Antigen Presentation Ability of Salmonella Carrying DNA Vaccine Model and MCP-3 gene

The objective of this study is to determine the antigen presentation ability of a DNA vaccine model that is co-delivered with that of recombinant Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (STM1) expressing chemokine macrophage chemotactic protein-3 (MCP-3). The DNA vaccine, pVROVA, was constructed by amplification of the ovalbumin coding region from sOVA-C1. Dendritic cells (DCs) were obtained from IL-4 and GMCSF stimulated mouse bone marrow stem cell. Cultured DCs were incubated with STM1 carrying a model ovalbumin gene (pVROVA). Furthermore, MHC class I antigen presentation of a dominant OVA peptide was assayed in vitro. The experiments were designed to determine the effect of co-delivering MCP-3 with that of ovalbumin in STM1. Our results show that a plasmid pROVA-carrying ovalbumin gene was succesfully constructed and sequence analysis of the ovalbumin-coding revealed an identity match of 100% with that of the chicken ovalbumin DNA sequences from the GenBank database. We also found that the presence of the MCP-3 encoding plasmid in STM1 or E. coli DH1 could increase the recovery of both STM1 and E. coli DH1 over those that carry the empty plasmids. Antigen presentation assay also indicates that MCP-3 can positively influence the presentation of ovalbumin. Conclusion: the infection of DCs by STM1-carrying DNA vaccine and MCP-3 results in an increase of processing and presentation of ovalbumin in vitro. Keywords : DNA vaccine, MCP-3, APC, Salmonella, Dendritic cell

Ferrets exclusively synthesize Neu5Ac and express naturally humanized influenza A virus receptors

Mammals express the sialic acids ​N-acetylneuraminic acid (​Neu5Ac) and ​N-glycolylneuraminic acid (​Neu5Gc) on cell surfaces, where they act as receptors for pathogens, including influenza A virus (IAV). ​Neu5Gc is synthesized from ​Neu5Ac by the enzyme cytidine monophosphate-N-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase (CMAH). In humans, this enzyme is inactive and only ​Neu5Ac is produced. Ferrets are susceptible to human-adapted IAV strains and have been the dominant animal model for IAV studies. Here we show that ferrets, like humans, do not synthesize ​Neu5Gc. Genomic analysis reveals an ancient, nine-exon deletion in the ferret CMAH gene that is shared by the Pinnipedia and Musteloidia members of the Carnivora. Interactions between two human strains of IAV with the sialyllactose receptor (sialic acid—α2,6Gal) confirm that the type of terminal sialic acid contributes significantly to IAV receptor specificity. Our results indicate that exclusive expression of ​Neu5Ac contributes to the susceptibility of ferrets to human-adapted IAV strains

Biological Effects of a De Novo Designed Myxoma Virus Peptide Analogue: Evaluation of Cytotoxicity on Tumor Cells

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Construction and Immunogenicity Testing of Salmonella, STM1 Vaccine Vector Expressing HIV-1 Antigen

Objective of this study: to determine the ability of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium STM1 as a delivery vehicle for the HIV p24 gene and HIV env gene. The STM1 delivery HIV-p24 vaccination was carried out in the form of a recombinant or a DNA vaccine whereas only a DNA vaccine was used for HIV env. Naked DNA vaccination was also tested and immune responses were evaluated following immunisation in mouse model. Results: vaccination cellular immune responses induced by recombinant p24 STM1 (STM1/pHly-p24) were greater than those elicited by the p24 DNA vaccine in STM1 (STM1/VR-p24), (but statistically not significance) than those induced by oral vaccination. However, IgA responses induced by oral vaccination with either a recombinant or DNA vaccine of p24 in STM1 are higher than those induced by IP vaccination. Conclusions: This result confirms</div><div>other studies that Salmonella was able to deliver HIV antigens to the immune system and induced specific immune responses to the HIV antigen

Construction and Immunogenicity Testing of Salmonella, STM1 Vaccine Vector Expressing HIV-1 Antigen

Objective of this study: to determine the ability of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium STM1 as a delivery vehicle for the HIV p24 gene and HIV env gene. The STM1 delivery HIV-p24 vaccination was carried out in the form of a recombinant or a DNA vaccine whereas only a DNA vaccine was used for HIV env. Naked DNA vaccination was also tested and immune responses were evaluated following immunisation in mouse model. Results: vaccination cellular immune responses induced by recombinant p24 STM1 (STM1/pHly-p24) were greater than those elicited by the p24 DNA vaccine in STM1 (STM1/VR-p24), (but statistically not significance) than those induced by oral vaccination. However, IgA responses induced by oral vaccination with either a recombinant or DNA vaccine of p24 in STM1 are higher than those induced by IP vaccination. Conclusions: This result confirmsother studies that Salmonella was able to deliver HIV antigens to the immune system and induced specific immune responses to the HIV antigen

Antigen Presentation Ability of Salmonella Carrying DNA Vaccine Model and MCP-3 gene

The objective of this study is to determine the antigen presentation ability of a DNA vaccine model that is co-delivered with that of recombinant Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (STM1) expressing chemokine macrophage chemotactic protein-3 (MCP-3). The DNA vaccine, pVROVA, was constructed by amplification of the ovalbumin coding region from sOVA-C1. Dendritic cells (DCs) were obtained from IL-4 and GMCSF stimulated mouse bone marrow stem cell. Cultured DCs were incubated with STM1 carrying a model ovalbumin gene (pVROVA). Furthermore, MHC class I antigen presentation of a dominant OVA peptide was assayed in vitro. The experiments were designed to determine the effect of co-delivering MCP-3 with that of ovalbumin in STM1. Our results show that a plasmid pROVA-carrying ovalbumin gene was succesfully constructed and sequence analysis of the ovalbumin-coding revealed an identity match of 100% with that of the chicken ovalbumin DNA sequences from the GenBank database. We also found that the presence of the MCP-3 encoding plasmid in STM1 or E. coli DH1 could increase the recovery of both STM1 and E. coli DH1 over those that carry the empty plasmids. Antigen presentation assay also indicates that MCP-3 can positively influence the presentation of ovalbumin. Conclusion: the infection of DCs by STM1-carrying DNA vaccine and MCP-3 results in an increase of processing and presentation of ovalbumin in vitro.Keywords : DNA vaccine, MCP-3, APC, Salmonella, Dendritic cell

Influence of Promoter, Gene Copy Number, and Preexisting Immunity on Humoral and Cellular Responses to a Vectored Antigen Delivered by a Salmonella enterica Vaccine▿

Attenuated Salmonella strains are currently in production as vaccines for protection of animals against salmonellosis. Such commercial strains offer the potential to deliver heterologous antigen to protect animals against other diseases. One vaccine strain, attenuated Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (STM-1), was tested for the ability to deliver ovalbumin and to induce immune responses in mice. Two vaccine trials were performed testing the influence of promoter choice, the location of the encoding DNA (plasmid or chromosome), and the effect of preexisting homologous or heterologous immunity. The results demonstrated that humoral and T-cell responses were induced from either of two promoters, from either the plasmid or the chromosome, and that preexposure to the empty homologous vector, STM-1, or the heterologous vector, S. enterica serovar Enteritidis, had no detrimental effect on subsequent antigen-specific responses. In the case of homologous preexposure, responses were generally greater, and this was correlated with an increased uptake of Salmonella by macrophages in vitro after opsonization with immune sera

Phenotypic and molecular characterization of Salmonella enterica serovar Sofia an avirulent species in Australian poultry

Salmonella enterica serovar Sofia (S. Sofia) is often isolated from chickens in Australia. However, despite its high frequency of isolation from chicken and chicken meat products, S. Sofia is rarely associated with animal or human salmonellosis, presumably because this serovar is avirulent in nature. The objective of this work was to investigate the phenotypic and molecular properties of S. Sofia in order to assess its pathogenic potential. Our in vivo studies support the observation that this serovar can colonize tissues, but does not cause disease in chickens. This was further confirmed with tissue culture assays, which showed that the ability of S. Sofia to adhere, invade and survive intracellularly is significantly diminished compared with the pathogenic Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) 82/6915. Molecular analysis of Salmonella pathogenicity islands (SPIs) showed that most of the differences observed in SPI1 to SPI5 of S. Sofia could be attributed to minor changes in the sequences, as indicated by a loss or gain of restriction cleavage sites within these regions. Sequence analysis demonstrated that the majority of virulence genes identified were predicted to encode proteins sharing a high identity (75-100 %) with corresponding proteins from S. Typhimurium. However, a number of virulence genes in S. Sofia have accumulated mutations predicted to affect transcription and/or translation. The avirulence of this serovar is probably not the result of a single genetic change but rather of a series of alterations in a large number of virulence-associated genes. The acquisition of any single virulence gene will almost certainly not be sufficient to restore S. Sofia virulence

Antibiotic Resistance in Food-Borne Bacterial Contaminants in Vietnam▿

This study was conducted to examine the rate of contamination and the molecular characteristics of enteric bacteria isolated from a selection of food sources in Vietnam. One hundred eighty raw food samples were tested; 60.8% of meat samples and 18.0% of shellfish samples were contaminated with Salmonella spp., and more than 90% of all food sources contained Escherichia coli. The isolates were screened for antibiotic resistance against 15 antibiotics, and 50.5% of Salmonella isolates and 83.8% of E. coli isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic. Isolates were examined for the presence of mobile genetic elements conferring antibiotic resistance. Fifty-seven percent of E. coli and 13% of Salmonella isolates were found to contain integrons, and some isolates contained two integrons. Sequencing results revealed that the integrons harbored various gene cassettes, including aadA1, aadA2, and aadA5 (resistance to streptomycin and spectinomycin), aacA4 (resistance to aminoglycosides), the dihydrofolate reductase gene cassettes dhfrXII, dfrA1, and dhfrA17 (trimethoprim resistance), the beta-lactamase gene blaPSE1 (ampicillin resistance), and catB3 (chloramphenicol resistance). Plasmids were also detected in all 23 antibiotic-resistant Salmonella isolates and in 33 E. coli isolates. Thirty-five percent of the Salmonella isolates and 76% of the E. coli isolates contained plasmids of more than 95 kb, and some of the isolates contained two large plasmids. Conjugation experiments showed the successful transfer of all or part of the antibiotic resistance phenotypes among the Salmonella and E. coli food isolates. Our results show that enteric bacteria in raw food samples from Vietnam contain a pool of mobile genetic elements and that the transfer of antibiotic resistance can readily occur between similar bacteria

A bioactive peptide analogue for myxoma virus protein with a targeted cytotoxicity for human skin cancer <it>in vitro</it>

Abstract Background Cancer is an international health problem, and the search for effective treatments is still in progress. Peptide therapy is focused on the development of short peptides with strong tumoricidal activity and low toxicity. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of a myxoma virus peptide analogue (RRM-MV) as a candidate for skin cancer therapy. RRM-MV was designed using the Resonant Recognition Model (RRM) and its effect was examined on human skin cancer and normal human skin cells in vitro. Methods Cell cultures were treated with various concentrations of the peptides at different incubation intervals. Cellular morphological changes (apoptosis and necrosis) were evaluated using confocal laser scanning microscopy. The cytotoxic effects of RRM-MV on human skin cancer and normal human skin cells were quantitatively determined by cytotoxicity and cell viability assays. The effect on human erythrocytes was also determined using quantitative hemolysis assay. DNA fragmentation assay was performed to detect early apoptotic events in treated cancer cells. Furthermore, to investigate the possible cell signalling pathway targeted by the peptides treatment, the levels of p-Akt expression in skin cancer and normal cells were detected by immunoblotting. Results Our results indicate that RRM-MV has a dose-dependent toxic effect on cancer cells only up to 18 h. The immunoblotting results indicated that the RRM-MV slightly increased p-Akt expression in melanoma and carcinoma cells, but did not seem to affect p-Akt expression in normal skin cells. Conclusions RRM-MV targets and lethally harms cancer cells and leaves normal cells unharmed. It is able to reduce the cancer cell viability, disrupting the LDH activity in cancer cells and can significantly affect cancer progression. Further investigation into other cell signalling pathways is needed in the process leading to the in vivo testing of this peptide to prove its safety as a possible effective treatment for skin cancer.</p