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Protein Expression Profiling of Coccidioides posadasii by Two-Dimensional Differential In-Gel Electrophoresis and Evaluation of a Newly Recognized Peroxisomal Matrix Protein as a Recombinant Vaccine Candidate

Valley Fever Center for Excellence,¹ Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture,² Bio5 Institute,³ Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona,⁴ Medical and Research Services, Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System, Tucson, Arizona⁵

Received 30 September 2005/ Returned for modification 2 November 2005/ Accepted 9 December 2005

Coccidioides posadasii and Coccidioides immitis are dimorphic, soil-dwelling pathogenic ascomycetes endemic to the southwestern United States. Infection can result from inhalation of a very few arthroconidia, but following natural infection, long-lived immunity is the norm. Previous work in the field has shown that spherule-derived vaccines afford more protection than those from mycelia. We have used two-dimensional differential in-gel electrophoresis coupled with nano-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to directly assess both absolute abundance and differential expression of proteins in the spherule and the mycelial phases of C. posadasii with the intent to identify potential vaccine candidates. Peptides derived from 40 protein spots were analyzed and a probable identity was assigned to each. One spherule-abundant protein, identified as Pmp1, showed homology to allergens from Aspergillus fumigatus and other fungi, all of which exhibit similarity to yeast thiol peroxidases. Recombinant Pmp1 was reactive with serum from individuals with both acute and protracted disease, and evoked protection in two murine models of infection with C. posadasii. These results demonstrate the utility of proteomic analysis as a point of discovery for protective antigens for possible inclusion in a vaccine candidate to prevent coccidioidomycosis.

Editor: A. Casadevall

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