Expression and secretion of the protective antigen of Bacillus anthracis in Bacillus brevis

We used the Bacillus brevis-pNU212 system to develop a mass production system for the protective antigen (PA) of Bacillus anthracis. A moderately efficient expression-secretion system for PA was constructed by fusing the PA gene from B. anthracis with the B. brevis cell-wall protein signal-peptide encoding region of pNU212, and by introducing the recombinant plasmid, pNU212-mPA, into B. brevis 47-5Q. The clone producing PA secreted about 300 microg of recombinant PA (rPA) per ml of 5PY-erythromycin medium after 4 days incubation at 30 degrees C. The rPA was fractionated from the culture supernatant of B. brevis 47-5Q carrying pNU212-mPA using ammonium sulfate at 70% saturation followed by anion exchange chromatography on a Hitrap Q, a Hiload 16/60 Superdex 200 gel filtration column and a phenyl sepharose hydrophobic interaction column, yielding 70 mg rPA per liter of culture. The N-terminal sequence of the purified rPA was identical to that of native PA from B. anthracis. The purified rPA exhibited cytotoxicity towards J774A.1 cells when combined with lethal factor. The rPA formulated in either Rehydragel HPA or MPL-TDM-CWS adjuvant (Ribi-Trimix) elicited the expression of a large amount of anti-PA and neutralizing antibodies in guinea pigs and completely protected them against a 100 LD50 challenge with fully virulent B. anthracis spores.     

炭疽杆菌保护性抗原基因的克隆与序列测定

采用聚合酶链反应从炭疽芽孢杆菌减毒株ＹＢ１中扩增其保护性抗原（ＰＡ）的编码区基因,将其克隆至ｐＧＥＭ－Ｔ载体中,并分步测定其序列。序列测定表明,该基因长２２０５ｂｐ,编码７３５个氨基酸残基,与献报道的标准菌株Ｓｔｅｒｎｅ株的ＰＡ序列只有４个碱基的差异。     

Efficacy of non-toxic deletion mutants of protective antigen from Bacillus anthracis

Current human anthrax vaccines available in the United States and Europe consist of alum-precipitated supernatant material from cultures of a toxigenic, nonencapsulated strain of Bacillus anthracis. The major component of human anthrax vaccine that confers protection is protective antigen (PA). A second-generation human vaccine using the recombinant PA (rPA) is being developed. In this study, to prevent the toxicity and the degradation of the native rPA by proteases, we constructed two PA variants, delPA (163-168) and delPA (313-314), that lack trypsin (S(163)-R(164)-K(165)-K(166)-R(167)-S(168)) or chymotrypsin cleavage sequence (F(313)-F(314)), respectively. These proteins were expressed in Bacillus brevis 47-5Q. The delPAs were fractionated from the culture supernatant of B. brevis by ammonium sulfate at 70% saturation, followed by anion exchange chromatography on a Hitrap Q, Hiload 16/60 superdex 200 gel filtration column and phenyl sepharose hydrophobic interaction column. In accordance with previous reports, both delPA proteins combined with lethal factor protein did not show any cytotoxicity on J774A.1 cells. The delPA (163-168) and delPA (313-314) formulated either in Rehydragel HPA or MPL-TDM-CWS (Ribi-Trimix), elicited a comparable amount of anti-PA and neutralizing antibodies to those of native rPA in guinea pigs, and confers full protection of guinea pigs from 50xLD50 of fully virulent B. anthracis spore challenges. Ribi-Trimix was significantly more effective in inducing anti-PA and neutralizing antibodies than Rehydragel HPA. These results indicate the possibility of delPA (163-168) and delPA (313-314) proteins being developed into nontoxic, effective and stable recombinant vaccine candidates.     

炭疽杆菌保护性抗原在大肠杆菌中的表达及其纯化

利用基因重组技术获取炭疽杆菌保护性抗原(PA)。将炭疽杆菌保护性抗原编码基因pag与pET载体连接构建重组质粒,转化大肠杆菌DE3株,诱导表达炭疽杆菌保护性抗原,并经亲和层析及凝胶过滤纯化此抗原。实验成功构建了表达炭疽杆菌保护性抗原的重组菌株,纯化后PA纯度达90%,且经检测纯化产物具有天然PA的生物学活性。同时表明从大肠杆菌中纯化PA较以往从炭疽杆菌中获取PA简便易行。     

炭疽芽孢杆菌保护性抗原在大肠杆菌中的表达及纯化

按照炭疽芽孢杆菌保护性抗原（PA）基因成熟肽编码序列设计引物,从炭疽杆菌pOX1质粒中扩增出PA基因片段,将该片段定向插入到原核表达载体pET-28a中,获得了pET-PA原核表达重组质粒,限制性酶切分析和DNA序列测定均证实该克隆插入片段为PA基因的成熟呔编码序列。将该重组质粒转化大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）,经IPTG诱导,重组蛋白在大肠杆菌表达系统中获得了高效表达;Western印迹分析表明表达产物具有良好的免疫学活性。     

Construction, crystal structure and application of a recombinant protein that lacks the collagen-like region of BclA from Bacillus anthracis spores

Spores of Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, are enclosed by an exosporium, which consists of a basal layer surrounded by a nap of hair-like filaments. The major structural component of the filaments is called BclA, which comprises a central collagen-like region (CLR) and a globular C-terminal domain. Here, the entire CLR coding sequence of BclA was removed, and the resulting protein (tBclA) produced in Escherichia coli. The crystallographic structure of tBclA was determined to 1.35 A resolution, and consists of an all-beta structure with a TNF-like jelly fold topology (12 beta-strands which form 2 beta-sheets of five strands each) consistent with previous studies on wild-type BclA. These globular domains are tightly packed into trimeric structures (surface shape complementarity; S (c) = 0.83), demonstrating that formation of the core structure of BclA is independent of the anchoring collagen-like region. A polyclonal antibody raised against tBclA recognized B. anthracis spores directly, and showed little cross-reactivity (<10%) with the spores of the closely related species Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis, when compared to two other polyclonal antibodies raised against B. anthracis spore extracts and inactivated spores. The tBclA protein was used to purify a pool of specific antibodies from bovine colostrum whey samples from cows inoculated with the Sterne strain anthrax vaccine, which also showed reactivity with B. anthracis spores. Together, these results demonstrate that tBclA provides a safer and more effective way to the production and purification of antibodies with high binding affinity for B. anthracis spores. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2008;99: 774-782. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Evaluation of lumazine synthase from Bacillus anthracis as a presentation platform for polyvalent antigen display

Polyvalent antigen display is an effective strategy to enhance the immunogenicity of subunit vaccines by clustering them in an array‐like manner on a scaffold system. This strategy results in a higher local density of antigens, increased high avidity interactions with B cells and other antigen presenting cells, and therefore a more effective presentation of vaccine antigens. In this study, we used lumazine synthase (LS), an icosahedral symmetry capsid derived from Bacillus anthracis, as a scaffold to present 60 copies of a linear B cell epitope (PB10) from the ricin toxin fused to the C terminus of LS via four different linkers. We then investigated the effects of linker length, linker rigidity and formaldehyde crosslinking on the protein assembly, conformational integrity, thermal stability, in vitro antibody binding, and immunogenicity in mice. Fusion of the PB10 peptide onto LS, with varying linker lengths, did not affect protein assembly, thermal stability or exposure of the epitope, but had a minor impact on protein conformation. Formaldehyde crosslinking considerably improved protein thermal stability with only minor impact on protein conformation. All LS_PB10 constructs, when administered to mice by injection without adjuvant, elicited measurable anti‐ricin serum IgG titers, although the titers were not sufficient to confer protection against a 10× lethal dose ricin challenge. This work sheds light on the biophysical properties, immunogenicity and potential feasibility of LS from B. anthracis as a scaffold system for polyvalent antigen display.     

A Bacillus thuringiensis strain producing a polyglutamate capsule resembling that of Bacillus anthracis

Bacillus thuringiensis serovar Monterrey strain BGSC 4AJ1 produced a microscopically visible capsule that reacted with a fluorescent antibody specific for the poly-gamma-d-glutamic acid (PGA) capsule of Bacillus anthracis. PGA capsule biosynthesis genes with 75%, 81%, 72%, 65% and 63% similarity, respectively, to those of the B. anthracis capBCADE cluster were present on a plasmid (pAJ1-1). Strain BGSC 4AJ1, together with five strains of Bacillus cereus that hybridized to a PGA cap gene probe, were analyzed phylogenetically using six housekeeping genes of a B. cereus multilocus sequence typing scheme. Bacillus thuringiensis BGSC 4AJ1 shared four identical alleles with B. anthracis and was the second most closely related to this bacterium of the 674 isolates in the multilocus sequence typing database. The other cap+ strains were distributed among various lineages of Clade 1 of the B. cereus group.     

Production and characterization of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies that recognize an epitope in domain 2 of Bacillus anthracis protective antigen

Antibodies against the protective antigen (PA) of Bacillus anthracis play a key role in response to infection by this important pathogen. The aim of this study was to produce and characterize monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for PA and to identify novel neutralizing epitopes. Three murine mAbs with high specificity and nanomolar affinity for B. anthracis recombinant protective antigen (rPA) were produced and characterized. Western immunoblot analysis, coupled with epitope mapping using overlapping synthetic peptides, revealed that these mAbs recognize a linear epitope within domain 2 of rPA. Neutralization assays demonstrate that these mAbs effectively neutralize lethal toxin in vitro.     

炭疽芽孢杆菌A16R株eag基因缺失突变株构建

【目的】构建炭疽芽孢杆菌A16R株eag基因缺失突变株, 为研究eag基因的功能奠定了基础。【方法】本研究以我国人用炭疽杆菌活疫苗A16R株中eag基因为目的缺失基因,根据炭疽芽孢杆菌Ames株基因组序列,利用软件设计了扩增上下游同源臂以及抗性基因引物,构建了重组质粒,将该重组质粒电击转入炭疽杆菌A16R感受态细胞中,利用同源重组原理筛选到炭疽杆菌A16R株eag基因缺失突变株。在分子水平及蛋白质组学方面对基因缺失突变株进行验证。【结果】成功构建了重组质粒,经同源重组后获得eag基因缺失突变株。PCR鉴定表明目的基因已经丢失;SDS PAGE表明野生株与突变株在93 KDa处有差异蛋白条带,经质谱鉴定分析该条带为目的基因所表达的EA1蛋白;双向电泳结果显示突变株与野生株比较明显缺失3个蛋白点,经质谱分析后确定这3个点都是EA1蛋白。【结论】成功获得炭疽芽孢杆菌A16R株eag基因缺失突变株,为深入研究eag基因的功能奠定了基础,同时也为炭疽芽孢杆菌重要基因功能的研究建立了一个良好的技术平台。     

PlcR在炭疽芽胞杆菌A16R中的功能研究

炭疽芽胞杆菌(Bacillus anthracis)、蜡样芽胞杆菌(B. cereus)和苏云金芽胞杆菌(B. thuringiensis)均属于蜡样芽胞杆菌群,在遗传学上有很高的相似性。PlcR (Phospholipase C regulator)在蜡样芽胞杆菌中是十分重要的调控因子,但plcR基因在炭疽芽胞杆菌中发生一个无义突变导致在炭疽芽胞杆菌中产生一个截短PlcR蛋白。为了研究plcR基因对炭疽芽胞杆菌功能的影响,文章以蜡样芽胞杆菌CMCC6330基因组为模板,构建重组表达质粒pBE2A-plcR后导入炭疽芽胞杆菌疫苗株A16R中获得重组菌株,对其进行表型分析。结果显示,炭疽芽胞杆菌重组菌株的溶血活性基本没有恢复,但恢复了部分神经鞘磷脂酶活性,表明将蜡样芽胞杆菌的plcR基因导入炭疽芽胞杆菌后,可以直接激活神经鞘磷脂酶活性。     

The extracellular and cytoplasmic proteomes of the non-virulent Bacillus anthracis strain UM23C1-2

The recently published genome sequence of Bacillus anthracis Ames has facilitated the prediction of proteins associated with the virulence of this bacterium. The aim of this study was to define reference maps for the extracellular and cytoplasmic proteomes of the avirulent B. anthracis strain UM23C1-2 that are useful for physiological studies and the development of improved vaccines. Using 2-DE and subsequent MALDI-TOF-TOF MS, 64 proteins were identified in the extracellular proteome, only 29 of which were predicted to be exported into the culture medium. The latter included chitinases, proteases, nucleotidases, sulfatases, phosphatases and proteins of unknown function. Of the remaining proteins in the culture medium, 18 were predicted to be associated with the cell wall or anchored on the trans side of the cytoplasmic membrane while 17 other proteins lacked identifiable export signals and were predicted to be cytoplasmic proteins. Among the S-layer proteins, Sap and Eag account for 10% of the total extracellular proteome. Many of the proteins are predicted to contribute to the virulence and antigenic signature of B. anthracis. We have also studied the composition of the cytoplasmic proteome, identifying 300 distinct proteins. The most abundant cytoplasmic proteins are primarily those involved in glycolysis, amino acid metabolism, protein translation, protein folding and stress adaptation. The presence of a variety of proteases, peptidases, peptide binding proteins, as well as enzymes required for the metabolism of amino acids, suggests that B. anthracis is adapted to life in a protein-rich environment rather than the soil. We therefore speculate that proteases and peptidases could be useful targets for the development of improved vaccines. In addition, both of these B. anthracis compartment-specific proteomes can be used as reference maps to monitor changes in the production of secreted and cytosolic proteins that occur, for example, during growth in macrophages.     

A field usable qualitative anti‐protective antigen enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay for serodiagnosis of human anthrax

Although all mammals, including humans, are vulnerable when they come into direct contact with infected animals, anthrax is primarily a disease of herbivorous animals. In countries like India, cutaneous anthrax is a public health problem in several regions. Hence, a simple and efficacious serodiagnostic assay for large scale surveillance of endemic populations is required. In the present study, a field‐usable, qualitative ELISA was developed for serodiagnosis of human anthrax. Results are assessed on a visual basis and no sophisticated instruments are required. Anti‐protective antigen (PA) IgG was determined by visual examination of ELISA results of 225 human serum samples (160 from healthy humans, 5 from PA vaccinated individuals and 60 from confirmed anthrax cases). Comparison of the ELISA results with the results obtained from optical density values showed compatible sensitivity and specificity. Assay sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were found to be 100%. The developed assay could be a very useful tool for serological diagnosis of anthrax infection in humans.     

炭疽杆菌S层的研究进展

S层是广泛存在于古细菌和真细菌细胞壁最外层的结构独特、功能特殊的成分,对它的研究具有重要的意义。炭疽杆菌是引起人畜炭疽病的病原体,对其S层的研究将为深入认识该菌的生理特性及致病机制等提供坚实的基础。就近年来对炭疽杆菌S层的结构、功能特点及应用前景等方面的研究进展做一简要的综述。     

炭疽杆菌芽孢外壁胶原样蛋白(BclA)的多态性分析

炭疽杆菌芽孢外壁胶原样蛋白（BclA）是芽孢外壁发状菌丝的主要结构成分,也是芽孢的主要免疫原。从国内分离的3株炭疽杆菌中克隆出BclA基因并进行了序列分析,结果发现有2株（A16R和40048）的BclA与国外报道菌株长度不同,分别含有388个和322个氨基酸,72个和50个GXX三氨基酸重复序列,5个和3个含21个氨基酸的（GPT）5 GDTGTT重复序列（BclA重复）。另一株40022的BclA与国外报道的53169株完全一敛,含有370个氨基酸,66个GXX重复,5个BclA重复。对我国炭疽杆菌BclA蛋白多态性的分析为进行炭疽杆菌的基因分型以及研究炭疽芽孢的免疫原性和致病机理打下基础。     

Differential identification of Bacillus anthracis from environmental Bacillus species using microarray analysis

AIMS: To determine whether microarray analysis could be employed for the differential identification of a range of environmental Bacillus sp. from four strains of Bacillus anthracis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Oligonucleotide probes were designed that were specific to virulence factor genes of B. anthracis (pag, lef and cap), the variable number tandem repeat region of the B. anthracis vrrA gene and to the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic transcribed spacer region (ITS) and pleiotropic regulator (plcR) regions of the Bacillus cereus subgroup species. Generic probes were also designed to hybridize with conserved regions of the 16S rRNA genes of Bacillus (as a positive control), Neisseria sp., Pseudomonas sp., Streptococcus sp., Mycobacterium sp. and to all members of the Enterobacteriaceae to allow simultaneous detection of these bacteria. Identification of B. anthracis was found to rely entirely on hybridization of DNA specific to regions of the pag, lef and cap genes. Cross-reaction was observed between B. anthracis and other Bacillus species with all the other Bacillus probes tested. Results obtained using microarray hybridizations were confirmed using conventional microbiological techniques and found to have very high comparability. CONCLUSIONS: Microarray-based assays are an effective method for the identification of B. anthracis from mixed-culture environmental samples without problems of false-positivity that have been observed with conventional PCR assays. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Identification of environmental Bacillus sp. by conventional PCR is prone to potential for reporting false-positives. This study provides a method for the exclusion of such isolates.