Characterization of protective epitopes in a highly conserved Plasmodium falciparum antigenic protein containing repeats of acidic and basic residues

The delineation of putatively protective and immunogenic epitopes in vaccine candidate proteins constitutes a major research effort towards the development of an effective malaria vaccine. By virtue of its role in the formation of the immune clusters of merozoites, its location on the surface of merozoites, and its highly conserved nature both at the nucleotide sequence level and the amino acid sequence level, the antigen which contains repeats of acidic and basic residues (ABRA) of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum represents such an antigen. Based upon the predicted amino acid sequence of ABRA, we synthesized eight peptides, with six of these (AB-1 to AB-6) ranging from 12 to 18 residues covering the most hydrophilic regions of the protein, and two more peptides (AB-7 and AB-8) representing its repetitive sequences. We found that all eight constructs bound an appreciable amount of antibody in sera from a large proportion of P. falciparum malaria patients; two of these peptides (AB-1 and AB-3) also elicited a strong proliferation response in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from all 11 human subjects recovering from malaria. When used as carrier-free immunogens, six peptides induced a strong, boostable, immunoglobulin G-type antibody response in rabbits, indicating the presence of both B-cell determinants and T-helper-cell epitopes in these six constructs. These antibodies specifically cross-reacted with the parasite protein(s) in an immunoblot and in an immunofluorescence assay. In another immunoblot, rabbit antipeptide sera also recognized recombinant fragments of ABRA expressed in bacteria. More significantly, rabbit antibodies against two constructs (AB-1 and AB-5) inhibited the merozoite reinvasion of human erythrocytes in vitro up to ~90%. These results favor further studies so as to determine possible inclusion of these two constructs in a multicomponent subunit vaccine against asexual blood stages of P. falciparum

Characterization of protective epitopes in a highly conserved Plasmodium falciparum antigenic protein containing repeats of acidic and basic residues

The delineation of putatively protective and immunogenic epitopes in vaccine candidate proteins constitutes a major research effort towards the development of an effective malaria vaccine. By virtue of its role in the formation of the immune clusters of merozoites, its location on the surface of merozoites, and its highly conserved nature both at the nucleotide sequence level and the amino acid sequence level, the antigen which contains repeats of acidic and basic residues (ABRA) of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum represents such an antigen. Based upon the predicted amino acid sequence of ABRA, we synthesized eight peptides, with six of these (AB-1 to AB-6) ranging from 12 to 18 residues covering the most hydrophilic regions of the protein, and two more peptides (AB-7 and AB-8) representing its repetitive sequences. We found that all eight constructs bound an appreciable amount of antibody in sera from a large proportion of P. falciparum malaria patients; two of these peptides (AB-1 and AB-3) also elicited a strong proliferation response in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from all 11 human subjects recovering from malaria. When used as carrier-free immunogens, six peptides induced a strong, boostable, immunoglobulin G-type antibody response in rabbits, indicating the presence of both B-cell determinants and T-helper-cell epitopes in these six constructs. These antibodies specifically cross-reacted with the parasite protein(s) in an immunoblot and in an immunofluorescence assay. In another immunoblot, rabbit antipeptide sera also recognized recombinant fragments of ABRA expressed in bacteria. More significantly, rabbit antibodies against two constructs (AB-1 and AB-5) inhibited the merozoite reinvasion of human erythrocytes in vitro up to ∼90%. These results favor further studies so as to determine possible inclusion of these two constructs in a multicomponent subunit vaccine against asexual blood stages of P. falciparum

Biochemical, biophysical, and functional characterization of bacterially expressed and refolded receptor binding domain of Plasmodium vivax duffy-binding

Invasion of erythrocytes by malaria parasites is mediated by specific molecular interactions. Plasmodium vivax is completely dependent on interaction with the Duffy blood group antigen to invade human erythrocytes. The P. vivax Duffy-binding protein, which binds the Duffy antigen during invasion, belongs to a family of erythrocyte-binding proteins that also includesPlasmodium falciparum sialic acid binding protein andPlasmodium knowlesi Duffy binding protein. The receptor binding domains of these proteins lie in a conserved, N-terminal, cysteine-rich region, region II, found in each of these proteins. Here, we have expressed P. vivax region II (PvRII), the P. vivax Duffy binding domain, in Escherichia coli. Recombinant PvRII is incorrectly folded and accumulates in inclusion bodies. We have developed methods to refold and purify recombinant PvRII in its functional conformation. Biochemical, biophysical, and functional characterization confirms that recombinant PvRII is pure, homogeneous, and functionally active in that it binds Duffy-positive human erythrocytes with specificity. Refolded PvRII is highly immunogenic and elicits high titer antibodies that can inhibit binding of P. vivax Duffy-binding protein to erythrocytes, providing support for its development as a vaccine candidate forP. vivax malaria. Development of methods to produce functionally active recombinant PvRII is an important step for structural studies as well as vaccine development

Solution conformation and synthesis of a linear heptapeptide containing two dehydrophenylalanine residues separated by three L-amino acids

A heptapeptide containing two dehydrophenylalanine residues, Boc-Gly-ΔzPhe-Ala-Phe-Leu-ΔzPhe-Ala-NHMe (Boc = t-butoxycarbonyl) has been synthesised and its solution conformation investigated using 500 MHz 1H NMR and IR spectroscopy. 1H NMR studies of the solvent accessibility of NH resonances and observation of successive Ni,H ↔ Ni+1H nuclear Overhauser effects (NOEs) suggest the presence of a significant population of folded, helical structures in CDCl3. A 5→1 intramolecular hydrogen bonding pattern provides evidence in favour of an α-helix conformation. In (CD3)2SO, although the peptide largely favours the helical conformation, observation of a few CiαH ↔ Ni+1H NOEs gives an indication of some conformational heterogeneity. IR studies in chloroform have provided supporting evidence in favour of these conclusions. Dehydrophenylalanine residues may be of potential use in designing peptides with preferred secondary structures