title: Development, characterization and immunogenicity of a multi-stage, multi-valent Plasmodium falciparum vaccine antigen (FALVAC-1A) expressed in Escherichia coli.
abstract: A synthetic multistage, multi-epitope Plasmodium falciparum malaria antigen (FALVAC-1A) was designed and evaluated in silico, and then the gene was constructed and expressed in Escherichia coli. The FALVAC-1A protein was purified by inclusion body isolation, followed by affinity and ion exchange chromatography. Although FALVAC-1A was a synthetic antigen, it folded to a specific, but as yet incompletely defined, molecular conformation that was stable and comparable from lot to lot. When formulated with four different adjuvants, FALVAC-1A was highly immunogenic in rabbits, inducing not only ELISA reactivity to the cognate antigen and most of its component epitopes, but also in vitro activity against P. falciparum parasites as demonstrated by inhibition of sporozoite invasion, antibody dependent cellular inhibition and the immunofluorescence assay.
authors.affiliation: Division of Parasitic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, USA. zaz6@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Zhiyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Charles W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Todd
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Wohlhueter
authors.forename: April
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Lihua
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schnake
authors.forename: Phillip Cullison
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Bonner
authors.forename: Amy M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Ira F
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Goldman
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De La Vega
authors.forename: Venkatachalam
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Udhayakumar
authors.forename: Altaf A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Lal
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017780:Malaria Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000517:prevention & control; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D017780:Malaria Vaccines