title: Peptides mimicking Vibrio cholerae O139 capsular polysaccharide elicit protective antibody response.
abstract: Vibrio cholerae is the etiological agent of cholera. V. cholerae serogroup O1 had been, until 1992, the only serogroup responsible for large epidemics and pandemics of cholera. In 1992, a new serotype of V. cholerae emerged in South-East Asia that caused a massive outbreak of cholera in India and neighboring countries. The new serotype was named V. cholerae O139. The main differences between V. cholerae O139 and O1 are that the former possesses a capsular polysaccharide and different lipopolysaccharide. Capsular polysaccharides are, in general, T-independent antigens giving rise to poor immune responses lacking immunological memory. In order to overcome this, monoclonal antibodies against the capsular polysaccharide of V. cholerae O139 were used to screen different phage-displayed random peptide libraries. Eight different phage clones were selected and characterized using enzyme immunoassay with the monoclonal antibodies, and then tested for specificity by competition with V. cholerae O139 capsular polysaccharide. Selected peptides were sequenced, synthesized and conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA) and keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). The conjugated peptides were used to immunize mice. It is evident that the anti-peptide mouse antibodies bind to the V. cholerae O139 capsular polysaccharide. In addition, the anti-peptide antibodies are protective in a suckling mouse model. The protective efficacy is both specific and dose-dependent. A PCT (PCT/IT2003/000489) with the publication number WO 2004/056851 has been filed for the sequences of the eight peptides.
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institute, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Bacteriology, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Falklind-Jerkérus
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Felici
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cavalieri
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lo Passo
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garufi
authors.forename: Ida
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pernice
authors.forename: Muhammad M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.forename: Firduasi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Qadri
authors.forename: Andrej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weintraub
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000276:immunology*; D002771:Cholera / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006433:Hemocyanins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D019151:Peptide Library; D010455:Peptides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D041242:Vibrio cholerae O139 / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D019151:Peptide Library; D010455:Peptides; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D006433:Hemocyanins; C032808:keyhole-limpet hemocyanin