1
|
Yu H, Khokhlatchev AV, Chew C, Illendula A, Conaway M, Dryden K, Maeda DLNF, Rajasekaran V, Kester M, Zeichner SL. Minicells from Highly Genome Reduced Escherichia coli: Cytoplasmic and Surface Expression of Recombinant Proteins and Incorporation in the Minicells. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:2465-2477. [PMID: 34516078 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Minicells, small cells lacking a chromosome, produced by bacteria with mutated min genes, which control cell division septum placement, have many potential uses. Minicells have contributed to basic bacterial physiology studies and can enable new biotechnological applications, including drug delivery and vaccines. Genome-reduced bacteria are another informative area of investigation. Investigators identified that with even almost 30% of the E. coli genome deleted, the bacteria still live. In biotechnology and synthetic biology, genome-reduced bacteria offer certain advantages. With genome-reduced bacteria, more recombinant genes can be placed into genome-reduced chromosomes and fewer cell resources are devoted to purposes apart from biotechnological goals. Here, we show that these two technologies can be combined: min mutants can be made in genome-reduced E. coli. The minC minD mutant genome-reduced E. coli produce minicells that concentrate engineered recombinant proteins within these spherical delivery systems. We expressed recombinant GFP protein in the cytoplasm of genome-reduced bacteria and showed that it is concentrated within the minicells. We also expressed proteins on the surfaces of minicells made from genome-reduced bacteria using a recombinant Gram-negative AIDA-I autotransporter expression cassette. Some autotransporters, like AIDA-I, are concentrated at the bacterial poles, where minicells bud. Recombinant proteins expressed on surfaces of the genome-reduced bacteria are concentrated on the minicells. Minicells made from genome-reduced bacteria may enable useful biotechnological innovations, such as drug delivery vehicles and vaccine immunogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Yu
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health Research Institute, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, United States
| | - Andrei V. Khokhlatchev
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, United States
| | - Claude Chew
- School of Medicine ORCA, Flow Cytometry Core Facility, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, United States
| | - Anuradha Illendula
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, United States
| | - Mark Conaway
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, United States
| | - Kelly Dryden
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, United States
| | | | - Vignesh Rajasekaran
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health Research Institute, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, United States
| | - Mark Kester
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, United States
- Director, nanoSTAR Institute, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, United States
| | - Steven L. Zeichner
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health Research Institute, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Rodrigues JF, Lourenço RF, Maeda DLNF, de Jesus Cintra M, Nakao N, Mathias-Santos C, Luiz WB, de Souza Ferreira LC. Strain-specific transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of heat-labile toxin expression by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. Braz J Microbiol 2020; 51:455-465. [PMID: 32016818 PMCID: PMC7203263 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-020-00231-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) represents one of the most important etiological agents of diarrhea in developing countries and characteristically produces at least one of two enterotoxins: heat-labile toxin (LT) and heat-stable toxin (ST). It has been previously shown that the production and release of LT by human-derived ETEC strains are variable. Although the natural genetic polymorphisms of regulatory sequences of LT-encoding (eltAB) genes may explain the variable production of LT, the knowledge of the transcriptional and posttranscriptional aspects affecting LT expression among ETEC strains is not clear. To further understand the factors affecting LT expression, we evaluated the impact of the natural polymorphism in noncoding regulatory sequences of eltAB among clinically derived ETEC strains. Sequence analyses of seven clinically derived strains and the reference strain H10407 revealed polymorphic sites at both the promoter and upstream regions of the eltAB operon. Operon fusion assays with GFP revealed that specific nucleotide changes in the Pribnow box reduce eltAB transcription. Nonetheless, the total amounts of LT produced by the tested ETEC strains did not strictly correspond to the detected LT-specific mRNA levels. Indeed, the stability of LT varied according to the tested strain, indicating the presence of posttranscriptional mechanisms affecting LT expression. Taken together, our results indicate that the production of LT is a strain-specific process and involves transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms that regulate the final amount of toxin produced and released by specific strains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Falcão Rodrigues
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil. .,Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Rogério Ferreira Lourenço
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil.,Institute of Biology, The State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Denicar Lina Nascimento Fabris Maeda
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil.,Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Mariana de Jesus Cintra
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Naomi Nakao
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Camila Mathias-Santos
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil.,Technical-Scientific Police Superintendency, São Paulo State, Criminalistic Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Wilson Barros Luiz
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil.,Department of Biological Sciences, State University of Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Luís Carlos de Souza Ferreira
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zaneti AB, Yamamoto MM, Sulczewski FB, Almeida BDS, Souza HFS, Ferreira NS, Maeda DLNF, Sales NS, Rosa DS, Ferreira LCDS, Boscardin SB. Dendritic Cell Targeting Using a DNA Vaccine Induces Specific Antibodies and CD4 + T Cells to the Dengue Virus Envelope Protein Domain III. Front Immunol 2019; 10:59. [PMID: 30761131 PMCID: PMC6362411 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Dengue fever has become a global threat, causing millions of infections every year. An effective vaccine against all four serotypes of dengue virus (DENV) has not been developed yet. Among the different vaccination strategies available today, DNA vaccines are safe and practical, but currently induce relatively weak immune responses in humans. In order to improve immunogenicity, antigens may be targeted to dendritic cells (DCs), the main antigen presenting cells and orchestrators of the adaptive immune response, inducing T and B cell activation. It was previously shown that a DNA vaccine encoding a fusion protein comprised of an antigen and a single-chain Fv antibody (scFv) specific for the DC endocytic receptor DEC205 induced strong immune responses to the targeted antigen. In this work, we evaluate this strategy to improve the immunogenicity of dengue virus (DENV) proteins. Plasmids encoding the scFv αDEC205, or an isotype control (scFv ISO), fused to the DENV2 envelope protein domain III (EDIII) were generated, and EDIII specific immune responses were evaluated in immunized mice. BALB/c mice were intramuscularly (i.m.) immunized three times with plasmid DNAs encoding either scDEC-EDIII or scISO-EDIII followed by electroporation. Analyses of the antibody responses indicated that EDIII fusion with scFv targeting the DEC205 receptor significantly enhanced serum anti-EDIII IgG titers that inhibited DENV2 infection. Similarly, mice immunized with the scDEC-EDIII plasmid developed a robust CD4+ T cell response to the targeted antigen, allowing the identification of two linear epitopes recognized by the BALB/c haplotype. Taken together, these results indicate that targeting DENV2 EDIII protein to DCs using a DNA vaccine encoding the scFv αDEC205 improves both antibody and CD4+ T cell responses. This strategy opens perspectives for the use of DNA vaccines that encode antigens targeted to DCs as a strategy to increase immunogenicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Baruel Zaneti
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcio Massao Yamamoto
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Bianca da Silva Almeida
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Higo Fernando Santos Souza
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Natália Soares Ferreira
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Natiely Silva Sales
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniela Santoro Rosa
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo, Brazil.,Institute for Investigation in Immunology (iii)-INCTiii, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Silvia Beatriz Boscardin
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Institute for Investigation in Immunology (iii)-INCTiii, São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Maeda DLNF, Batista MT, Pereira LR, de Jesus Cintra M, Amorim JH, Mathias-Santos C, Pereira SA, Boscardin SB, Silva SDR, Faquim-Mauro EL, Silveira VB, Oliveira DBL, Johnston SA, Ferreira LCDS, Rodrigues JF. Adjuvant-Mediated Epitope Specificity and Enhanced Neutralizing Activity of Antibodies Targeting Dengue Virus Envelope Protein. Front Immunol 2017; 8:1175. [PMID: 28993770 PMCID: PMC5622152 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The heat-labile toxins (LT) produced by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli display adjuvant effects to coadministered antigens, leading to enhanced production of serum antibodies. Despite extensive knowledge of the adjuvant properties of LT derivatives, including in vitro-generated non-toxic mutant forms, little is known about the capacity of these adjuvants to modulate the epitope specificity of antibodies directed against antigens. This study characterizes the role of LT and its non-toxic B subunit (LTB) in the modulation of antibody responses to a coadministered antigen, the dengue virus (DENV) envelope glycoprotein domain III (EDIII), which binds to surface receptors and mediates virus entry into host cells. In contrast to non-adjuvanted or alum-adjuvanted formulations, antibodies induced in mice immunized with LT or LTB showed enhanced virus-neutralization effects that were not ascribed to a subclass shift or antigen affinity. Nonetheless, immunosignature analyses revealed that purified LT-adjuvanted EDIII-specific antibodies display distinct epitope-binding patterns with regard to antibodies raised in mice immunized with EDIII or the alum-adjuvanted vaccine. Notably, the analyses led to the identification of a specific EDIII epitope located in the EF to FG loop, which is involved in the entry of DENV into eukaryotic cells. The present results demonstrate that LT and LTB modulate the epitope specificity of antibodies generated after immunization with coadministered antigens that, in the case of EDIII, was associated with the induction of neutralizing antibody responses. These results open perspectives for the more rational development of vaccines with enhanced protective effects against DENV infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Milene Tavares Batista
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Center for Innovation in Medicine, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Lennon Ramos Pereira
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mariana de Jesus Cintra
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jaime Henrique Amorim
- Center of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Western Bahia, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Camila Mathias-Santos
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sara Araújo Pereira
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Silvia Beatriz Boscardin
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Vanessa Barbosa Silveira
- Clinical and Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Danielle Bruna Leal Oliveira
- Clinical and Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Stephen Albert Johnston
- Center for Innovation in Medicine, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Luís Carlos de Souza Ferreira
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana Falcão Rodrigues
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|