scholarly journals Molecular Modeling of the Shigella flexneri Serogroup 3 and 5 O-Antigens and Conformational Relationships for a Vaccine Containing Serotypes 2a and 3a

Vaccines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 643
Author(s):  
Jason Hlozek ◽  
Sara Owen ◽  
Neil Ravenscroft ◽  
Michelle M. Kuttel
Keyword(s):  
Diarrheal Disease ◽  
Shigella Flexneri ◽  
Quadrivalent Vaccine ◽  
Slight Effect ◽  
Work Support ◽  
O Antigen ◽  
The Common ◽  
O Antigens ◽  
Chain Conformations ◽  
Shared Epitopes

The pathogenic bacterium Shigella flexneri is a leading global cause of diarrheal disease. The O-antigen is the primary vaccine target and distinguishes the 30 serotypes reported. Except for serotype 6, all S. flexneri serotypes have a common backbone repeating unit (serotype Y), with variations in substitution creating the various serotypes. A quadrivalent vaccine containing serotypes 2a and 3a (as well as 6 and Shigella sonnei) is proposed to provide broad protection against non-vaccine S. flexneri serotypes through shared epitopes and conformations. Here we model the O-antigen (O-Ag) conformations of serogroups 3 and 5: a continuation of our ongoing systematic study of the S. flexneri O-antigens that began with serogroup 2. Our simulations show that S. flexneri serogroups 2, 3, and 5 all have flexible O-Ags, with substitutions of the backbone altering the chain conformations in different ways. Our analysis suggests three general heuristics for the effects of substitution on the Shigella O-Ag conformations: (1) substitution on rhamnose C reduces the extension of the O-Ag chain; (2) substitution at O-3 of rhamnose A restricts the O-Ags to predominantly helical conformations, (3) substitution at O-3 of rhamnose B has only a slight effect on conformation. The common O-Ag conformations across serotypes identified in this work support the assumption that a quadrivalent vaccine containing serotypes 2a and 3a could provide coverage against S. flexneri serotype 3b and serogroup 5.

scholarly journals Impact of O-Acetylation on S. flexneri 1b and 2a O-Antigen Immunogenicity in Mice

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 2360
Author(s):  
Vanessa Arato ◽  
Davide Oldrini ◽  
Luisa Massai ◽  
Gianmarco Gasperini ◽  
Francesca Necchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Diarrheal Disease ◽  
Shigella Flexneri ◽  
Primary Target ◽  
Critical Quality Attributes ◽  
O Antigen ◽  
Shared Epitopes ◽  
Acetylation Pattern

Shigellosis is a diarrheal disease caused prevalently by Shigella flexneri and S. sonnei and representing a major global health risk, particularly in developing countries. Bacterial O-antigen (OAg) is the primary target of the host immune response and modifications of its oligosaccharide units, including O-acetylation, are responsible for the variability among the circulating S. flexneri serotypes. No vaccines are widely available against shigellosis and the understanding of the immunogenicity induced by the OAg is fundamental for the design of a vaccine that could cover the most prevalent Shigella serotypes. To understand whether a different O-acetylation pattern could influence the immune response elicited by S. flexneri OAg, we employed as a vaccine technology GMMA purified from S. flexneri 2a and 1b strains that were easily engineered to obtain differently O-acetylated OAg. Resulting GMMA were tested in mice, demonstrating not only no major impact of O-acetyl decorations on the immune response elicited by the two OAg against the homologous strains, but also that the O-acetylation of the Rhamnose III residue (O-factor 9), shared among serotypes 1b, 2a and 6, does not induce cross-reactive antibodies against these serotypes. This work contributes to the optimization of vaccine design against Shigella, providing indication about the ability of shared epitopes to elicit broad protection against S. flexneri serotypes and supporting the identification of critical quality attributes of OAg-based vaccines.

scholarly journals Bacteriophage-encoded glucosyltransferase GtrII of Shigella flexneri: membrane topology and identification of critical residues

2005 ◽  
Vol 389 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adele M. LEHANE ◽  
Haralambos KORRES ◽  
Naresh K. VERMA
Keyword(s):  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
Repeat Unit ◽  
Shigella Flexneri ◽  
Membrane Topology ◽  
Transmembrane Helices ◽  
O Antigen ◽  
Repeat Units ◽  
Related Group ◽  
Critical Residues ◽  
O Antigens

The Shigella flexneri serotypes differ in the nature of their O-antigens. The addition of glucosyl or O-acetyl groups to the common backbone repeat units gives rise to the different serotypes. GtrII glucosylates rhamnose III of the O-antigen repeat unit, thus converting serotype Y (which has no modifications to the basic O-antigen repeat unit) into serotype 2a, the most prevalent serotype. In the present study, the topology of GtrII has been determined. GtrII has nine transmembrane helices, a re-entrant loop and three large periplasmic regions. Four critical residues (Glu40, Phe414, Cys435 and Lys478) were identified in two of the periplasmic regions. Despite the lack of sequence similarity between GtrII and the Gtrs from other serotypes, three of the critical residues identified are conserved in the remaining Gtrs. This is consistent with some degree of mechanistic conservation in this functionally related group of proteins.

scholarly journals Molecular detection of all 34 distinct O-antigen forms of Shigella

2009 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yayue Li ◽  
Boyang Cao ◽  
Bin Liu ◽  
Dan Liu ◽  
Qili Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shigella Flexneri ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Milk Powder ◽  
Shigella Dysenteriae ◽  
Detection Sensitivity ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Shigella Boydii ◽  
O Antigen ◽  
Probe Concentration ◽  
O Antigens

Shigella is the cause of shigellosis or bacillary dysentery, the occurrence of which is estimated to be 165 million cases per year worldwide, resulting in 1.1 million deaths. Rapid and reliable assays for detecting and identifying Shigella in food, environmental and clinical samples are therefore necessary. Shigella species are traditionally identified by their O antigens. This study developed a DNA microarray targeting O-serotype-specific genes to detect all 34 distinct O-antigen forms of Shigella, including Shigella boydii types 1–18, Shigella dysenteriae types 1–13, Shigella flexneri types 1–5 and 6, and Shigella sonnei. A total of 282 strains were used to test the specificity of the microarray, including 186 Shigella and Escherichia coli representative strains, 86 Shigella clinical isolates and ten strains of other bacterial species that are commonly isolated from food or clinical stool specimens. The oligonucleotide probes were printed on the microarray in concentrations from 1 to 100 μM, and 10 μM proved to be the optimal probe concentration. The detection sensitivity for each serotype was 50 ng genomic DNA or 1 c.f.u. in 25 g milk powder sample following a 6 h enrichment in broth. The microarray is specific, sensitive and reproducible, and, to our knowledge, is the first report of a microarray for serotyping all O-antigen forms of Shigella.

scholarly journals Bacteriophage Sf6 Tailspike Protein for Detection of Shigella flexneri Pathogens

Viruses ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonja Kunstmann ◽  
Tom Scheidt ◽  
Saskia Buchwald ◽  
Alexandra Helm ◽  
Laurence Mulard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Shigella Flexneri ◽  
Microtiter Plate ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Intensity Increase ◽  
O Antigen ◽  
Visible Light Range ◽  
O Antigens ◽  
Tailspike Protein

Bacteriophage research is gaining more importance due to increasing antibiotic resistance. However, for treatment with bacteriophages, diagnostics have to be improved. Bacteriophages carry adhesion proteins, which bind to the bacterial cell surface, for example tailspike proteins (TSP) for specific recognition of bacterial O-antigen polysaccharide. TSP are highly stable proteins and thus might be suitable components for the integration into diagnostic tools. We used the TSP of bacteriophage Sf6 to establish two applications for detecting Shigella flexneri (S. flexneri), a highly contagious pathogen causing dysentery. We found that Sf6TSP not only bound O-antigen of S. flexneri serotype Y, but also the glucosylated O-antigen of serotype 2a. Moreover, mass spectrometry glycan analyses showed that Sf6TSP tolerated various O-acetyl modifications on these O-antigens. We established a microtiter plate-based ELISA like tailspike adsorption assay (ELITA) using a Strep-tag®II modified Sf6TSP. As sensitive screening alternative we produced a fluorescently labeled Sf6TSP via coupling to an environment sensitive dye. Binding of this probe to the S. flexneri O-antigen Y elicited a fluorescence intensity increase of 80% with an emission maximum in the visible light range. The Sf6TSP probes thus offer a promising route to a highly specific and sensitive bacteriophage TSP-based Shigella detection system.

scholarly journals Stable Chromosomal Expression of Shigella flexneri 2a and 3a O-Antigens in the Live Salmonella Oral Vaccine Vector Ty21a

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Madushini N. Dharmasena ◽  
Manuel Osorio ◽  
Kazuyo Takeda ◽  
Scott Stibitz ◽  
Dennis J. Kopecko
Keyword(s):  
Oral Vaccine ◽  
Shigella Flexneri ◽  
Serum Antibody ◽  
Vaccine Vector ◽  
Shigella Dysenteriae ◽  
Antigenic Determinants ◽  
Content Type ◽  
O Antigen ◽  
Shigella Flexneri 2A ◽  
O Antigens

ABSTRACT We have been exploring the use of the live attenuated Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi Ty21a vaccine strain as a versatile oral vaccine vector for the expression and delivery of multiple foreign antigens, including Shigella O-antigens. In this study, we separately cloned genes necessary for the biosynthesis of the Shigella flexneri serotype 2a and 3a O-antigens, which have been shown to provide broad cross-protection to multiple disease-predominant S. flexneri serotypes. The cloned S. flexneri 2a rfb operon, along with bgt and gtrII, contained on the SfII bacteriophage, was sufficient in Ty21a to express the heterologous S. flexneri 2a O-antigen containing the 3,4 antigenic determinants. Further, this rfb operon, along with gtrA, gtrB, and gtrX contained on the Sfx bacteriophage and oac contained on the Sf6 bacteriophage, was sufficient to express S. flexneri 3a O-antigen containing the 6, 7, and 8 antigenic determinants. Ty21a, with these plasmid-carried or chromosomally inserted genes, demonstrated simultaneous and stable expression of homologous S. Typhi O-antigen plus the heterologous S. flexneri O-antigen. Candidate Ty21a vaccine strains expressing heterologous S. flexneri 2a or 3a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) elicited significant serum antibody responses against both homologous S. Typhi and heterologous Shigella LPS and protected mice against virulent S. flexneri 2a or 3a challenges. These new S. flexneri 2a and 3a O-antigen-expressing Ty21a vaccine strains, together with our previously constructed Ty21a strains expressing Shigella sonnei or Shigella dysenteriae 1 O-antigens, have the potential to be used together for simultaneous protection against the predominant causes of shigellosis worldwide as well as against typhoid fever.

scholarly journals Characterization and immunogenicity of a Shigella flexneri 2a O-antigen bioconjugate vaccine candidate

Glycobiology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (9) ◽  
pp. 669-680 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil Ravenscroft ◽  
Martin Braun ◽  
Joerg Schneider ◽  
Anita M Dreyer ◽  
Michael Wetter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diarrheal Disease ◽  
Vaccine Candidate ◽  
Shigella Flexneri ◽  
Preventive Measure ◽  
Shigella Dysenteriae ◽  
O Antigen ◽  
Shigella Flexneri 2A ◽  
Single Production ◽  
Functional Antibodies ◽  
Efficacious Vaccine

AbstractShigellosis remains a major cause of diarrheal disease in developing countries and causes substantial morbidity and mortality in children. Vaccination represents a promising preventive measure to fight the burden of the disease, but despite enormous efforts, an efficacious vaccine is not available to date. The use of an innovative biosynthetic Escherichia coli glycosylation system substantially simplifies the production of a multivalent conjugate vaccine to prevent shigellosis. This bioconjugation approach has been used to produce the Shigella dysenteriae type O1 conjugate that has been successfully tested in a phase I clinical study in humans. In this report, we describe a similar approach for the production of an additional serotype required for a broadly protective shigellosis vaccine candidate. The Shigella flexneri 2a O-polysaccharide is conjugated to introduced asparagine residues of the carrier protein exotoxin A (EPA) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa by co-expression with the PglB oligosaccharyltransferase. The bioconjugate was purified, characterized using physicochemical methods and subjected to preclinical evaluation in rats. The bioconjugate elicited functional antibodies as shown by a bactericidal assay for S. flexneri 2a. This study confirms the applicability of bioconjugation for the S. flexneri 2a O-antigen, which provides an intrinsic advantage over chemical conjugates due to the simplicity of a single production step and ease of characterization of the homogenous monomeric conjugate formed. In addition, it shows that bioconjugates are able to raise functional antibodies against the polysaccharide antigen.

O-antigen structure of Shigella flexneri serotype Yv and effect of the lpt-O gene variation on phosphoethanolamine modification of S. flexneri O-antigens

Glycobiology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 475-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. A. Knirel ◽  
R. Lan ◽  
S. N. Senchenkova ◽  
J. Wang ◽  
A. S. Shashkov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shigella Flexneri ◽  
Gene Variation ◽  
O Antigen ◽  
O Antigens ◽  
Antigen Structure

scholarly journals Shigella sonnei O-Antigen Inhibits Internalization, Vacuole Escape, and Inflammasome Activation

mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayne L. Watson ◽  
Julia Sanchez-Garrido ◽  
Philippa J. Goddard ◽  
Vincenzo Torraca ◽  
Serge Mostowy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Diarrheal Disease ◽  
Shigella Flexneri ◽  
Shigella Sonnei ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Inflammasome Activation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
O Antigen ◽  
Key Aspects

ABSTRACT Two Shigella species, Shigella flexneri and Shigella sonnei, cause approximately 90% of bacterial dysentery worldwide. While S. flexneri is the dominant species in low-income countries, S. sonnei causes the majority of infections in middle- and high-income countries. S. flexneri is a prototypic cytosolic bacterium; once intracellular, it rapidly escapes the phagocytic vacuole and causes pyroptosis of macrophages, which is important for pathogenesis and bacterial spread. In contrast, little is known about the invasion, vacuole escape, and induction of pyroptosis during S. sonnei infection of macrophages. We demonstrate here that S. sonnei causes substantially less pyroptosis in human primary monocyte-derived macrophages and THP1 cells. This is due to reduced bacterial uptake and lower relative vacuole escape, which results in fewer cytosolic S. sonnei and hence reduced activation of caspase-1 inflammasomes. Mechanistically, the O-antigen (O-Ag), which in S. sonnei is contained in both the lipopolysaccharide and the capsule, was responsible for reduced uptake and the type 3 secretion system (T3SS) was required for vacuole escape. Our findings suggest that S. sonnei has adapted to an extracellular lifestyle by incorporating multiple layers of O-Ag onto its surface compared to other Shigella species. IMPORTANCE Diarrheal disease remains the second leading cause of death in children under five. Shigella remains a significant cause of diarrheal disease with two species, S. flexneri and S. sonnei, causing the majority of infections. S. flexneri are well known to cause cell death in macrophages, which contributes to the inflammatory nature of Shigella diarrhea. Here, we demonstrate that S. sonnei causes less cell death than S. flexneri due to a reduced number of bacteria present in the cell cytosol. We identify the O-Ag polysaccharide which, uniquely among Shigella spp., is present in two forms on the bacterial cell surface as the bacterial factor responsible. Our data indicate that S. sonnei differs from S. flexneri in key aspects of infection and that more attention should be given to characterization of S. sonnei infection.

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