title: Toxoplasma gondii cathepsin proteases are undeveloped prominent vaccine antigens against toxoplasmosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular apicomplexan parasite, infects a wide range of warm-blooded animals including humans. T. gondii expresses five members of the C1 family of cysteine proteases, including cathepsin B-like (TgCPB) and cathepsin L-like (TgCPL) proteins. TgCPB is involved in ROP protein maturation and parasite invasion, whereas TgCPL contributes to proteolytic maturation of proTgM2AP and proTgMIC3. TgCPL is also associated with the residual body in the parasitophorous vacuole after cell division has occurred. Both of these proteases are potential therapeutic targets in T. gondii. The aim of this study was to investigate TgCPB and TgCPL for their potential as DNA vaccines against T. gondii.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using bioinformatics approaches, we analyzed TgCPB and TgCPL proteins and identified several linear-B cell epitopes and potential Th-cell epitopes in them. Based on these results, we assembled two single-gene constructs (TgCPB and TgCPL) and a multi-gene construct (pTgCPB/TgCPL) with which to immunize BALB/c mice and test their effectiveness as DNA vaccines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TgCPB and TgCPL vaccines elicited strong humoral and cellular immune responses in mice, both of which were Th-1 cell mediated. In addition, all of the vaccines protected the mice against infection with virulent T. gondii RH tachyzoites, with the multi-gene vaccine (pTgCPB/TgCPL) providing the highest level of protection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  T. gondii CPB and CPL proteases are strong candidates for development as novel DNA vaccines.
authors: Department of Parasitology, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, Shandong Province 250012, P R China. zhouah@sdu.edu.cn
authors: Guanghui
authors: G
authors: Zhao
authors: Aihua
authors: A
authors: Zhou
authors: Gang
authors: G
authors: Lv
authors: Min
authors: M
authors: Meng
authors: Min
authors: M
authors: Sun
authors: Yang
authors: Y
authors: Bai
authors: Yali
authors: Y
authors: Han
authors: Lin
authors: L
authors: Wang
authors: Huaiyu
authors: H
authors: Zhou
authors: Hua
authors: H
authors: Cong
authors: Qunli
authors: Q
authors: Zhao
authors: Xing-Quan
authors: XQ
authors: Zhu
authors: Shenyi
authors: S
authors: He
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D019295:Computational Biology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D000939:Epitopes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D016207:Cytokines; D000939:Epitopes; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D002403:Cathepsins
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