title: Effect of context and adjuvant on the immunogenicity of recombinant proteins and peptide conjugates derived from the polymorphic malarial surface antigen MSA2.
abstract: We have identified a 51 kDa glycosylated myristylated merozoite surface antigen (MSA2) as the target of a number of monoclonal antibodies which inhibit in vitro invasion of the human malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum. This antigen has been shown to exist in a limited number of strain specific forms but despite wide variation in the sequences of the internal repeat regions both N and C terminal elements of the protein are almost totally conserved. Accordingly, we prepared a large number of overlapping peptide constructs and demonstrated that one peptide SNTFINNA (E71) from the N terminus and two peptides, QHGHMHGS (G5) and NTSDSQKE (G12) from the C terminus could, when suitably conjoined to the carrier protein diphtheria toxoid (DT), elicit antibodies reactive with MSA2 from diverse strains of P. falciparum. Here we compare the immunogenicity of these peptide constructs with two recombinant proteins containing the entire amino acid sequence of MSA2 from the FCQ-27/PNG strain (1609) and the 3D7 strain (1623). We have formulated these recombinant and peptide antigens with Freund's adjuvant, Alum and Algammulin. Both recombinant and peptide antigens elicit high titre antibodies when tested by ELISA against the immunogens themselves. Although both recombinant proteins include the constant region peptide sequences E71, G5 and G12, the extent of ELISA cross reaction between antibody raised against recombinant and peptide antigen or antibody raised against peptide and recombinant antigen is small and sporadic, and depends to an extent on the adjuvant employed. Antisera against both recombinant proteins 1609 and 1623 detected either recombinant on Western blots, as well as detecting native MSA2 in whole protein extracts from both FCQ-27/PNG and 3D7 strains. Antisera against peptide construct E71 recognized recombinant 1609 but not 1623 but recognized the native MSA2 in both strains studied. Antisera against peptide construct G5 showed a similar pattern of recognition but also detected recombinant 1623 on Western blotting. These results emphasize the importance of context and adjuvant on the ability of selected immunogenic epitopes to elicit antibodies appropriately directed against the native antigen.
authors.affiliation: University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lord
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Saul
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D017780:Malaria Vaccines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D016788:Plasmodium chabaudi / Q000276:immunology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D000939:Epitopes; D017780:Malaria Vaccines; D010455:Peptides; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate; C065974:merozoite surface protein 2, Plasmodium