Mimotope identification from monoclonal antibodies of Burkholderia pseudomallei using random peptide phage libraries.

This study used random peptide libraries, displayed by bacteriophage T7 and M13, to identify mimotopes from four monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific to Burkholderia pseudomallei. Bound phages, selected from fourth-round panning with each mAb, were tested for binding specificity with each mAb using ELISA, before being further amplified and checked for phage peptide sequence using PCR and DNA sequencing. Overall, 75 of 90 phages (83.3%) were ELISA-positive with each mAb. Mimotopes from all 75 phages (100%) were found to match protein sequences of Burkholderia spp. from GenBank. The predominant mimotopes were TP-GRTRVT found in 13.3%, LTPCGRTxD (8%), AREVTLL (6.7%), NxVxKVVSR (5.3%), PCAPRSS (4%), LGRVLAN (4%), RNPKKA (2.7%) and CPYPR (2.7%). The following GenBank-matched proteins (i.e. the hypothetical proteins) were located at the outer membrane of Burkholderia spp.: BPSL2046 of B. pseudomallei K96243 (matched with mimotope CGRTxD), BpseP_02000035 (matched with LGRVLAN), BPSS0784 of B. pseudomallei K96243 (matched with CPYPR), BURPS1710b_1104 of B. pseudomallei 1710b (matched with CARQY) and TonB-dependent siderophore receptor of B. cenocepacia H12424 (matched with CVRxxLTPC and TPCRxRT). These phage mimotopes and matched proteins may have the potential for further use as diagnostic reagent and immunogen against melioidosis. These results demonstrate that phage-display technique has the potential for rapidly identifying phage mimotopes that interact with B. pseudomallei mAbs

Immune responses of selected phagotopes from monoclonal antibodies of Burkholderia pseudomallei.

Random peptide libraries displayed by bacteriophage T7 and M13 were employed to identify mimotopes from 4 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific to Burkholderia pseudomallei. Insert DNA sequences of bound phages selected from four rounds of panning with each MAb revealed peptide sequences corresponding to B. pseudomallei K96243 hypothetical protein BPSL2046, hypothetical protein BpseP_02000035, B. pseudomallei K96243 hypothetical protein BPSS0784, B. pseudomallei 1710b hypothetical protein BURPS1710b_1104, and B. cenocepacia H12424 TonB-dependent siderophore receptor, all located at the outer membrane. The immune responses from all selected phagotopes were significantly higher than that of lipopolysaccharide. The study demonstrates the feasibility of identifying mimotopes through screening of phage-displayed random peptide libraries with B. pseudomallei MAbs

A population survey of the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) 563C>T (Mediterranean) mutation in Afghanistan

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is a common inherited enzyme defect and an important problem in areas with Plasmodium vivax infection because of the risk of haemolysis following administration of primaquine to treat the liver forms of the parasite. We undertook a genotypic survey of 713 male individuals across nine provinces of Afghanistan in which malaria is found, four in the north and five in the east. RFLP typing at nucleotide position 563 detected 40 individuals with the Mediterranean mutation 563C>T, an overall prevalence of 5.6%. This varied according to self-reported ethnicity, with prevalence in the Pashtun/Pashai group of 33/369 (8.9%) compared to 7/344 individuals in the rest of the population (2.0%; pT in exon 11, and C93T in intron XI) in a subset of 82 individuals wild-type at C563 revealed a mixture of 3 haplotypes in the background population and was consistent with data from the 1000 Genomes Project and published studies. By comparison individuals with G6PD deficiency showed a highly skewed haplotype distribution, with 95% showing the CT haplotype, a finding consistent with relatively recent appearance and positive selection of the Mediterranean variant in Afghanistan. Overall, the data confirm that the Mediterranean variant of G6PD is common in many ethnic groups in Afghanistan, indicating that screening for G6PD deficiency is required in all individuals before radical treatment of P. vivax with primaquine

Immune responses of selected phagotopes from monoclonal antibodies of Burkholderia pseudomallei.

Random peptide libraries displayed by bacteriophage T7 and M13 were employed to identify mimotopes from 4 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific to Burkholderia pseudomallei. Insert DNA sequences of bound phages selected from four rounds of panning with each MAb revealed peptide sequences corresponding to B. pseudomallei K96243 hypothetical protein BPSL2046, hypothetical protein BpseP_02000035, B. pseudomallei K96243 hypothetical protein BPSS0784, B. pseudomallei 1710b hypothetical protein BURPS1710b_1104, and B. cenocepacia H12424 TonB-dependent siderophore receptor, all located at the outer membrane. The immune responses from all selected phagotopes were significantly higher than that of lipopolysaccharide. The study demonstrates the feasibility of identifying mimotopes through screening of phage-displayed random peptide libraries with B. pseudomallei MAbs

A population survey of the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) 563C>T (Mediterranean) mutation in Afghanistan

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is a common inherited enzyme defect and an important problem in areas with Plasmodium vivax infection because of the risk of haemolysis following administration of primaquine to treat the liver forms of the parasite. We undertook a genotypic survey of 713 male individuals across nine provinces of Afghanistan in which malaria is found, four in the north and five in the east. RFLP typing at nucleotide position 563 detected 40 individuals with the Mediterranean mutation 563C>T, an overall prevalence of 5.6%. This varied according to self-reported ethnicity, with prevalence in the Pashtun/Pashai group of 33/369 (8.9%) compared to 7/344 individuals in the rest of the population (2.0%; p<0.001, Chi-squared test). Multivariate analysis of ethnicity and geographical location indicated an adjusted odds ratio of 3.50 (95% CI 1.36-9.02) for the Pashtun/Pashai group, while location showed only a trend towards higher prevalence in eastern provinces (adjusted odds ratio = 1.73, 0.73-4.13). Testing of known polymorphic markers (1311C>T in exon 11, and C93T in intron XI) in a subset of 82 individuals wild-type at C563 revealed a mixture of 3 haplotypes in the background population and was consistent with data from the 1000 Genomes Project and published studies. By comparison individuals with G6PD deficiency showed a highly skewed haplotype distribution, with 95% showing the CT haplotype, a finding consistent with relatively recent appearance and positive selection of the Mediterranean variant in Afghanistan. Overall, the data confirm that the Mediterranean variant of G6PD is common in many ethnic groups in Afghanistan, indicating that screening for G6PD deficiency is required in all individuals before radical treatment of P. vivax with primaquine

Mimotope identification from monoclonal antibodies of Burkholderia pseudomallei using random peptide phage libraries.

This study used random peptide libraries, displayed by bacteriophage T7 and M13, to identify mimotopes from four monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific to Burkholderia pseudomallei. Bound phages, selected from fourth-round panning with each mAb, were tested for binding specificity with each mAb using ELISA, before being further amplified and checked for phage peptide sequence using PCR and DNA sequencing. Overall, 75 of 90 phages (83.3%) were ELISA-positive with each mAb. Mimotopes from all 75 phages (100%) were found to match protein sequences of Burkholderia spp. from GenBank. The predominant mimotopes were TP-GRTRVT found in 13.3%, LTPCGRTxD (8%), AREVTLL (6.7%), NxVxKVVSR (5.3%), PCAPRSS (4%), LGRVLAN (4%), RNPKKA (2.7%) and CPYPR (2.7%). The following GenBank-matched proteins (i.e. the hypothetical proteins) were located at the outer membrane of Burkholderia spp.: BPSL2046 of B. pseudomallei K96243 (matched with mimotope CGRTxD), BpseP_02000035 (matched with LGRVLAN), BPSS0784 of B. pseudomallei K96243 (matched with CPYPR), BURPS1710b_1104 of B. pseudomallei 1710b (matched with CARQY) and TonB-dependent siderophore receptor of B. cenocepacia H12424 (matched with CVRxxLTPC and TPCRxRT). These phage mimotopes and matched proteins may have the potential for further use as diagnostic reagent and immunogen against melioidosis. These results demonstrate that phage-display technique has the potential for rapidly identifying phage mimotopes that interact with B. pseudomallei mAbs

Protective effect of Mediterranean-type glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency against Plasmodium vivax malaria

X-linked glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is the most common human enzymopathy. The severe Mediterranean variant (G6PD Med) found across Europe and Asia is thought to confer protection against malaria, but its effect is unclear. We fitted a Bayesian statistical model to observed G6PD Med allele frequencies in 999 Pashtun patients presenting with acute Plasmodium vivax malaria and 1408 population controls. G6PD Med was associated with reductions in symptomatic P. vivax malaria incidence of 76% (95% credible interval [CI], 58–88) in hemizygous males and homozygous females combined and 55% (95% CI, 38–68) in heterozygous females. Unless there is very large population stratification within the Pashtun (confounding these results), the G6PD Med genotype confers a very large and gene-dose proportional protective effect against acute vivax malaria. The proportion of patients with vivax malaria at risk of haemolysis following 8-aminoquinoline radical cure is substantially overestimated by studies measuring G6PD deficiency prevalence in healthy subjects