title: A multi-epitope vaccine based on Chlamydia trachomatis major outer membrane protein induces specific immunity in mice.
abstract: We evaluated the immunogenicity and efficacy of a candidate vaccine comprising the major outer membrane protein (MOMP) multi-epitope of Chlamydia trachomatis. A short gene of multi-epitope derived from MOMP containing multiple T- and B-cell epitopes was artificially synthesized. The recombinant plasmid pET32a(+) containing codon optimized MOMP multi-epitope gene was constructed. Expression of the fusion protein Trx-His-MOMP multi-epitope in Escherichia coli was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and western blot analysis. Balb/c mice were inoculated with the purified fusion protein subcutaneously three times with 2-week intervals. Results showed that the MOMP multi-epitope elicited not only strong humoral immune responses to C. trachomatis by generating significantly high levels of specific antibodies (IgG1 and IgG2a), but also a cellular immune response by inducing robust cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses in mice. Furthermore, the MOMP multi-epitope substantially primed secretion of IFN-γ, revealing that this vaccine could induce a strong Th1 response. Finally, the mice vaccinated with the MOMP multi-epitope displayed a reduction of C. trachomatis shedding upon a chlamydial challenge and an accelerated clearance of the infected C. trachomatis. In conclusion, the MOMP multi-epitope vaccine may have the potentiality for the development of effective prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines against the C. trachomatis infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China.
authors.forename: Jianxin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Bailong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Bingbing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiaoyun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Wenci
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Haiyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Shanli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Shao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiangyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Kong-Nan
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Lifang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005835:Genitalia / Q000382:microbiology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D000939:Epitopes; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: Chlamydia trachomatis; cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response; humoral immune response; major outer membrane protein; multi-epitope; vaccine