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Vaccination of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) against Chlamydia pecorum using synthetic peptides derived from the major outer membrane protein

Chlamydia pecorum is a mucosal infection, which causes debilitating disease of the urinary tract, reproductive tract and ocular sites of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus). While antibiotics are available for treatment, they are detrimental to the koalas’ gastrointestinal tract microflora leaving the i...

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Autores principales: Nyari, Sharon, Khan, Shahneaz Ali, Rawlinson, Galit, Waugh, Courtney A., Potter, Andrew, Gerdts, Volker, Timms, Peter
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Public Library of Science 2018
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6023247/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29953523
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0200112
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author Nyari, Sharon
Khan, Shahneaz Ali
Rawlinson, Galit
Waugh, Courtney A.
Potter, Andrew
Gerdts, Volker
Timms, Peter
author_facet Nyari, Sharon
Khan, Shahneaz Ali
Rawlinson, Galit
Waugh, Courtney A.
Potter, Andrew
Gerdts, Volker
Timms, Peter
author_sort Nyari, Sharon
collection PubMed
description Chlamydia pecorum is a mucosal infection, which causes debilitating disease of the urinary tract, reproductive tract and ocular sites of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus). While antibiotics are available for treatment, they are detrimental to the koalas’ gastrointestinal tract microflora leaving the implementation of a vaccine as an ideal option for the long-term management of koala populations. We have previously reported on the successes of an anti-chlamydial recombinant major outer membrane protein (rMOMP) vaccine however, recombinant protein based vaccines are not ideal candidates for scale up from the research level to small-medium production level for wider usage. Peptide based vaccines are a promising area for vaccine development, because peptides are stable, cost effective and easily produced. In this current study, we assessed, for the first time, the immune responses to a synthetic peptide based anti-chlamydial vaccine in koalas. Five healthy male koalas were vaccinated with two synthetic peptides derived from C. pecorum MOMP and another five healthy male koalas were vaccinated with full length recombinant C. pecorum MOMP (genotype G). Systemic (IgG) and mucosal (IgA) antibodies were quantified and pre-vaccination levels compared to post-vaccination levels (12 and 26 weeks). MOMP-peptide vaccinated koalas produced Chlamydia-specific IgG and IgA antibodies, which were able to recognise not only the genotype used in the vaccination, but also MOMPs from several other koala C. pecorum genotypes. In addition, IgA antibodies induced at the ocular site not only recognised recombinant MOMP protein but also, whole native chlamydial elementary bodies. Interestingly, some MOMP-peptide vaccinated koalas showed a stronger and more sustained vaccine-induced mucosal IgA antibody response than observed in MOMP-protein vaccinated koalas. These results demonstrate that a synthetic MOMP peptide based vaccine is capable of inducing a Chlamydia-specific antibody response in koalas and is a promising candidate for future vaccine development.
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spelling pubmed-60232472018-07-07 Vaccination of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) against Chlamydia pecorum using synthetic peptides derived from the major outer membrane protein Nyari, Sharon Khan, Shahneaz Ali Rawlinson, Galit Waugh, Courtney A. Potter, Andrew Gerdts, Volker Timms, Peter PLoS One Research Article Chlamydia pecorum is a mucosal infection, which causes debilitating disease of the urinary tract, reproductive tract and ocular sites of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus). While antibiotics are available for treatment, they are detrimental to the koalas’ gastrointestinal tract microflora leaving the implementation of a vaccine as an ideal option for the long-term management of koala populations. We have previously reported on the successes of an anti-chlamydial recombinant major outer membrane protein (rMOMP) vaccine however, recombinant protein based vaccines are not ideal candidates for scale up from the research level to small-medium production level for wider usage. Peptide based vaccines are a promising area for vaccine development, because peptides are stable, cost effective and easily produced. In this current study, we assessed, for the first time, the immune responses to a synthetic peptide based anti-chlamydial vaccine in koalas. Five healthy male koalas were vaccinated with two synthetic peptides derived from C. pecorum MOMP and another five healthy male koalas were vaccinated with full length recombinant C. pecorum MOMP (genotype G). Systemic (IgG) and mucosal (IgA) antibodies were quantified and pre-vaccination levels compared to post-vaccination levels (12 and 26 weeks). MOMP-peptide vaccinated koalas produced Chlamydia-specific IgG and IgA antibodies, which were able to recognise not only the genotype used in the vaccination, but also MOMPs from several other koala C. pecorum genotypes. In addition, IgA antibodies induced at the ocular site not only recognised recombinant MOMP protein but also, whole native chlamydial elementary bodies. Interestingly, some MOMP-peptide vaccinated koalas showed a stronger and more sustained vaccine-induced mucosal IgA antibody response than observed in MOMP-protein vaccinated koalas. These results demonstrate that a synthetic MOMP peptide based vaccine is capable of inducing a Chlamydia-specific antibody response in koalas and is a promising candidate for future vaccine development. Public Library of Science 2018-06-28 /pmc/articles/PMC6023247/ /pubmed/29953523 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0200112 Text en © 2018 Nyari et al http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
spellingShingle Research Article
Nyari, Sharon
Khan, Shahneaz Ali
Rawlinson, Galit
Waugh, Courtney A.
Potter, Andrew
Gerdts, Volker
Timms, Peter
Vaccination of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) against Chlamydia pecorum using synthetic peptides derived from the major outer membrane protein
title Vaccination of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) against Chlamydia pecorum using synthetic peptides derived from the major outer membrane protein
title_full Vaccination of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) against Chlamydia pecorum using synthetic peptides derived from the major outer membrane protein
title_fullStr Vaccination of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) against Chlamydia pecorum using synthetic peptides derived from the major outer membrane protein
title_full_unstemmed Vaccination of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) against Chlamydia pecorum using synthetic peptides derived from the major outer membrane protein
title_short Vaccination of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) against Chlamydia pecorum using synthetic peptides derived from the major outer membrane protein
title_sort vaccination of koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) against chlamydia pecorum using synthetic peptides derived from the major outer membrane protein
topic Research Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6023247/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29953523
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0200112
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