title: A structurally diversified linker enhances the immune response to a small carbohydrate hapten.
abstract: The tether employed to covalently attach β-mannan disaccharide glycoconjugates influences the specificity of rabbit antibodies that protect against Candida albicans. Two glycoconjugates containing (1 → 2)-β-mannan disaccharides linked to chicken serum albumin (CSA) either via a structurally uniform or via a stereodiversified spacer were prepared and evaluated in immunization trials in mice and rabbits. Immunization with conjugate vaccine possessing a structurally diversified linker induced higher IgG titers against Candida albicans cell wall phosphomannan than a conjugate with a structurally uniform linker. These results suggest that affinity maturation and the specific antibody response can be shifted towards recognition of the desired hapten by employing a linker with diversified configuration.
authors.affiliation: Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Carbohydrate Science, Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G2, Canada.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lipinski
authors.forename: Thanh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Luu
authors.forename: Pavel I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Kitov
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szpacenko
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Bundle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000276:immunology; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D006001:Glycoconjugates / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology*; D006241:Haptens / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology*; D008351:Mannans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D011817:Rabbits; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000276:immunology; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006001:Glycoconjugates; D006241:Haptens; D008351:Mannans; D012709:Serum Albumin; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate; C005437:phosphomannan