Previous Article | Next Article ![]()
Infection and Immunity, September 2001, p. 5464-5470, Vol. 69, No. 9
Department of Immunology, Walter Reed Army
Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-7500
Received 26 March 2001/Returned for modification 24 May
2001/Accepted 14 June 2001
The Plasmodium vivax merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP-1) 42-kDa fragment (PvMSP-1 p42) is a promising vaccine candidate
antigen against the blood stage of the malarial parasite. We have
developed a process for the production of this vaccine target, keeping
in mind its use in human volunteers. A novel strain,
Origami(DE3), of Escherichia coli with mutations
in the glutathione and thioredoxin reductase genes yielded 60% more
soluble PvMSP-1 p42 than the conventional E. coli
BL21(DE3) strain. Recombinant PvMSP-1 p42 was purified to
0019-9567/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/IAI.69.9.5464-5470.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Purification, Characterization, and Immunogenicity of a Disulfide
Cross-Linked Plasmodium vivax Vaccine Candidate Antigen,
Merozoite Surface Protein 1, Expressed in Escherichia
coli
99% purity
with a rapid two-step protocol designed for easy scaling up. The final
product had a low endotoxin content and was stable in its lyophilized
form. PvMSP-1 p42 was found to have the predicted primary and tertiary
structures and consisted of a single conformer containing one free
cysteine, as predicted. The product was recognized by conformational
monoclonal antibodies against P. vivax MSP-1.
Immunogenicity studies of PvMSP-1 p42 were carried out with two strains
of mice and the adjuvants Montanide ISA51 and Montanide ISA720. Both
formulations were found to induce high levels of immunoglobulin G1
(IgG1), IgG2b, and IgG2a antibodies along with low levels of IgG3.
Lymphocytes from animals in all the PvMSP-1 p42-immunized groups showed
proliferative responses upon stimulation with PvMSP-1 p42; the
cytokines interleukin 2 (IL-2), gamma interferon, IL-4, and IL-10 were
detected in the culture supernatants. These results indicate that
PvMSP-1 p42 in combination with both of the adjuvants elicited cellular
and humoral responses in mice.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Immunology, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, 503 Robert Grant Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910-7500. Phone: (301) 319-9003. Fax: (301)
319-7358. E-mail: david.lanar{at}na.amedd.army.mil.
This article has been cited by other articles:
Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology. For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»