High-Throughput IgG Epitope Mapping of Tetanus Neurotoxin : Implications for Immunotherapy and Vaccine Design

Tetanus is an acute, fatal disease caused by exotoxins released from Clostridium tetani during infections. A protective humoral immune response can be induced by vaccinations with pediatric and booster combinatorial vaccines that contain inactivated tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT) as a major antigen. Although some epitopes in TeNT have been described using various approaches, a comprehensive list of its antigenic determinants that are involved with immunity has not been elucidated. To this end, a high-resolution analysis of the linear B-cell epitopes in TeNT was performed using antibodies generated in vaccinated children. Two hundred sixty-four peptides that cover the entire coding sequence of the TeNT protein were prepared in situ on a cellulose membrane through SPOT synthesis and probed with sera from children vaccinated (ChVS) with a triple DTP-vaccine to map continuous B-cell epitopes, which were further characterized and validated using immunoassays. Forty-four IgG epitopes were identified. Four (TT-215-218) were chemically synthesized as multiple antigen peptides (MAPs) and used in peptide ELISAs to screen post-pandemic DTP vaccinations. The assay displayed a high performance with high sensitivity (99.99%) and specificity (100%). The complete map of linear IgG epitopes induced by vaccination with inactivated TeNT highlights three key epitopes involved in the efficacy of the vaccine. Antibodies against epitope TT-8/G can block enzymatic activity, and those against epitopes TT-41/G and TT-43/G can interfere with TeNT binding to neuronal cell receptors. We further show that four of the epitopes identified can be employed in peptide ELISAs to assess vaccine coverage. Overall, the data suggest a set of select epitopes to engineer new, directed vaccines.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2023

Erschienen:

2023

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:15

Enthalten in:

Toxins - 15(2023), 4 vom: 24. März

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

De-Simone, Salvatore G [VerfasserIn]
Napoleão-Pêgo, Paloma [VerfasserIn]
Lechuga, Guilherme C [VerfasserIn]
Carvalho, João P R S [VerfasserIn]
Gomes, Larissa R [VerfasserIn]
Cardozo, Sergian V [VerfasserIn]
Morel, Carlos M [VerfasserIn]
Provance, David W [VerfasserIn]
Silva, Flavio R da [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

11032-48-7
B-cell linear epitopes
Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte
Immunoglobulin G
Immunological diagnostic
Journal Article
Peptide ELISA
Peptides
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Tetanospasmin
Tetanus neurotoxin

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 01.05.2023

Date Revised 08.05.2023

published: Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.3390/toxins15040239

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM356077624