title: Molecular characterization and identification of Th1 epitopes of a Schistosoma japonicum protein similar to prosaposin.
abstract: The tegument of schistosomula contains T cell antigens that might simulate the protective mechanisms of the radiation-attenuated vaccine in a mouse model of schistosomiasis. Immune mechanisms mediated by the CD4+ Th1 response are important in the RAV model. To rapidly identify Th1 epitopes in molecules from the Schistosoma japonicum schistosomula tegument, this study analyzed S. japonicum proteomics data. Preliminary experiments identified a protein similar to prosaposin (SjPSAP) from the tegument of schistosomula. We confirmed that SjPSAP was present in the tegument of the parasite using an indirect immunofluorescence assay. We then identified Th cell epitopes in SjPSAP using in silico prediction combined with experimental validation. From the SjPSAP sequence, we used several algorithms to predict 11 promiscuous Th cell epitopes that might bind to both murine and human MHC class II molecules. To validate the in silico predictions, proliferation and cytokine production profiles of spleen lymphocytes from BALB/c mice immunized with the 11 predicted peptides were measured in vitro using a modified methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay and flow cytometry. The results showed that 4 of the 11 predicted peptides induced a recall CD4+ Th1 response in vitro. We measured direct binding of the four peptides predicted to induce a response to antigen-presenting cells from BALB/c mice using a fluorometric method and found that the peptides bound to both I-Ad and I-Ed mouse molecules. These results demonstrated that potentially protective Th1-type epitopes in SjPSAP molecules could be identified rapidly by combining in silico prediction with experimental validation. This strategy could be a fast method for identifying Th1 epitopes in a schistosoma antigen with features such as large size or poor expression of recombinant antigens.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology, Ministry of Agriculture of China, 518 Zi'yue Road, Shanghai, 200241, China.
authors.forename: Yan Li
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yun Yan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ben Peng
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Chun Xiu
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Jian Mei
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jiao Jiao
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Xin Gang
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D011485:Protein Binding; D049231:Saposins / Q000276:immunology*; D012549:Schistosoma japonicum; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D010455:Peptides; D049231:Saposins