Subunit vaccine against the seven serotypes of botulism

Infect Immun. 2008 Mar;76(3):1314-8. doi: 10.1128/IAI.01025-07. Epub 2007 Dec 10.

Abstract

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are the most toxic proteins for humans and are classified as category A toxins. There are seven serotypes of BoNTs defined by the lack of cross-serotype toxin neutralization. Thus, an effective vaccine must neutralize each BoNT serotype. BoNTs are organized as dichain A-B toxins, where the N-terminal domain (light chain) is a zinc metalloprotease targeting soluble NSF attachment receptor proteins that is linked to the C-terminal domain (heavy chain [HC]) by a disulfide bond. The HC comprises a translocation domain and a C-terminal receptor binding domain (HCR). HCRs of the seven serotypes of BoNTs (hepta-HCR) were engineered for expression in Escherichia coli, and each HCR was purified from E. coli lysates. Immunization of mice with the E. coli-derived hepta-serotype HCR vaccine elicited an antibody response to each of the seven BoNT HCRs and neutralized challenge by 10,000 50% lethal doses of each of the seven BoNT serotypes. A solid-phase assay showed that the anti-hepta-serotype HCR sera inhibited the binding of HCR serotypes A and B to the ganglioside GT1b, the first step in BoNT intoxication of neurons. This is the first E. coli-derived vaccine that effectively neutralizes each of the seven BoNT serotypes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
  • Antitoxins / blood
  • Botulinum Toxins / biosynthesis
  • Botulinum Toxins / genetics
  • Botulinum Toxins / isolation & purification
  • Botulism / immunology
  • Botulism / prevention & control*
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Female
  • Gangliosides / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred ICR
  • Neutralization Tests
  • Vaccines, Subunit / immunology
  • Vaccines, Synthetic / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Antitoxins
  • Gangliosides
  • Vaccines, Subunit
  • Vaccines, Synthetic
  • trisialoganglioside GT1
  • Botulinum Toxins