Mannosylated mucin-type immunoglobulin fusion proteins enhance antigen-specific antibody and T lymphocyte responses

PLoS One. 2012;7(10):e46959. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0046959. Epub 2012 Oct 12.

Abstract

Targeting antigens to antigen-presenting cells (APC) improve their immunogenicity and capacity to induce Th1 responses and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). We have generated a mucin-type immunoglobulin fusion protein (PSGL-1/mIgG(2b)), which upon expression in the yeast Pichia pastoris became multivalently substituted with O-linked oligomannose structures and bound the macrophage mannose receptor (MMR) and dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3 grabbing non-integrin (DC-SIGN) with high affinity in vitro. Here, its effects on the humoral and cellular anti-ovalbumin (OVA) responses in C57BL/6 mice are presented.OVA antibody class and subclass responses were determined by ELISA, the generation of anti-OVA CTLs was assessed in (51)Cr release assays using in vitro-stimulated immune spleen cells from the different groups of mice as effector cells and OVA peptide-fed RMA-S cells as targets, and evaluation of the type of Th cell response was done by IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-5 ELISpot assays.Immunizations with the OVA - mannosylated PSGL-1/mIgG(2b) conjugate, especially when combined with the AbISCO®-100 adjuvant, lead to faster, stronger and broader (with regard to IgG subclass) OVA IgG responses, a stronger OVA-specific CTL response and stronger Th1 and Th2 responses than if OVA was used alone or together with AbISCO®-100. Also non-covalent mixing of mannosylated PSGL-1/mIgG(2b), OVA and AbISCO®-100 lead to relatively stronger humoral and cellular responses. The O-glycan oligomannoses were necessary because PSGL-1/mIgG(2b) with mono- and disialyl core 1 structures did not have this effect.Mannosylated mucin-type fusion proteins can be used as versatile APC-targeting molecules for vaccines and as such enhance both humoral and cellular immune responses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies / immunology*
  • Antigens / immunology*
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Immunization / methods
  • Immunoglobulin G / genetics
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology*
  • Immunoglobulin G / metabolism
  • Interferon-gamma / immunology
  • Interferon-gamma / metabolism
  • Interleukin-2 / immunology
  • Interleukin-2 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-4 / immunology
  • Interleukin-4 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-5 / immunology
  • Interleukin-5 / metabolism
  • Mannose / immunology
  • Mannose / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mucins / genetics
  • Mucins / immunology*
  • Mucins / metabolism
  • Ovalbumin / chemistry
  • Ovalbumin / immunology
  • Ovalbumin / metabolism
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / immunology
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / metabolism
  • Th1 Cells / immunology*
  • Th1 Cells / metabolism

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Antigens
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Interleukin-2
  • Interleukin-5
  • Mucins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Interleukin-4
  • Interferon-gamma
  • Ovalbumin
  • Mannose

Grants and funding

This work was mainly financed by Recopharma AB. Further support was given by the Swedish Research Council/Medicine (K2011-65X-3031-01-6) and the County Councils of Stockholm and Västra Götaland (ALF) to JH, and the Research Council of Norrbotten, Innovationsbron and Längmanska företagarfonden to UR. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.