similarity, using very stringent criteria, with several SARS-CoV-2 proteins including the spike protein, membrane protein and replicase 1a. CRM197 is also present in Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and meningitis vaccines. Equivalent similarities were found at lower rates, or were completely absent, among the proteins in diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, and poliovirus vaccines. Notably, PspA and PspC are highly antigenic and new pneumococcal vaccines based on them are currently in human clinical trials so that their effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 disease is easily testable.
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14
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Schmit T, Ghosh S, Mathur RK, Barnhardt T, Ambigapathy G, Wu M, Combs C, Khan MN. IL-6 Deficiency Exacerbates Allergic Asthma and Abrogates the Protective Effect of Allergic Inflammation against Streptococcus pneumoniae Pathogenesis. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2020; 205:469-479. [PMID: 32540994 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1900755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Allergic asthma (AA) is characterized as a Th2-biased airway inflammation that can develop lung inflammation and remodeling of the respiratory tract. Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major respiratory pathogen, causing noninvasive (otitis media and pneumonia) and invasive diseases (sepsis) in humans. We sought to determine the role of IL-6 in the regulation of lung inflammation in murine AA caused by Aspergillus fumigatus as well as its consequence on the regulation of airway barrier integrity and S. pneumoniae disease. In an AA model, IL-6 deficiency led to increased lung inflammation, eosinophil recruitment, tissue pathology, and collagen deposition. Additionally, IL-6-deficient asthmatic mice exhibited reduced goblet cell hyperplasia and increased TGF-β production. These key changes in the lungs of IL-6-deficient asthmatic mice resulted in dysregulated tight junction proteins and increased lung permeability. Whereas the host response to AA protected against S. pneumoniae lung disease, the IL-6 deficiency abrogated the protective effect of allergic inflammation against S. pneumoniae pathogenesis. Consistent with in vivo data, IL-6 knockdown by small interfering RNA or the blockade of IL-6R signaling exacerbated the TGF-β-induced dysregulation of tight junction proteins, E-cadherin and N-cadherin expression, and STAT3 phosphorylation in MLE-12 epithelial cells. Our findings demonstrate a previously unrecognized role of host IL-6 response in the regulation of lung inflammation during AA and the control of S. pneumoniae bacterial disease. A better understanding of the interactions between lung inflammation and barrier framework could lead to the development of therapies to control asthma inflammation and preserve barrier integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Schmit
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202; and
| | - Sumit Ghosh
- Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio 43215
| | - Ram Kumar Mathur
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202; and
| | - Tyler Barnhardt
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202; and
| | - Ganesh Ambigapathy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202; and
| | - Min Wu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202; and
| | - Colin Combs
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202; and
| | - M Nadeem Khan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202; and
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15
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Ambigapathy G, Schmit T, Mathur RK, Nookala S, Bahri S, Pirofski LA, Khan MN. Double-Edged Role of Interleukin 17A in Streptococcus pneumoniae Pathogenesis During Influenza Virus Coinfection. J Infect Dis 2020; 220:902-912. [PMID: 31185076 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiz193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We sought to determine the role of host interleukin 17A (IL-17A) response against colonizing Streptococcus pneumoniae, and its transition to a pathogen during coinfection with an influenza virus, influenza A H1N1 A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (PR8). METHOD Wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice were intranasally inoculated with S. pneumoniae serotype 6A to establish colonization and later infected with the influenza strain, PR8, resulting in invasive S. pneumoniae disease. The role of the IL-17A response in colonization and coinfection was investigated in WT, RoRγt-/- and RAG1-/- mice with antibody-mediated depletion of IL-17A (WT) and CD90 cells (RAG1-/-). RESULTS RAG1-/- mice did not clear colonization and IL-17A neutralization impaired 6A clearance in WT mice. RoRγt-/- mice also had reduced clearance. S. pneumoniae-PR8 coinfection elicited a robust IL-17A response in the nasopharynx; IL-17A neutralization reduced S. pneumoniae invasive disease. RoRγt-/- mice also had reduced S. pneumoniae disease in a coinfection model. Depletion of CD90+ cells suppressed the IL-17A response and reduced S. pneumoniae invasion in RAG1-/- mice. CONCLUSION Our data show that although IL-17A reduces S. pneumoniae colonization, coinfection with influenza virus elicits a robust innate IL-17A response that promotes inflammation and S. pneumoniae disease in the nasopharynx.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ganesh Ambigapathy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks
| | - Taylor Schmit
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks
| | - Ram Kumar Mathur
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College
| | - Suba Nookala
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks
| | - Saad Bahri
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks
| | - Liise-Anne Pirofski
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York
| | - M Nadeem Khan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks
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16
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Development of Next Generation Streptococcus pneumoniae Vaccines Conferring Broad Protection. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8010132. [PMID: 32192117 PMCID: PMC7157650 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8010132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 02/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major pathogen causing pneumonia with over 2 million deaths annually, especially in young children and the elderly. To date, at least 98 different pneumococcal capsular serotypes have been identified. Currently, the vaccines for prevention of S. pneumoniae infections are the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide-based vaccine (PPV23) and the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV10 and PCV13). These vaccines only cover some pneumococcal serotypes and are unable to protect against non-vaccine serotypes and unencapsulated S. pneumoniae. This has led to a rapid increase in antibiotic-resistant non-vaccine serotypes. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop new, effective, and affordable pneumococcal vaccines, which could cover a wide range of serotypes. This review discusses the new approaches to develop effective vaccines with broad serotype coverage as well as recent development of promising pneumococcal vaccines in clinical trials. New vaccine candidates are the inactivated whole-cell vaccine strain (Δpep27ΔcomD mutant) constructed by mutations of specific genes and several protein-based S. pneumoniae vaccines using conserved pneumococcal antigens, such as lipoprotein and surface-exposed protein (PspA). Among the vaccines in Phase 3 clinical trials are the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, PCV-15 (V114) and 20vPnC. The inactivated whole-cell and several protein-based vaccines are either in Phase 1 or 2 trials. Furthermore, the recent progress of nanoparticles that play important roles as delivery systems and adjuvants to improve the performance, as well as the immunogenicity of the nanovaccines, are reviewed.
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17
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Georgieva M, Buckee CO, Lipsitch M. Models of immune selection for multi-locus antigenic diversity of pathogens. Nat Rev Immunol 2019; 19:55-62. [PMID: 30479379 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-018-0092-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
It is well accepted that pathogens can evade recognition and elimination by the host immune system by varying their antigenic targets. Thus, it has become a truism that host immunity is a major driver and determinant of the antigenic diversity of pathogens. However, it remains puzzling how host immunity selects for antigenic diversity at the level of the pathogen population, given that hosts have acquired immune responses to multiple antigens of most pathogens - sometimes through multiple effectors of both humoral and cellular immunity. In this Opinion article, we address this puzzle and the related question of why pathogens often have diversity at multiple antigenic loci. Here, we describe five hypotheses to explain the polymorphism of multiple antigens in a single pathogen species and highlight research relevant to our current models of thinking about multi-locus antigenic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Georgieva
- Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Physiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Caroline O Buckee
- Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marc Lipsitch
- Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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18
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Briles DE, Paton JC, Mukerji R, Swiatlo E, Crain MJ. Pneumococcal Vaccines. Microbiol Spectr 2019; 7:10.1128/microbiolspec.gpp3-0028-2018. [PMID: 31858954 PMCID: PMC10921951 DOI: 10.1128/microbiolspec.gpp3-0028-2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a Gram-Positive pathogen that is a major causative agent of pneumonia, otitis media, sepsis and meningitis across the world. The World Health Organization estimates that globally over 500,000 children are killed each year by this pathogen. Vaccines offer the best protection against S. pneumoniae infections. The current polysaccharide conjugate vaccines have been very effective in reducing rates of invasive pneumococcal disease caused by vaccine type strains. However, the effectiveness of these vaccines have been somewhat diminished by the increasing numbers of cases of invasive disease caused by non-vaccine type strains, a phenomenon known as serotype replacement. Since, there are currently at least 98 known serotypes of S. pneumoniae, it may become cumbersome and expensive to add many additional serotypes to the current 13-valent vaccine, to circumvent the effect of serotype replacement. Hence, alternative serotype independent strategies, such as vaccination with highly cross-reactive pneumococcal protein antigens, should continue to be investigated to address this problem. This chapter provides a comprehensive discussion of pneumococcal vaccines past and present, protein antigens that are currently under investigation as vaccine candidates, and other alternatives, such as the pneumococcal whole cell vaccine, that may be successful in reducing current rates of disease caused by S. pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
- D E Briles
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - J C Paton
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5005, Australia
| | - R Mukerji
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - E Swiatlo
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA
| | - M J Crain
- Department of Pediatrics and Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham
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19
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Morais V, Texeira E, Suarez N. Next-Generation Whole-Cell Pneumococcal Vaccine. Vaccines (Basel) 2019; 7:E151. [PMID: 31623286 PMCID: PMC6963273 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines7040151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae remains a major public health hazard. Although Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines (PCVs) are available and have significantly reduced the rate of invasive pneumococcal diseases, there is still a need for new vaccines with unlimited serotype coverage, long-lasting protection, and lower cost to be developed. One of the most promising candidates is the Whole-Cell Pneumococcal Vaccine (WCV). The new generation of whole-cell vaccines is based on an unencapsulated serotype that allows the expression of many bacterial antigens at a lower cost than a recombinant vaccine. These vaccines have been extensively studied, are currently in human trial phase 1/2, and seem to be the best treatment choice for pneumococcal diseases, especially for developing countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Morais
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Republic, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay.
| | - Esther Texeira
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Republic, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay.
| | - Norma Suarez
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Republic, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay.
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20
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A Cross-Reactive Protein Vaccine Combined with PCV-13 Prevents Streptococcus pneumoniae- and Haemophilus influenzae-Mediated Acute Otitis Media. Infect Immun 2019; 87:IAI.00253-19. [PMID: 31308088 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00253-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute otitis media is one of the most common childhood infections worldwide. Currently licensed vaccines against the common otopathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae target the bacterial capsular polysaccharide and confer no protection against nonencapsulated strains or capsular types outside vaccine coverage. Mucosal infections such as acute otitis media remain prevalent, even those caused by vaccine-covered serotypes. Here, we report that a protein-based vaccine, a fusion construct of epitopes of CbpA to pneumolysin toxoid, confers effective protection against pneumococcal acute otitis media for non-PCV-13 serotypes and enhances protection for PCV-13 serotypes when coadministered with PCV-13. Having cross-reactive epitopes, the fusion protein also induces potent antibody responses against nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae and S. pneumoniae, engendering protection against acute otitis media caused by emerging unencapsulated otopathogens. These data suggest that augmenting capsule-based vaccination with conserved, cross-reactive protein-based vaccines broadens and enhances protection against acute otitis media.
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21
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Meinel C, Spartà G, Dahse HM, Hörhold F, König R, Westermann M, Coldewey SM, Cseresnyés Z, Figge MT, Hammerschmidt S, Skerka C, Zipfel PF. Streptococcus pneumoniae From Patients With Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Binds Human Plasminogen via the Surface Protein PspC and Uses Plasmin to Damage Human Endothelial Cells. J Infect Dis 2019; 217:358-370. [PMID: 28968817 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jix305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Pneumococcal hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in children is caused by infections with Streptococcus pneumoniae. Because endothelial cell damage is a hallmark of HUS, we studied how HUS-inducing pneumococci derived from infant HUS patients during the acute phase disrupt the endothelial layer. HUS pneumococci efficiently bound human plasminogen. These clinical isolates of HUS pneumococci efficiently bound human plasminogen via the bacterial surface proteins Tuf and PspC. When activated to plasmin at the bacterial surface, the active protease degraded fibrinogen and cleaved C3b. Here, we show that PspC is a pneumococcal plasminogen receptor and that plasmin generated on the surface of HUS pneumococci damages endothelial cells, causing endothelial retraction and exposure of the underlying matrix. Thus, HUS pneumococci damage endothelial cells in the blood vessels and disturb local complement homeostasis. Thereby, HUS pneumococci promote a thrombogenic state that drives HUS pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Meinel
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Giuseppina Spartà
- Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin, Kantonsspital Winterthur, Switzerland
| | - Hans-Martin Dahse
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Franziska Hörhold
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany.,Associated Group of Network Modeling, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute.,Center for Sepsis Control and Care
| | - Rainer König
- Associated Group of Network Modeling, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute.,Center for Sepsis Control and Care
| | | | - Sina M Coldewey
- Center for Sepsis Control and Care.,Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine.,Septomics Research Center.,Applied Systems Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena
| | - Zoltán Cseresnyés
- Applied Systems Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena.,Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Marc Thilo Figge
- Applied Systems Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena.,Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Sven Hammerschmidt
- Department Genetics of Microorganisms, Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ernst Moritz Arndt University, Greifswald
| | - Christine Skerka
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Peter F Zipfel
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany.,Center for Sepsis Control and Care.,Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
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22
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Identifying genes associated with invasive disease in S. pneumoniae by applying a machine learning approach to whole genome sequence typing data. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4049. [PMID: 30858412 PMCID: PMC6411942 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40346-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae, a normal commensal of the upper respiratory tract, is a major public health concern, responsible for substantial global morbidity and mortality due to pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis. Why some pneumococci invade the bloodstream or CSF (so-called invasive pneumococcal disease; IPD) is uncertain. In this study we identify genes associated with IPD. We transform whole genome sequence (WGS) data into a sequence typing scheme, while avoiding the caveat of using an arbitrary genome as a reference by substituting it with a constructed pangenome. We then employ a random forest machine-learning algorithm on the transformed data, and find 43 genes consistently associated with IPD across three geographically distinct WGS data sets of pneumococcal carriage isolates. Of the genes we identified as associated with IPD, we find 23 genes previously shown to be directly relevant to IPD, as well as 18 uncharacterized genes. We suggest that these uncharacterized genes identified by us are also likely to be relevant for IPD.
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23
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Identification of evolutionarily conserved virulence factor by selective pressure analysis of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Commun Biol 2019; 2:96. [PMID: 30886906 PMCID: PMC6408437 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0340-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolutionarily conserved virulence factors can be candidate therapeutic targets or vaccine antigens. Here, we investigated the evolutionary selective pressures on 16 pneumococcal choline-binding cell-surface proteins since Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the pathogens posing the greatest threats to human health. Phylogenetic and molecular analyses revealed that cbpJ had the highest codon rates to total numbers of codons under considerable negative selection among those examined. Our in vitro and in vivo assays indicated that CbpJ functions as a virulence factor in pneumococcal pneumonia by contributing to evasion of neutrophil killing. Deficiency of cbpL under relaxed selective pressure also caused a similar tendency but showed no significant difference in mouse intranasal infection. Thus, molecular evolutionary analysis is a powerful tool that reveals the importance of virulence factors in real-world infection and transmission, since calculations are performed based on bacterial genome diversity following transmission of infection in an uncontrolled population.
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24
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Binsker U, Kohler TP, Hammerschmidt S. Contribution of Human Thrombospondin-1 to the Pathogenesis of Gram-Positive Bacteria. J Innate Immun 2019; 11:303-315. [PMID: 30814475 PMCID: PMC6738282 DOI: 10.1159/000496033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A successful colonization of different compartments of the human host requires multifactorial contacts between bacterial surface proteins and host factors. Extracellular matrix proteins and matricellular proteins such as thrombospondin-1 play a pivotal role as adhesive substrates to ensure a strong interaction with pathobionts like the Gram-positive Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. The human glycoprotein thrombospondin-1 is a component of the extracellular matrix and is highly abundant in the bloodstream during bacteremia. Human platelets secrete thrombospondin-1, which is then acquired by invading pathogens to facilitate colonization and immune evasion. Gram-positive bacteria express a broad spectrum of surface-exposed proteins, some of which also recognize thrombospondin-1. This review highlights the importance of thrombospondin-1 as an adhesion substrate to facilitate colonization, and we summarize the variety of thrombospondin-1-binding proteins of S. pneumoniae and S. aureus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Binsker
- Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, Department of Molecular Genetics and Infection Biology, Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, Greifswald University, Greifswald, Germany
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Langone Health, Alexandria Center for the Life Sciences, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Thomas P Kohler
- Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, Department of Molecular Genetics and Infection Biology, Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, Greifswald University, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Sven Hammerschmidt
- Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, Department of Molecular Genetics and Infection Biology, Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, Greifswald University, Greifswald, Germany,
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25
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Campo JJ, Le TQ, Pablo JV, Hung C, Teng AA, Tettelin H, Tate A, Hanage WP, Alderson MR, Liang X, Malley R, Lipsitch M, Croucher NJ. Panproteome-wide analysis of antibody responses to whole cell pneumococcal vaccination. eLife 2018; 7:37015. [PMID: 30592459 PMCID: PMC6344088 DOI: 10.7554/elife.37015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pneumococcal whole cell vaccines (WCVs) could cost-effectively protect against a greater strain diversity than current capsule-based vaccines. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses to a WCV were characterised by applying longitudinally-sampled sera, available from 35 adult placebo-controlled phase I trial participants, to a panproteome microarray. Despite individuals maintaining distinctive antibody ‘fingerprints’, responses were consistent across vaccinated cohorts. Seventy-two functionally distinct proteins were associated with WCV-induced increases in IgG binding. These shared characteristics with naturally immunogenic proteins, being enriched for transporters and cell wall metabolism enzymes, likely unusually exposed on the unencapsulated WCV’s surface. Vaccine-induced responses were specific to variants of the diverse PclA, PspC and ZmpB proteins, whereas PspA- and ZmpA-induced antibodies recognised a broader set of alleles. Temporal variation in IgG levels suggested a mixture of anamnestic and novel responses. These reproducible increases in IgG binding to a limited, but functionally diverse, set of conserved proteins indicate WCV could provide species-wide immunity. Clinical trial registration: The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov with Identifier NCT01537185; the results are available from https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/results/NCT01537185. Streptococcus pneumoniae is a bug that causes pneumonia and meningitis, killing around a million people each year. Vaccines now exist to protect young children against these diseases, but they are expensive and do not work against all the strains of the bacteria. This is because these shots train the body’s immune system to recognize and attack the bacterium’s capsule, a layer of sugars that surrounds the microbe and is often different between strains. One possible solution could be a cheap, whole cell vaccine. These injections expose the body to genetically modified S. pneumoniae that do not carry the capsule. Such treatment has now been tested in a small number of people during a clinical trial. Here, Campo et al. use a technique known as panproteome array to scan samples collected during this trial, and identify which elements the body learns to recognize when it is exposed to the genetically manipulated strain of S. pneumoniae. The results show that when volunteers receive this vaccine, their body targets proteins that the capsule normally shields from the immune system. Many of these proteins are very similar across all strains of S. pneumoniae, which means that the whole cell vaccine could potentially better protect against a broad spectrum of bacteria. However, further studies are needed to assess whether this is the case, especially in infants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Timothy Q Le
- Antigen Discovery Inc, California, United States
| | | | | | - Andy A Teng
- Antigen Discovery Inc, California, United States
| | - Hervé Tettelin
- Institute for Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, United States
| | | | - William P Hanage
- Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, United States
| | | | - Xiaowu Liang
- Antigen Discovery Inc, California, United States
| | - Richard Malley
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Marc Lipsitch
- Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, United States.,Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, United States
| | - Nicholas J Croucher
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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Mukerji R, Hendrickson C, Genschmer KR, Park SS, Bouchet V, Goldstein R, Lefkowitz EJ, Briles DE. The diversity of the proline-rich domain of pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA): Potential relevance to a broad-spectrum vaccine. Vaccine 2018; 36:6834-6843. [PMID: 30293761 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.08.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) is a surface exposed, highly immunogenic protein of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Its N-terminal α-helical domain (αHD) elicits protective antibody in humans and animals that can protect mice from fatal infections with pneumococci and can be detected in vitro with opsonophagocytosis assays. The proline-rich domain (PRD) in the center of the PspA sequence can also elicit protection. This study revealed that although the sequence of PRD was diverse, PRD from different pneumococcal isolates contained many shared elements. The inferred amino acid sequences of 123 such PRDs, which were analyzed by assembly and alignment-free (AAF) approaches, formed three PRD groups. Of these sequences, 45 were classified as Group 1, 19 were classified as Group 2, and 59 were classified as Group 3. All Group 3 sequences contained a highly conserved 22-amino acid non-proline block (NPB). A significant polymorphism was observed, however, at a single amino acid position within NPB. Each of the three PRD groups had characteristic patterns of short amino acid repeats, with most of the repeats being found in more than one PRD group. One of these repeats, PKPEQP as well as the NPB were previously shown to elicit protective antibodies in mice. In this study, we found that sera from 12 healthy human adult volunteers contained antibodies to all three PRD groups. This suggested that a PspA-containing vaccine containing carefully selected PRDs and αHDs could redundantly cover the known diversity of PspA. Such an approach might reduce the chances of PspA variants escaping a PspA vaccine's immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reshmi Mukerji
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States
| | - Curtis Hendrickson
- Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States
| | - Kristopher R Genschmer
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States; Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care, United States
| | - Sang-Sang Park
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States
| | - Valérie Bouchet
- Section of Molecular Genetics, Maxwell Finland Laboratory for Infectious Diseases, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118, United States
| | - Richard Goldstein
- Section of Molecular Genetics, Maxwell Finland Laboratory for Infectious Diseases, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118, United States
| | - Elliot J Lefkowitz
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States; Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States
| | - David E Briles
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States.
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Pathak A, Bergstrand J, Sender V, Spelmink L, Aschtgen MS, Muschiol S, Widengren J, Henriques-Normark B. Factor H binding proteins protect division septa on encapsulated Streptococcus pneumoniae against complement C3b deposition and amplification. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3398. [PMID: 30139996 PMCID: PMC6107515 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05494-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae evades C3-mediated opsonization and effector functions by expressing an immuno-protective polysaccharide capsule and Factor H (FH)-binding proteins. Here we use super-resolution microscopy, mutants and functional analysis to show how these two defense mechanisms are functionally and spatially coordinated on the bacterial cell surface. We show that the pneumococcal capsule is less abundant at the cell wall septum, providing C3/C3b entry to underlying nucleophilic targets. Evasion of C3b deposition at division septa and lateral amplification underneath the capsule requires localization of the FH-binding protein PspC at division sites. Most pneumococcal strains have one PspC protein, but successful lineages in colonization and disease may have two, PspC1 and PspC2, that we show affect virulence differently. We find that spatial localization of these FH-recruiting proteins relative to division septa and capsular layer is instrumental for pneumococci to resist complement-mediated opsonophagocytosis, formation of membrane-attack complexes, and for the function as adhesins. Streptococcus pneumoniae evades the action of the complement system by expressing an immuno-protective polysaccharide capsule as well as Factor H-binding proteins. Here, Pathak et al. show that these two defence mechanisms are functionally and spatially coordinated on the bacterial cell surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuj Pathak
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jan Bergstrand
- Department Applied Physics, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Experimental Biomolecular Physics, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vicky Sender
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Laura Spelmink
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marie-Stephanie Aschtgen
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sandra Muschiol
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jerker Widengren
- Department Applied Physics, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Experimental Biomolecular Physics, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Birgitta Henriques-Normark
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden. .,Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKC) and Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 639798, Singapore. .,Department of Clinical Microbiology, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Antibiotic Susceptibility and Prevalence of Adhesion Genes in Streptococcus pneumoniae Isolates Detected in Carrier Children in Tehran. Jundishapur J Microbiol 2018. [DOI: 10.5812/jjm.13256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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Streptococcus pneumoniae PspC Subgroup Prevalence in Invasive Disease and Differences in Contribution to Complement Evasion. Infect Immun 2018; 86:IAI.00010-18. [PMID: 29378798 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00010-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The pneumococcal capsular serotype is an important determinant of complement resistance and invasive disease potential, but other virulence factors have also been found to contribute. Pneumococcal surface protein C (PspC), a highly variable virulence protein that binds complement factor H to evade C3 opsonization, is divided into two subgroups: choline-bound subgroup I and LPxTG-anchored subgroup II. The prevalence of different PspC subgroups in invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and functional differences in complement evasion are unknown. The prevalence of PspC subgroups in IPD isolates was determined in a collection of 349 sequenced strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from adult patients. pspC deletion mutants and isogenic pspC switch mutants were constructed to study differences in factor H binding and complement evasion in relation to capsule thickness. Subgroup I pspC was far more prevalent in IPD isolates than subgroup II pspC The presence of capsule was associated with a greater ability of bound factor H to reduce complement opsonization. Pneumococcal subgroup I PspC bound significantly more factor H and showed more effective complement evasion than subgroup II PspC in isogenic encapsulated pneumococci. We conclude that variation in the PspC subgroups, independent of capsule serotypes, affects pneumococcal factor H binding and its ability to evade complement deposition.
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Antigenic Variation in Streptococcus pneumoniae PspC Promotes Immune Escape in the Presence of Variant-Specific Immunity. mBio 2018. [PMID: 29535198 PMCID: PMC5850329 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00264-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Genomic analysis reveals extensive sequence variation and hot spots of recombination in surface proteins of Streptococcus pneumoniae. While this phenomenon is commonly attributed to diversifying selection by host immune responses, there is little mechanistic evidence for the hypothesis that diversification of surface protein antigens produces an immune escape benefit during infection with S. pneumoniae. Here, we investigate the biological significance of sequence variation within the S. pneumoniae cell wall-associated pneumococcal surface protein C (PspC) protein antigen. Using pspC allelic diversity observed in a large pneumococcal collection, we produced variant-specific protein constructs that span the sequence variability within the pspC locus. We show that antibodies raised against these PspC constructs are variant specific and prevent association between PspC and the complement pathway mediator, human factor H. We found that PspC variants differ in their capacity to bind factor H, suggesting that sequence variation within pspC reflects differences in biological function. Finally, in an antibody-dependent opsonophagocytic assay, S. pneumoniae expressing a PspC variant matching the antibody specificity was killed efficiently. In contrast, killing efficacy was not evident against S. pneumoniae expressing mismatched PspC variants. Our data suggest that antigenic variation within the PspC antigen promotes immune evasion and could confer a fitness benefit during infection. Loci encoding surface protein antigens in Streptococcus pneumoniae are highly polymorphic. It has become a truism that these polymorphisms are the outcome of selective pressure on S. pneumoniae to escape host immunity. However, there is little mechanistic evidence to support the hypothesis that diversifying protein antigens produces a benefit for the bacteria. Using the highly diverse pspC locus, we have now characterized the functional and immune implications of sequence diversity within the PspC protein. We have characterized the spectrum of biological function among diverse PspC variants and show that pspC sequence diversity reflects functional differences. Further, we show that sequence variation in PspC confers an immune escape benefit in the presence of anti-PspC variant-specific immunity. Overall, the results of our studies provide insights into the functional implications of protein sequence diversity and the role of variant-specific immunity in its maintenance.
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Andrade DC, Borges IC, Ekström N, Jartti T, Puhakka T, Barral A, Kayhty H, Ruuskanen O, Nascimento-Carvalho CM. Determination of avidity of IgG against protein antigens from Streptococcus pneumoniae: assay development and preliminary application in clinical settings. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2017; 37:77-89. [PMID: 29027028 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-017-3103-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The measurement of antibody levels is a common test for the diagnosis of Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in research. However, the quality of antibody response, reflected by avidity, has not been adequately evaluated. We aimed to evaluate the role of avidity of IgG against eight pneumococcal proteins in etiologic diagnosis. Eight pneumococcal proteins (Ply, CbpA, PspA1 and 2, PcpA, PhtD, StkP-C, and PcsB-N) were used to develop a multiplex bead-based avidity immunoassay. The assay was tested for effects of the chaotropic agent, multiplexing, and repeatability. The developed assay was applied to paired samples from children with or without pneumococcal disease (n = 38 for each group), determined by either serology, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or blood culture. We found a good correlation between singleplex and multiplex assays, with r ≥ 0.94.The assay was reproducible, with mean inter-assay variation ≤ 9% and intra-assay variation < 6%. Children with pneumococcal disease had lower median avidity indexes in the acute phase of disease for PspA1 and 2 (p = 0.042), PcpA (p = 0.002), PhtD (p = 0.014), and StkP-C (p < 0.001). When the use of IgG avidity as a diagnostic tool for pneumococcal infection was evaluated, the highest discriminative power was found for StkP-C, followed by PcpA (area under the curve [95% confidence interval, CI]: 0.868 [0.759-0.977] and 0.743 [0.607-879], respectively). The developed assay was robust and had no deleterious influence from multiplexing. Children with pneumococcal disease had lower median avidity against five pneumococcal proteins in the acute phase of disease compared to children without disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- D C Andrade
- Postgraduate Programme in Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia School of Medicine, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
| | - I C Borges
- Postgraduate Programme in Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia School of Medicine, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - N Ekström
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - T Jartti
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - T Puhakka
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Satakunta Central Hospital, Pori, Finland
| | - A Barral
- Pathology Department and Postgraduate Programme in Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia School of Medicine and Centro de Pesquisa Gonçalo Muniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - H Kayhty
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - O Ruuskanen
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - C M Nascimento-Carvalho
- Department of Pediatrics and Postgraduate Programme in Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia School of Medicine, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
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A protein chimera including PspA in fusion with PotD is protective against invasive pneumococcal infection and reduces nasopharyngeal colonization in mice. Vaccine 2017; 35:5140-5147. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Revised: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Converso T, Goulart C, Rodriguez D, Darrieux M, Leite L. Rational selection of broadly cross-reactive family 2 PspA molecules for inclusion in chimeric pneumococcal vaccines. Microb Pathog 2017; 109:233-238. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2017.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Revised: 05/16/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Azarian T, Grant LR, Georgieva M, Hammitt LL, Reid R, Bentley SD, Goldblatt D, Santosham M, Weatherholtz R, Burbidge P, Goklish N, Thompson CM, Hanage WP, O'Brien KL, Lipsitch M. Association of Pneumococcal Protein Antigen Serology With Age and Antigenic Profile of Colonizing Isolates. J Infect Dis 2017; 215:713-722. [PMID: 28035010 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiw628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Several Streptococcus pneumoniae proteins play a role in pathogenesis and are being investigated as vaccine targets. It is largely unknown whether naturally acquired antibodies reduce the risk of colonization with strains expressing a particular antigenic variant. Methods Serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) titers to 28 pneumococcal protein antigens were measured among 242 individuals aged <6 months-78 years in Native American communities between 2007 and 2009. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected >- 30 days after serum collection, and the antigen variant in each pneumococcal isolate was determined using genomic data. We assessed the association between preexisting variant-specific antibody titers and subsequent carriage of pneumococcus expressing a particular antigen variant. Results Antibody titers often increased across pediatric groups before decreasing among adults. Individuals with low titers against group 3 pneumococcal surface protein C (PspC) variants were more likely to be colonized with pneumococci expressing those variants. For other antigens, variant-specific IgG titers do not predict colonization. Conclusion We observed an inverse association between variant-specific antibody concentration and homologous pneumococcal colonization for only 1 protein. Further assessment of antibody repertoires may elucidate the nature of antipneumococcal antibody-mediated mucosal immunity while informing vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taj Azarian
- Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Department of Epidemiology, T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lindsay R Grant
- Center for American Indian Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Maria Georgieva
- Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Department of Epidemiology, T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Laura L Hammitt
- Center for American Indian Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Raymond Reid
- Center for American Indian Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - David Goldblatt
- Immunobiology Section, Institute of Child Health, University College London, UK
| | - Mathuran Santosham
- Center for American Indian Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Robert Weatherholtz
- Center for American Indian Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Paula Burbidge
- Immunobiology Section, Institute of Child Health, University College London, UK
| | - Novalene Goklish
- Center for American Indian Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Claudette M Thompson
- Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Department of Epidemiology, T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - William P Hanage
- Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Department of Epidemiology, T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kate L O'Brien
- Center for American Indian Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Marc Lipsitch
- Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Department of Epidemiology, T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Andre GO, Converso TR, Politano WR, Ferraz LFC, Ribeiro ML, Leite LCC, Darrieux M. Role of Streptococcus pneumoniae Proteins in Evasion of Complement-Mediated Immunity. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:224. [PMID: 28265264 PMCID: PMC5316553 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The complement system plays a central role in immune defense against Streptococcus pneumoniae. In order to evade complement attack, pneumococci have evolved a number of mechanisms that limit complement mediated opsonization and subsequent phagocytosis. This review focuses on the strategies employed by pneumococci to circumvent complement mediated immunity, both in vitro and in vivo. At last, since many of the proteins involved in interactions with complement components are vaccine candidates in different stages of validation, we explore the use of these antigens alone or in combination, as potential vaccine approaches that aim at elimination or drastic reduction in the ability of this bacterium to evade complement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greiciely O Andre
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Molecular de Microrganismos, Universidade São Francisco Bragança Paulista, Brazil
| | - Thiago R Converso
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto ButantanSão Paulo, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Walter R Politano
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Molecular de Microrganismos, Universidade São Francisco Bragança Paulista, Brazil
| | - Lucio F C Ferraz
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Molecular de Microrganismos, Universidade São Francisco Bragança Paulista, Brazil
| | - Marcelo L Ribeiro
- Laboratório de Farmacologia, Universidade São Francisco Bragança Paulista, Brazil
| | | | - Michelle Darrieux
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Molecular de Microrganismos, Universidade São Francisco Bragança Paulista, Brazil
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Protection against Streptococcus pneumoniae Invasive Pathogenesis by a Protein-Based Vaccine Is Achieved by Suppression of Nasopharyngeal Bacterial Density during Influenza A Virus Coinfection. Infect Immun 2017; 85:IAI.00530-16. [PMID: 27895132 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00530-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
An increase in Streptococcus pneumoniae nasopharynx (NP) colonization density during a viral coinfection initiates pathogenesis. To mimic natural S. pneumoniae pathogenesis, we commensally colonized the NPs of adult C57BL/6 mice with S. pneumoniae serotype (ST) 6A or 8 and then coinfected them with mouse-adapted H1N1 influenza A virus (PR/8/34). S. pneumoniae established effective commensal colonization, and influenza virus coinfection caused S. pneumoniae NP density to increase, resulting in bacteremia and mortality. We then studied histidine triad protein D (PhtD), an S. pneumoniae adhesin vaccine candidate, for its ability to prevent invasive S. pneumoniae disease in adult and infant mice. In adult mice, the efficacy of PhtD vaccination was compared with that of PCV13. Vaccination with PCV13 led to a greater reduction of S. pneumoniae NP density (>2.5 log units) than PhtD vaccination (∼1-log-unit reduction). However, no significant difference was observed with regard to the prevention of S. pneumoniae bacteremia, and there was no difference in mortality. Depletion of CD4+ T cells in PhtD-vaccinated adult mice, but not PCV13-vaccinated mice, caused a loss of vaccine-induced protection. In infant mice, passive transfer of antisera or CD4+ T cells from PhtD-vaccinated adult mice led to a nonsignificant reduction in NP colonization density, whereas passive transfer of antisera and CD4+ T cells was needed to cause a significant reduction in NP colonization density. For the first time, these data show an outcome with regard to prevention of invasive S. pneumoniae pathogenesis with a protein vaccine similar to that which occurs with a glycoconjugate vaccine despite a less robust reduction in NP bacterial density.
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Diverse evolutionary patterns of pneumococcal antigens identified by pangenome-wide immunological screening. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E357-E366. [PMID: 28053228 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1613937114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Characterizing the immune response to pneumococcal proteins is critical in understanding this bacterium's epidemiology and vaccinology. Probing a custom-designed proteome microarray with sera from 35 healthy US adults revealed a continuous distribution of IgG affinities for 2,190 potential antigens from the species-wide pangenome. Reproducibly elevated IgG binding was elicited by 208 "antibody binding targets" (ABTs), which included 109 variants of the diverse pneumococcal surface proteins A and C (PspA and PspC) and zinc metalloprotease A and B (ZmpA and ZmpB) proteins. Functional analysis found ABTs were enriched in motifs for secretion and cell surface association, with extensive representation of cell wall synthesis machinery, adhesins, transporter solute-binding proteins, and degradative enzymes. ABTs were associated with stronger evidence for evolving under positive selection, although this varied between functional categories, as did rates of diversification through recombination. Particularly rapid variation was observed at some immunogenic accessory loci, including a phage protein and a phase-variable glycosyltransferase ubiquitous among the diverse set of genomic islands encoding the serine-rich PsrP glycoprotein. Nevertheless, many antigens were conserved in the core genome, and strains' antigenic profiles were generally stable. No strong evidence was found for any epistasis between antigens driving population dynamics, or redundancy between functionally similar accessory ABTs, or age stratification of antigen profiles. These results highlight the paradox of why substantial variation is observed in only a subset of epitopes. This result may indicate only some interactions between immunoglobulins and ABTs clear pneumococcal colonization or that acquired immunity to pneumococci is an accumulation of individually weak responses to ABTs evolving under different levels of functional constraint.
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Novick S, Shagan M, Blau K, Lifshitz S, Givon-Lavi N, Grossman N, Bodner L, Dagan R, Mizrachi Nebenzahl Y. Adhesion and invasion of Streptococcus pneumoniae to primary and secondary respiratory epithelial cells. Mol Med Rep 2016; 15:65-74. [PMID: 27922699 PMCID: PMC5355668 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2016.5996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction between Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) and the mucosal epithelial cells of its host is a prerequisite for pneumococcal disease development, yet the specificity of this interaction between different respiratory cells is not fully understood. In the present study, three areas were examined: i) The capability of the encapsulated S. pneumoniae serotype 3 strain (WU2) to adhere to and invade primary nasal‑derived epithelial cells in comparison to primary oral‑derived epithelial cells, A549 adenocarcinoma cells and BEAS‑2B viral transformed bronchial cells; ii) the capability of the unencapsulated 3.8DW strain (a WU2 derivative) to adhere to and invade the same cells over time; and iii) the ability of various genetically‑unrelated encapsulated and unencapsulated S. pneumoniae strains to adhere to and invade A549 lung epithelial cells. The results of the present study demonstrated that the encapsulated WU2 strain adhesion to and invasion of primary nasal epithelial cells was greatest, followed by BEAS‑2B, A549 and primary oral epithelial cells. By contrast, the unencapsulated 3.8‑DW strain invaded oral epithelial cells significantly more efficiently when compared to the nasal epithelial cells. In addition, unencapsulated S. pneumoniae strains adhered to and invaded the A459 cells significantly more efficiently than the encapsulated strains; this is consistent with previously published data. In conclusion, the findings presented in the current study indicated that the adhesion and invasion of the WU2 strain to primary nasal epithelial cells was more efficient compared with the other cultured respiratory epithelial cells tested, which corresponds to the natural course of S. pneumoniae infection and disease development. The target cell preference of unencapsulated strains was different from that of the encapsulated strains, which may be due to the exposure of cell wall proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Novick
- Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben‑Gurion University of The Negev, Beer Sheva 84101, Israel
| | - Marilous Shagan
- Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben‑Gurion University of The Negev, Beer Sheva 84101, Israel
| | - Karin Blau
- Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben‑Gurion University of The Negev, Beer Sheva 84101, Israel
| | - Sarit Lifshitz
- Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben‑Gurion University of The Negev, Beer Sheva 84101, Israel
| | - Noga Givon-Lavi
- Pediatric Infectious Disease Unit, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben‑Gurion University of The Negev, Beer Sheva 84101, Israel
| | - Nili Grossman
- Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben‑Gurion University of The Negev, Beer Sheva 84101, Israel
| | - Lipa Bodner
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Unit, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Ron Dagan
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben‑Gurion University of The Negev, Beer Sheva 84101, Israel
| | - Yaffa Mizrachi Nebenzahl
- Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben‑Gurion University of The Negev, Beer Sheva 84101, Israel
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Corsini B, Aguinagalde L, Ruiz S, Domenech M, Antequera ML, Fenoll A, García P, García E, Yuste J. Immunization with LytB protein of Streptococcus pneumoniae activates complement-mediated phagocytosis and induces protection against pneumonia and sepsis. Vaccine 2016; 34:6148-6157. [PMID: 27840016 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Revised: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 11/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The cell wall glucosaminidase LytB of Streptococcus pneumoniae is a surface exposed protein involved in daughter cell separation, biofilm formation and contributes to different aspects of the pathogenesis process. In this study we have characterized the antibody responses after immunization of mice with LytB in the presence of alhydrogel as an adjuvant. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays measuring different subclasses of immunoglobulin G, demonstrated that the antibody responses to LytB were predominantly IgG1 and IgG2b, followed by IgG3 and IgG2a subclasses. Complement-mediated immunity against two different pneumococcal serotypes was investigated using sera from immunized mice. Immunization with LytB increased the recognition of S. pneumoniae by complement components C1q and C3b demonstrating that anti-LytB antibodies trigger activation of the classical pathway. Phagocytosis assays showed that serum containing antibodies to LytB stimulates neutrophil-mediated phagocytosis against S. pneumoniae. Animal models of infection including invasive pneumonia and sepsis were performed with two different clinical isolates. Vaccination with LytB increased bacterial clearance and induced protection demonstrating that LytB might be a good candidate to be considered in a future protein-based vaccine against S. pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Corsini
- Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220 Madrid, Spain
| | - Leire Aguinagalde
- Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220 Madrid, Spain
| | - Susana Ruiz
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB-CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Mirian Domenech
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB-CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - María Luisa Antequera
- Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220 Madrid, Spain
| | - Asunción Fenoll
- Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro García
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB-CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ernesto García
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB-CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose Yuste
- Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220 Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), 28029 Madrid, Spain.
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Choline Binding Proteins from Streptococcus pneumoniae: A Dual Role as Enzybiotics and Targets for the Design of New Antimicrobials. Antibiotics (Basel) 2016; 5:antibiotics5020021. [PMID: 27314398 PMCID: PMC4929436 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics5020021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2016] [Revised: 05/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is an important pathogen responsible for acute invasive and non-invasive infections such as meningitis, sepsis and otitis media, being the major cause of community-acquired pneumonia. The fight against pneumococcus is currently hampered both by insufficient vaccine coverage and by rising antimicrobial resistances to traditional antibiotics, making necessary the research on novel targets. Choline binding proteins (CBPs) are a family of polypeptides found in pneumococcus and related species, as well as in some of their associated bacteriophages. They are characterized by a structural organization in two modules: a functional module (FM), and a choline-binding module (CBM) that anchors the protein to the choline residues present in the cell wall through non-covalent interactions. Pneumococcal CBPs include cell wall hydrolases, adhesins and other virulence factors, all playing relevant physiological roles for bacterial viability and virulence. Moreover, many pneumococcal phages also make use of hydrolytic CBPs to fulfill their infectivity cycle. Consequently, CBPs may play a dual role for the development of novel antipneumococcal drugs, both as targets for inhibitors of their binding to the cell wall and as active cell lytic agents (enzybiotics). In this article, we review the current state of knowledge about host- and phage-encoded pneumococcal CBPs, with a special focus on structural issues, together with their perspectives for effective anti-infectious treatments.
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Effect of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine on the Natural Antibodies and Antibody Responses Against Protein Antigens From Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis in Children With Community-acquired Pneumonia. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2016; 35:683-9. [PMID: 26954601 DOI: 10.1097/inf.0000000000001126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis are common causative agents of respiratory infections. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines have been introduced recently, but their effect on the natural immunity against protein antigens from these pathogens has not been elucidated. METHODS This was an age-matched observational controlled study that evaluated the influence of 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines on the levels of antibodies and frequencies of antibody responses against proteins from S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae and M. catarrhalis in serum samples of children with community-acquired pneumonia. Eight pneumococcal proteins (pneumolysin, choline-binding protein A, pneumococcal surface protein A families 1 and 2, pneumococcal choline-binding protein A, pneumococcal histidine triad protein D, serine/threonine protein kinase, protein required for cell wall separation of group B streptococcus), 3 proteins from H. influenzae (including protein D) and 5 M. catarrhalis proteins were investigated. RESULTS The study group comprised 38 vaccinated children and 114 age-matched controls (median age: 14.5 vs. 14.6 months, respectively; P = 0.997), all with community-acquired pneumonia. There was no difference on clinical baseline characteristics between vaccinated and unvaccinated children. Vaccinated children had significantly lower levels of antibodies against 4 of the studied pneumococcal antigens (P = 0.048 for Ply, P = 0.018 for pneumococcal surface protein A, P = 0.001 for StkP and P = 0.028 for PcsB) and higher levels of antibodies against M. catarrhalis (P = 0.015). Nevertheless, the vaccination status did not significantly affect the rates of antibody responses against S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae and M. catarrhalis. CONCLUSIONS In spite of the differences that have been found on the level of natural antibodies, no effect from pneumococcal vaccination was observed on the rate of immune responses associated with community-acquired pneumonia against protein antigens from S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae and M. catarrhalis.
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Kristian SA, Ota T, Bubeck SS, Cho R, Groff BC, Kubota T, Destito G, Laudenslager J, Koriazova L, Tahara T, Kanda Y. Generation and Improvement of Effector Function of a Novel Broadly Reactive and Protective Monoclonal Antibody against Pneumococcal Surface Protein A of Streptococcus pneumoniae. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0154616. [PMID: 27171010 PMCID: PMC4865217 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 04/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
A proof-of-concept study evaluating the potential of Streptococcus pneumoniae Pneumococcal Surface Protein A (PspA) as a passive immunization target was conducted. We describe the generation and isolation of several broadly reactive mouse anti-PspA monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). MAb 140H1 displayed (i) 98% strain coverage, (ii) activity in complement deposition and opsonophagocytic killing (OPK) assays, which are thought to predict the in vivo efficacy of anti-pneumococcal mAbs, (iii) efficacy in mouse sepsis models both alone and in combination with standard-of-care antibiotics, and (iv) therapeutic activity in a mouse pneumonia model. Moreover, we demonstrate that antibody engineering can significantly enhance anti-PspA mAb effector function. We believe that PspA has promising potential as a target for the therapy of invasive pneumococcal disease by mAbs, which could be used alone or in conjunction with standard-of-care antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sascha A. Kristian
- Kyowa Kirin Pharmaceutical Research, Inc., 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States of America
| | - Takayuki Ota
- Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., R&D Division, 1-6-1, Ōtemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100–8185, Japan
| | - Sarah S. Bubeck
- Kyowa Kirin Pharmaceutical Research, Inc., 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Rebecca Cho
- Kyowa Kirin Pharmaceutical Research, Inc., 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States of America
| | - Brian C. Groff
- Kyowa Kirin Pharmaceutical Research, Inc., 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States of America
| | - Tsuguo Kubota
- Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., R&D Division, 1-6-1, Ōtemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100–8185, Japan
| | - Giuseppe Destito
- Kyowa Kirin Pharmaceutical Research, Inc., 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States of America
| | - John Laudenslager
- Kyowa Kirin Pharmaceutical Research, Inc., 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States of America
| | - Lilia Koriazova
- Kyowa Kirin Pharmaceutical Research, Inc., 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States of America
| | - Tomoyuki Tahara
- Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., R&D Division, 1-6-1, Ōtemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100–8185, Japan
| | - Yutaka Kanda
- Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., R&D Division, 1-6-1, Ōtemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100–8185, Japan
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Current therapeutics and prophylactic approaches to treat pneumonia. THE MICROBIOLOGY OF RESPIRATORY SYSTEM INFECTIONS 2016. [PMCID: PMC7150263 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-804543-5.00017-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Klebsiella pneumoniae represents a frequent cause of mortality worldwide. The increased incidence of pneumococcal diseases in both developed and developing countries is alarmingly high, affecting infants and aged adult populations. The growing rate of antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation on medical device surfaces poses a greater challenge for treating respiratory infections. Over recent years, a better understanding of bacterial growth, metabolism, and virulence has offered several potential targets for developing therapeutics against bacterial pneumonia. This chapter will discuss the current and developing trends in treating bacterial pneumonia.
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Glennie S, Gritzfeld JF, Pennington SH, Garner-Jones M, Coombes N, Hopkins MJ, Vadesilho CF, Miyaji EN, Wang D, Wright AD, Collins AM, Gordon SB, Ferreira DM. Modulation of nasopharyngeal innate defenses by viral coinfection predisposes individuals to experimental pneumococcal carriage. Mucosal Immunol 2016; 9:56-67. [PMID: 25921341 PMCID: PMC4703943 DOI: 10.1038/mi.2015.35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Accepted: 03/13/2015] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Increased nasopharyngeal colonization density has been associated with pneumonia. We used experimental human pneumococcal carriage to investigate whether upper respiratory tract viral infection predisposes individuals to carriage. A total of 101 healthy subjects were screened for respiratory virus before pneumococcal intranasal challenge. Virus was associated with increased odds of colonization (75% virus positive became colonized vs. 46% virus-negative subjects; P=0.02). Nasal Factor H (FH) levels were increased in virus-positive subjects and were associated with increased colonization density. Using an in vitro epithelial model we explored the impact of increased mucosal FH in the context of coinfection. Epithelial inflammation and FH binding resulted in increased pneumococcal adherence to the epithelium. Binding was partially blocked by antibodies targeting the FH-binding protein Pneumococcal surface protein C (PspC). PspC epitope mapping revealed individuals lacked antibodies against the FH binding region. We propose that FH binding to PspC in vivo masks this binding site, enabling FH to facilitate pneumococcal/epithelial attachment during viral infection despite the presence of anti-PspC antibodies. We propose that a PspC-based vaccine lacking binding to FH could reduce pneumococcal colonization, and may have enhanced protection in those with underlying viral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Glennie
- grid.48004.380000 0004 1936 9764Respiratory Infection Group, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK ,grid.5337.20000 0004 1936 7603Present Address: 7Present address: School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK., ,
| | - J F Gritzfeld
- grid.48004.380000 0004 1936 9764Respiratory Infection Group, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - S H Pennington
- grid.48004.380000 0004 1936 9764Respiratory Infection Group, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - M Garner-Jones
- grid.48004.380000 0004 1936 9764Respiratory Infection Group, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - N Coombes
- grid.48004.380000 0004 1936 9764Respiratory Infection Group, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - M J Hopkins
- grid.269741.f0000 0004 0421 1585Liverpool Specialist Virology Centre, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital, Liverpool, UK
| | - C F Vadesilho
- grid.418514.d0000 0001 1702 8585Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - E N Miyaji
- grid.418514.d0000 0001 1702 8585Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - D Wang
- grid.48004.380000 0004 1936 9764Tropical Clinical Trial Unit, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - A D Wright
- grid.48004.380000 0004 1936 9764Respiratory Infection Group, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK ,grid.269741.f0000 0004 0421 1585NIHR Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital NHS Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - A M Collins
- grid.48004.380000 0004 1936 9764Respiratory Infection Group, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK ,grid.269741.f0000 0004 0421 1585NIHR Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital NHS Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - S B Gordon
- grid.48004.380000 0004 1936 9764Respiratory Infection Group, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - D M Ferreira
- grid.48004.380000 0004 1936 9764Respiratory Infection Group, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
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Mahdi LK, Van der Hoek MB, Ebrahimie E, Paton JC, Ogunniyi AD. Characterization of Pneumococcal Genes Involved in Bloodstream Invasion in a Mouse Model. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0141816. [PMID: 26539717 PMCID: PMC4634996 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) continues to account for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide, causing life-threatening diseases such as pneumonia, bacteremia and meningitis, as well as less serious infections such as sinusitis, conjunctivitis and otitis media. Current polysaccharide vaccines are strictly serotype-specific and also drive the emergence of non-vaccine serotype strains. In this study, we used microarray analysis to compare gene expression patterns of either serotype 4 or serotype 6A pneumococci in the nasopharynx and blood of mice, as a model to identify genes involved in invasion of blood in the context of occult bacteremia in humans. In this manner, we identified 26 genes that were significantly up-regulated in the nasopharynx and 36 genes that were significantly up-regulated in the blood that were common to both strains. Gene Ontology classification revealed that transporter and DNA binding (transcription factor) activities constitute the significantly different molecular functional categories for genes up-regulated in the nasopharynx and blood. Targeted mutagenesis of selected genes from both niches and subsequent virulence and pathogenesis studies identified the manganese-dependent superoxide dismutase (SodA) as most likely to be essential for colonization, and the cell wall-associated serine protease (PrtA) as important for invasion of blood. This work extends our previous analyses and suggests that both PrtA and SodA warrant examination in future studies aimed at prevention and/or control of pneumococcal disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Layla K. Mahdi
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Mark B. Van der Hoek
- Adelaide Microarray Centre, The University of Adelaide and SA Pathology, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Esmaeil Ebrahimie
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - James C. Paton
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Abiodun D. Ogunniyi
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- * E-mail:
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Tamborrini M, Geib N, Marrero-Nodarse A, Jud M, Hauser J, Aho C, Lamelas A, Zuniga A, Pluschke G, Ghasparian A, Robinson JA. A Synthetic Virus-Like Particle Streptococcal Vaccine Candidate Using B-Cell Epitopes from the Proline-Rich Region of Pneumococcal Surface Protein A. Vaccines (Basel) 2015; 3:850-74. [PMID: 26501327 PMCID: PMC4693222 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines3040850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternatives to the well-established capsular polysaccharide-based vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae that circumvent limitations arising from limited serotype coverage and the emergence of resistance due to capsule switching (serotype replacement) are being widely pursued. Much attention is now focused on the development of recombinant subunit vaccines based on highly conserved pneumococcal surface proteins and virulence factors. A further step might involve focusing the host humoral immune response onto protective protein epitopes using as immunogens structurally optimized epitope mimetics. One approach to deliver such epitope mimetics to the immune system is through the use of synthetic virus-like particles (SVLPs). SVLPs are made from synthetic coiled-coil lipopeptides that are designed to spontaneously self-assemble into 20–30 nm diameter nanoparticles in aqueous buffer. Multivalent display of epitope mimetics on the surface of SVLPs generates highly immunogenic nanoparticles that elicit strong epitope-specific humoral immune responses without the need for external adjuvants. Here, we set out to demonstrate that this approach can yield vaccine candidates able to elicit a protective immune response, using epitopes derived from the proline-rich region of pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA). These streptococcal SVLP-based vaccine candidates are shown to elicit strong humoral immune responses in mice. Following active immunization and challenge with lethal doses of streptococcus, SVLP-based immunogens are able to elicit significant protection in mice. Furthermore, a mimetic-specific monoclonal antibody is shown to mediate partial protection upon passive immunization. The results show that SVLPs combined with synthetic epitope mimetics may have potential for the development of an effective vaccine against Streptococcus pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Tamborrini
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, Basel 4051, Switzerland; E-Mails: (M.T.); (M.J.); (J.H.); (C.A.); (A.L.); (G.P.)
- University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, Basel 4003, Switzerland
| | - Nina Geib
- Virometix AG, Wagistrasse 14, Schlieren 8952, Switzerland; E-Mails: (N.G.); (A.M.-N.); (A.Z.)
| | | | - Maja Jud
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, Basel 4051, Switzerland; E-Mails: (M.T.); (M.J.); (J.H.); (C.A.); (A.L.); (G.P.)
- University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, Basel 4003, Switzerland
| | - Julia Hauser
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, Basel 4051, Switzerland; E-Mails: (M.T.); (M.J.); (J.H.); (C.A.); (A.L.); (G.P.)
- University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, Basel 4003, Switzerland
| | - Celestine Aho
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, Basel 4051, Switzerland; E-Mails: (M.T.); (M.J.); (J.H.); (C.A.); (A.L.); (G.P.)
- University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, Basel 4003, Switzerland
| | - Araceli Lamelas
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, Basel 4051, Switzerland; E-Mails: (M.T.); (M.J.); (J.H.); (C.A.); (A.L.); (G.P.)
- University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, Basel 4003, Switzerland
| | - Armando Zuniga
- Virometix AG, Wagistrasse 14, Schlieren 8952, Switzerland; E-Mails: (N.G.); (A.M.-N.); (A.Z.)
| | - Gerd Pluschke
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, Basel 4051, Switzerland; E-Mails: (M.T.); (M.J.); (J.H.); (C.A.); (A.L.); (G.P.)
- University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, Basel 4003, Switzerland
| | - Arin Ghasparian
- Virometix AG, Wagistrasse 14, Schlieren 8952, Switzerland; E-Mails: (N.G.); (A.M.-N.); (A.Z.)
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mails: (A.G.); (J.A.R.); Tel.: +41-43-433-8685 (A.G.); +41-44-635-4242 (J.A.R.)
| | - John A. Robinson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich 8057, Switzerland
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mails: (A.G.); (J.A.R.); Tel.: +41-43-433-8685 (A.G.); +41-44-635-4242 (J.A.R.)
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Khan MN, Pichichero ME. The host immune dynamics of pneumococcal colonization: implications for novel vaccine development. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2015; 10:3688-99. [PMID: 25668673 DOI: 10.4161/21645515.2014.979631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The human nasopharynx (NP) microbiota is complex and diverse and Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a frequent member. In the first few years of life, children experience maturation of their immune system thereby conferring homeostatic balance in which pneumococci are typically rendered as harmless colonizers in the upper respiratory environment. Pneumococcal carriage declines in many children before they acquire capsular-specific antibodies, suggesting a capsule antibody-independent mechanism of natural protection against pneumococcal carriage in early childhood. A child's immune system in the first few years of life is Th2-skewed so as to avoid inflammation-induced immunopathology. Understanding Th1/Th2 and Th17 ontogeny in early life and how adjuvant vaccine formulations shift the balance of T helper-cell differentiation, may facilitate the development of new protein-based pneumococcal vaccines. This article will discuss the immune dynamics of pneumococcal colonization in infants. The discussion aims to benefit the design and improvement of protein subunit-based next-generation pneumococcal vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Nadeem Khan
- a Center for Infectious Diseases and Immunology; Rochester General Hospital Research Institute ; Rochester , NY USA
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48
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Immunization with Pneumococcal Surface Protein K of Nonencapsulated Streptococcus pneumoniae Provides Protection in a Mouse Model of Colonization. CLINICAL AND VACCINE IMMUNOLOGY : CVI 2015; 22:1146-53. [PMID: 26311246 DOI: 10.1128/cvi.00456-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Current vaccinations are effective against encapsulated strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae, but they do not protect against nonencapsulated Streptococcus pneumoniae (NESp), which is increasing in colonization and incidence of pneumococcal disease. Vaccination with pneumococcal proteins has been assessed for its ability to protect against pneumococcal disease, but several of these proteins are not expressed by NESp. Pneumococcal surface protein K (PspK), an NESp virulence factor, has not been assessed for immunogenic potential or host modulatory effects. Mammalian cytokine expression was determined in an in vivo mouse model and in an in vitro cell culture system. Systemic and mucosal mouse immunization studies were performed to determine the immunogenic potential of PspK. Murine serum and saliva were collected to quantitate specific antibody isotype responses and the ability of antibody and various proteins to inhibit epithelial cell adhesion. Host cytokine response was not reduced by PspK. NESp was able to colonize the mouse nasopharynx as effectively as encapsulated pneumococci. Systemic and mucosal immunization provided protection from colonization by PspK-positive (PspK(+)) NESp. Anti-PspK antibodies were recovered from immunized mice and significantly reduced the ability of NESp to adhere to human epithelial cells. A protein-based pneumococcal vaccine is needed to provide broad protection against encapsulated and nonencapsulated pneumococci in an era of increasing antibiotic resistance and vaccine escape mutants. We demonstrate that PspK may serve as an NESp target for next-generation pneumococcal vaccines. Immunization with PspK protected against pneumococcal colonization, which is requisite for pneumococcal disease.
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Multivalent Pneumococcal Protein Vaccines Comprising Pneumolysoid with Epitopes/Fragments of CbpA and/or PspA Elicit Strong and Broad Protection. CLINICAL AND VACCINE IMMUNOLOGY : CVI 2015; 22:1079-89. [PMID: 26245351 DOI: 10.1128/cvi.00293-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Immunization with the pneumococcal proteins pneumolysin (Ply), choline binding protein A (CbpA), or pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) elicits protective responses against invasive pneumococcal disease in animal models. In this study, we used different mouse models to test the efficacy of a variety of multivalent protein-based vaccines that comprised various combinations of full-length or peptide regions of the immunogens Ply, CbpA, or PspA: Ply toxoid with the L460D substitution (referred to herein as L460D); L460D fused with protective peptide epitopes from CbpA (YPT-L460D-NEEK [YLN]); L460D fused with the CD2 peptide containing the proline-rich region (PRR) of PspA (CD2-L460D); a combination of L460D and H70 (L460D+H70), a slightly larger PspA-derived peptide containing the PRR and the SM1 region; H70+YLN; and other combinations. Each mouse was immunized either intraperitoneally (i.p.) or subcutaneously (s.c.) with three doses (at 2-week intervals) of the various antigen combinations in alum adjuvant and then challenged in mouse models featuring different infection routes with multiple Streptococcus pneumoniae strains. In the i.p. infection sepsis model, H70+YLN consistently provided significant protection against three different challenge strains (serotypes 1, 2, and 6A); the CD2+YLN and H70+L460D combinations also elicited significant protection. Protection against intravenous (i.v.) sepsis (type 3 and 6A challenge strains) was largely dependent on PspA-derived antigen components, and the most protection was elicited by H70 with or without L460D or YLN. In a type 4 intratracheal (i.t.) challenge model that results in progression to meningitis, antigen combinations that contained YLN elicited the strongest protection. Thus, the trivalent antigen combination of H70+YLN elicited the strongest and broadest protection in diverse pneumococcal challenge models.
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Mochan-Keef E, Swigon D, Ermentrout GB, Clermont G. A Three-Tiered Study of Differences in Murine Intrahost Immune Response to Multiple Pneumococcal Strains. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0134012. [PMID: 26244863 PMCID: PMC4526468 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 07/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We apply a previously developed 4-variable ordinary differential equation model of in-host immune response to pneumococcal pneumonia to study the variability of the immune response of MF1 mice and to explore bacteria-driven differences in disease progression and outcome. In particular, we study the immune response to D39 strain of bacteria missing portions of the pneumolysin protein controlling either the hemolytic activity or complement-activating activity, the response to D39 bacteria deficient in either neuraminidase A or B, and the differences in the response to D39 (serotype 2), 0100993 (serotype 3), and TIGR4 (serotype 4) bacteria. The model accurately reproduces infection kinetics in all cases and provides information about which mechanisms in the immune response have the greatest effect in each case. Results suggest that differences in the ability of bacteria to defeat immune response are primarily due to the ability of the bacteria to elude nonspecific clearance in the lung tissue as well as the ability to create damage to the lung epithelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ericka Mochan-Keef
- Joint Carnegie Mellon University-University of Pittsburgh PhD Program in Computational Biology, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - David Swigon
- Department of Mathematics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - G. Bard Ermentrout
- Department of Mathematics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Gilles Clermont
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
- McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Center for Inflammation and Regenerative Modeling, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
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