| Structural highlights
Function
FHBP_NEIMB A bacterial surface lipoprotein that binds host (human) complement factor H (fH, gene CFH), binding contributes to the avoidance of complement-mediated lysis by N.meningitidis. Binding of fH to the bacteria surface is independent of bacterial sialic acid moieties (PubMed:16751403). fH binding affinity is high enough that it may sequester plasma fH, depleting its circulating levels and de-regulating complement in the host (Probable). This protein induces high levels of bactericidal antibodies in mice (PubMed:12642606, PubMed:15039331, PubMed:15664958, PubMed:21753121, PubMed:23133374).[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
Publication Abstract from PubMed
The sequence variability of protective antigens is a major challenge to the development of vaccines. For Neisseria meningitidis, the bacterial pathogen that causes meningitis, the amino acid sequence of the protective antigen factor H binding protein (fHBP) has more than 300 variations. These sequence differences can be classified into three distinct groups of antigenic variants that do not induce cross-protective immunity. Our goal was to generate a single antigen that would induce immunity against all known sequence variants of N. meningitidis. To achieve this, we rationally designed, expressed, and purified 54 different mutants of fHBP and tested them in mice for the induction of protective immunity. We identified and determined the crystal structure of a lead chimeric antigen that was able to induce high levels of cross-protective antibodies in mice against all variant strains tested. The new fHBP antigen had a conserved backbone that carried an engineered surface containing specificities for all three variant groups. We demonstrate that the structure-based design of multiple immunodominant antigenic surfaces on a single protein scaffold is possible and represents an effective way to create broadly protective vaccines.
Rational design of a meningococcal antigen inducing broad protective immunity.,Scarselli M, Arico B, Brunelli B, Savino S, Di Marcello F, Palumbo E, Veggi D, Ciucchi L, Cartocci E, Bottomley MJ, Malito E, Lo Surdo P, Comanducci M, Giuliani MM, Cantini F, Dragonetti S, Colaprico A, Doro F, Giannetti P, Pallaoro M, Brogioni B, Tontini M, Hilleringmann M, Nardi-Dei V, Banci L, Pizza M, Rappuoli R Sci Transl Med. 2011 Jul 13;3(91):91ra62. PMID:21753121[8]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
References
- ↑ Masignani V, Comanducci M, Giuliani MM, Bambini S, Adu-Bobie J, Arico B, Brunelli B, Pieri A, Santini L, Savino S, Serruto D, Litt D, Kroll S, Welsch JA, Granoff DM, Rappuoli R, Pizza M. Vaccination against Neisseria meningitidis using three variants of the lipoprotein GNA1870. J Exp Med. 2003 Mar 17;197(6):789-99. PMID:12642606 doi:10.1084/jem.20021911
- ↑ Fletcher LD, Bernfield L, Barniak V, Farley JE, Howell A, Knauf M, Ooi P, Smith RP, Weise P, Wetherell M, Xie X, Zagursky R, Zhang Y, Zlotnick GW. Vaccine potential of the Neisseria meningitidis 2086 lipoprotein. Infect Immun. 2004 Apr;72(4):2088-100. PMID:15039331 doi:10.1128/IAI.72.4.2088-2100.2004
- ↑ Giuliani MM, Santini L, Brunelli B, Biolchi A, Aricò B, Di Marcello F, Cartocci E, Comanducci M, Masignani V, Lozzi L, Savino S, Scarselli M, Rappuoli R, Pizza M. The region comprising amino acids 100 to 255 of Neisseria meningitidis lipoprotein GNA 1870 elicits bactericidal antibodies. Infect Immun. 2005 Feb;73(2):1151-60. PMID:15664958 doi:10.1128/IAI.73.2.1151-1160.2005
- ↑ Schneider MC, Exley RM, Chan H, Feavers I, Kang YH, Sim RB, Tang CM. Functional significance of factor H binding to Neisseria meningitidis. J Immunol. 2006 Jun 15;176(12):7566-75. PMID:16751403 doi:10.4049/jimmunol.176.12.7566
- ↑ Scarselli M, Arico B, Brunelli B, Savino S, Di Marcello F, Palumbo E, Veggi D, Ciucchi L, Cartocci E, Bottomley MJ, Malito E, Lo Surdo P, Comanducci M, Giuliani MM, Cantini F, Dragonetti S, Colaprico A, Doro F, Giannetti P, Pallaoro M, Brogioni B, Tontini M, Hilleringmann M, Nardi-Dei V, Banci L, Pizza M, Rappuoli R. Rational design of a meningococcal antigen inducing broad protective immunity. Sci Transl Med. 2011 Jul 13;3(91):91ra62. PMID:21753121 doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.3002234
- ↑ Johnson S, Tan L, van der Veen S, Caesar J, Goicoechea De Jorge E, Harding RJ, Bai X, Exley RM, Ward PN, Ruivo N, Trivedi K, Cumber E, Jones R, Newham L, Staunton D, Ufret-Vincenty R, Borrow R, Pickering MC, Lea SM, Tang CM. Design and Evaluation of Meningococcal Vaccines through Structure-Based Modification of Host and Pathogen Molecules. PLoS Pathog. 2012 Oct;8(10):e1002981. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002981. Epub, 2012 Oct 25. PMID:23133374 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1002981
- ↑ Schneider MC, Prosser BE, Caesar JJ, Kugelberg E, Li S, Zhang Q, Quoraishi S, Lovett JE, Deane JE, Sim RB, Roversi P, Johnson S, Tang CM, Lea SM. Neisseria meningitidis recruits factor H using protein mimicry of host carbohydrates. Nature. 2009 Apr 16;458(7240):890-3. Epub 2009 Feb 18. PMID:19225461 doi:10.1038/nature07769
- ↑ Scarselli M, Arico B, Brunelli B, Savino S, Di Marcello F, Palumbo E, Veggi D, Ciucchi L, Cartocci E, Bottomley MJ, Malito E, Lo Surdo P, Comanducci M, Giuliani MM, Cantini F, Dragonetti S, Colaprico A, Doro F, Giannetti P, Pallaoro M, Brogioni B, Tontini M, Hilleringmann M, Nardi-Dei V, Banci L, Pizza M, Rappuoli R. Rational design of a meningococcal antigen inducing broad protective immunity. Sci Transl Med. 2011 Jul 13;3(91):91ra62. PMID:21753121 doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.3002234
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