Brucella spp. lumazine synthase: a novel adjuvant and antigen delivery system to effectively induce oral immunity

Microbes Infect. 2006 Apr;8(5):1277-86. doi: 10.1016/j.micinf.2005.12.006. Epub 2006 Feb 7.

Abstract

Brucella lumazine synthase (BLS) has been previously used with success as a delivery system for systemic immunization against murine cysticercosis. We herein determined the usefulness of BLS as a new antigen-delivery system and mucosal-adjuvant using KETc1, one of the peptides of the anti-cysticercosis vaccine. A protection of up to 98% was induced when KETc1 was used as a chimera fused to BLS. Used as adjuvant of KETc1, BLS also induced a high level of protection (79%), which did not significantly differ from that induced by the cholera toxin (74%). KETc1 and BLS administered separately also reduced the parasite load. KETc1 administered orally as a chimera, and to a lesser extent with BLS as adjuvant, elicited IgG and IgA specific antibodies, which were detectable both in fecal extracts and in sera, and increased B and CD4 activated cells. BLS-KETc1 also increased the levels of transcription of TNF-alpha, IL-2 and IFNgamma in Peyer's patches, and in spleen, only increased TNF-alpha was observed. Overall, these results showed that BLS can be used as both an antigen-carrier and as an adjuvant in the design of new oral subunit vaccines.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / administration & dosage*
  • Administration, Oral
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Helminth / blood
  • Antigens, Helminth / administration & dosage*
  • Antigens, Helminth / chemistry
  • Antigens, Helminth / genetics
  • Antigens, Helminth / immunology
  • Brucella / enzymology*
  • Cysticercosis / immunology
  • Cysticercosis / prevention & control*
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Mucosal*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Multienzyme Complexes*
  • Peyer's Patches / immunology
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / administration & dosage
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / immunology
  • Taenia / immunology
  • Vaccines, Synthetic / administration & dosage*
  • Vaccines, Synthetic / immunology

Substances

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Antibodies, Helminth
  • Antigens, Helminth
  • Cytokines
  • Multienzyme Complexes
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Vaccines, Synthetic
  • 6,7-dimethyl-8-ribityllumazine synthase