Salavatifar M, Zakeri S, Hayati Roodbari N, Djadid ND. High-Level Expression, Purification and Characterization of A Recombinant Plasmodium vivax Apical Membrane Antigen 1: Implication for vivax Malaria Vaccine Development.
Cell J 2015;
17:520-31. [PMID:
26464824 PMCID:
PMC4601873 DOI:
10.22074/cellj.2015.12]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2014] [Accepted: 08/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Objective
The apical membrane antigen-1 (AMA-1) is considered as a promising candidate for development of a malaria vaccine against Plasmodium parasites. The correct
conformation of this protein appears to be necessary for the stimulation of parasite-inhibitory responses, and these responses, in turn, seem to be antibody-mediated. Therefore, in
the present investigation, we expressed the Plasmodium vivax AMA-1 (PvAMA-1) ectodomain in Escherichia coli (E. coli), purified it using standard procedures and characterized
it to determine its biological activities for it to be used as a potential target for developing
a protective and safe vivax malaria vaccine.
Materials and Methods
In this experimental investigation, the ectodomain of PvAMA-1 antigen (GenBank accession no. JX624741) was expressed in the E. coli M15pQE30 expression system and purified with immobilized-metal affinity chromatography. The correct conformation of the recombinant protein was evaluated by Western
blotting and indirect immunofluorescence antibody (IFA) test. In addition, the immunogenic properties of PvAMA-1 were evaluated in BALB/c mice with the purified protein
emulsified in Freund’s adjuvant.
Results
In the present study, the PvAMA-1 ectodomain was expressed at a high-level
(65 mg/L) using a bacterial system. Reduced and non-reduced sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) as well as Western blot analysis
confirmed the appropriate conformation and folding of PvAMA-1. The evaluation of
immunogenic properties of PvAMA-1 showed that both T helper-1 and 2 cells (Th1
and Th2) responses were present in mice after three immunizations and persisted up
to one year after the first immunization. Moreover, the antibodies raised against the
recombinant PvAMA-1 in injected mice could recognize the native protein localized on
P. vivax parasites.
Conclusion
We demonstrate that our recombinant protein had proper conformation
and folding. Also, there were common epitopes in the recombinant forms corresponding to native proteins. These results; therefore, indicate that the expressed PvAMA-1
has the potential to be used as a vivax malaria vaccine.
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