title: Design and Purification of Subunit Vaccines for Prevention of Clostridium difficile Infection.
abstract: Clostridium difficile is a gram-positive bacterium responsible for a large proportion of nosocomial infections in the developed world. C. difficile secretes toxins A and B (TcdA and TcdB) and both toxins act synergistically to induce a spectrum of pathological responses in infected individuals ranging from pseudomembranous colitis to C. difficile-associated diarrhea. Toxins A and B have been actively investigated as components of prophylactic vaccine as well as targets for therapeutic intervention with antibodies. Expression of such toxins by recombinant technology is often difficult and may require special handling and adherence to strict safety regulations during the manufacturing process due to the inherent toxicity of the proteins. Both toxins are large proteins (308 kDa and 270 kDa, respectively) and contain distinct domains mediating cell attachment, cellular translocation, and enzymatic (glucosidase) activity. Here we describe methods to produce fragments of Toxin B for their subsequent evaluation as components of experimental C. difficile vaccines. Methods presented include selection of fragments encompassing distinct functional regions of Toxin B, purification methods to yield high quality proteins, and analytical evaluation techniques. The approach presented focuses on Toxin B but could be applied to the other component, Toxin A, and/or to any difficult to express or toxic protein.
authors.affiliation: Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology, 9 Innovation Way, Newark, DE, 19711, USA. jerzy.karczewski@fhcmb.org.
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Karczewski
authors.affiliation: Genocea Biosciences, Cambridge, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Jean-Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bodmer
authors.affiliation: Merck Research Laboratories, West Point, PA, USA.
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.affiliation: Merck Research Laboratories, West Point, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Rachel F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Xoconostle
authors.affiliation: Merck Research Laboratories, West Point, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Debbie D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Nahas
authors.affiliation: Merck Research Laboratories, West Point, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Joyce
authors.affiliation: Sanofi Pasteur, Swiftwater, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Jon H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Heinrichs
authors.affiliation: Merck Research Laboratories, West Point, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Secore
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000276:immunology; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit
keywords: Anion exchange chromatography; Clostridial toxin; Clostridium difficile; E. coli; His-tag; Immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC); Protein purification; Recombinant subunit vaccine