title: Prophylactic vaccination with phage-displayed epitope of C. albicans elicits protective immune responses against systemic candidiasis in C57BL/6 mice.
abstract: Epitope LKVIRK on 47 kDa of heat shock protein (Hsp) 90 of Candida albicans, corresponding to residues 386-391 of the Hsp90, is recognized by patients recovering from invasive candidiasis. The efficacy of hybrid phage displaying epitope LKVIRK in the N-terminal region of the major coat protein (pVIII) in inducing anti-invasive candidiasis immune response was studied in C57BL/6 mice. Indirect phage-ELISA results demonstrated that the mice immunized with hybrid phage had significantly higher titers of epitope LKVIRK-specific serum IgG as compared to those immunized with heat-killed C. albicans (HK-CA). C57BL/6 mice immunized either with hybrid phage or with wild-type phage also developed significant levels of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response and splenocyte proliferation, as well as with HK-CA. In addition, high levels of IFN-gamma in the CD4(+) splenocytes from phage-immunized mice were detected as well during 1 week post-inoculation. Furthermore, mice immunized with hybrid phage acquired a resistance to systemic C. albicans infection as confirmed by fewer C. albicans cells in the kidneys, and had a longer lifespan compared to control groups following intravenous challenge with C. albicans. These results indicate that hybrid phage displaying epitope LKVIRK may serve as a potential vaccine conferring a resistance to systemic candidiasis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Genetics and Cytology, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun City, Jilin Province 130024, People's Republic of China. yangq279@nenu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Da-ning
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Rui-juan
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Jin-na
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Pan-yu
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.forename: Da-wei
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000097:blood; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000276:immunology*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed; D017912:Inovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D019151:Peptide Library
chemical_list: D000908:Antibodies, Fungal; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D019151:Peptide Library; D007371:Interferon-gamma