title: Hamsters vaccinated with Ace-mep-7 DNA vaccine produced protective immunity against Ancylostoma ceylanicum infection.
abstract: Hookworms are intestinal nematodes that infect up to 740 million people, mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. Adult worms suck blood from damaged vessels in the gut mucosa, digesting hemoglobin using aspartic-, cysteine- and metalloproteases. Targeting aspartic hemoglobinases using drugs or vaccines is therefore a promising approach to ancylostomiasis control. Based on homology to metalloproteases from other hookworm species, we cloned the Ancylostoma ceylanicum metalloprotease 7 cDNA (Ace-mep-7). The corresponding Ace-MEP-7 protein has a predicted molecular mass of 98.8 kDa. The homology to metallopeptidases from other hookworm species and its predicted transmembrane region support the hypothesis that Ace-MEP-7 may be involved in hemoglobin digestion in the hookworm gastrointestinal tract, especially that our analyses show expression of Ace-mep-7 in the adult stage of the parasite. Immunization of Syrian golden hamsters with Ace-mep-7 cDNA resulted in 50% (p < 0.01) intestinal worm burden reduction. Additionally 78% (p < 0.05) egg count reduction in both sexes was observed. These results suggest that immunization with Ace-mep-7 may contribute to reduction in egg count released into the environment during the A. ceylanicum infection.
authors.affiliation: Division of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Department of Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-0787 Warsaw, Ciszewskiego 8, Poland. Electronic address: marcin_wisniewski@sggw.pl.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wiśniewski
authors.affiliation: Division of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Department of Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-0787 Warsaw, Ciszewskiego 8, Poland. Electronic address: s.jaros@mabion.eu.
authors.forename: Sławomir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jaros
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-0787 Warsaw, Ciszewskiego 8, Poland. Electronic address: piotr_baska@sggw.pl.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bąska
authors.affiliation: Program in International Child Health, Departments of Pediatrics, Microbial Pathogenesis, and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8081, USA. Electronic address: michael.cappello@yalle.edu.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cappello
authors.affiliation: Division of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Department of Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-0787 Warsaw, Ciszewskiego 8, Poland. Electronic address: ewa_dlugosz@sggw.pl.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Długosz
authors.affiliation: Division of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Department of Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-0787 Warsaw, Ciszewskiego 8, Poland. Electronic address: halinwe@twarda.pan.pl.
authors.forename: Halina
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wędrychowicz
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000722:Ancylostoma / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000724:Ancylostomiasis / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D006224:Cricetinae; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D045726:Metalloproteases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011897:Random Allocation; D019444:Vaccines, DNA
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D018509:DNA, Helminth; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D045726:Metalloproteases
keywords: Ancylostoma ceylanicum; Hemoglobin; Hookworm; Metalloprotease; Vaccine