Identification of Peptide Mimics of a Glycan Epitope on the Surface of Parasitic Nematode Larvae

Phage display was used to identify peptide mimics of an immunologically protective nematode glycan (CarLA) by screening a constrained C7C peptide library for ligands that bound to an anti-CarLA mAb (PAB1). Characterisation of these peptide mimotopes revealed functional similarities with an epitope that is defined by PAB1. Mimotope vaccinations of mice with three selected individual phage clones facilitated the induction of antibody responses that recognised the purified, native CarLA molecule which was obtained from Trichostrongylus colubriformis. Furthermore, these mimotopes are specifically recognised by antibodies in the saliva of animals that were immune to natural polygeneric nematode challenge. This shows that antibodies to the PAB1 epitope form part of the mucosal polyclonal anti-CarLA antibody response of nematode immune host animals. This demonstrates that the selected peptide mimotopes are of biological relevance. These peptides are the first to mimic the PAB1 epitope of CarLA, a defined larval glycan epitope which is conserved between many nematode species.