CS Protein Research Articles

Alanine substitutions of noncysteine residues in the cysteine‐stabilized αβ motif

The protein scaffold is a peptide framework with a high tolerance of residue modifications. The cysteine-stabilized alphabeta motif (CS alphabeta) consists of an alpha-helix and an antiparallel triple-stranded beta-sheet connected by two disulfide bridges. Proteins containing this motif share low sequence identity but high structural similarity and has been suggested as a good scaffold for protein engineering. The Vigna radiate defensin 1 (VrD1), a plant defensin, serves here as a model protein to probe the amino acid tolerance of CS alphabeta motif. A systematic alanine substitution is performed on the VrD1. The key residues governing the inhibitory function and structure stability are monitored. Thirty-two of 46 residue positions of VrD1 are altered by site-directed mutagenesis techniques. The circular dichroism spectrum, intrinsic fluorescence spectrum, and chemical denaturation are used to analyze the conformation and structural stability of proteins. The secondary structures were highly tolerant to the amino acid substitutions; however, the protein stabilities were varied for each mutant. Many mutants, although they maintained their conformations, altered their inhibitory function significantly. In this study, we reported the first alanine scan on the plant defensin containing the CS alphabeta motif. The information is valuable to the scaffold with the CS alphabeta motif and protein engineering.

Studies on the humoral immune response to a synthetic vaccine against Plasmodium falciparum malaria

A synthetic vaccine against the asexual blood stages of P. falciparum, the SPf 66 synthetic hybrid polymer, composed of peptides derived from three merozoite membrane proteins as well as one peptide from the sporozoite CS protein, has been developed by our group and tested in different protection assays in Aotus monkeys as well as in human volunteers. This study evaluates the humoral immune response induced by the SPf 66 protein vaccination in adult human volunteers from the Colombian Pacific coast as follows: determination of specific IgG antibody levels against SPf 66 by FAST-ELISA after each immunization; analysis of antibody reactivity with P. falciparum schizont lysates by immunoblots; and determination of the in vitro parasite growth inhibition. A clear boosting effect, dependent on time and dose, was observed in the antibody production kinetics. These antibodies also specifically recognize three proteins of the P. falciparum schizont lysate corresponding to the molecular weights of the proteins from which the amino acid sequence was derived. These sera were also capable of markedly inhibiting in vitro parasite growth.

Long‐term caloric restriction decreases mitochondrial bioenergetic efficiency in the skeletal muscle of the Cu/Zn‐SOD mutant male G93A mouse, an animal model of ALS

Long‐term caloric restriction (CR) attenuates oxidative stress, delays the onset of morbidity and prolongs life span. Contrarily, we previously reported that long‐term CR transiently improved motor performance but hastened clinical onset, shortened life span, and increased malondialdehyde (marker of oxidative damage) in the male G93A mouse, a transgenic animal model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (Hamadeh et al., 2005; Patel et al., 2007). We hypothesized that CR would decrease mitochondrial oxidative capacity and the adaptive increase in antioxidant enzyme response in G93A mice. At age 40 d, 24 separately caged G93A mice were randomly divided into ad libitum (AL, n = 12; 6 males) or CR (n = 12; 6 males; 60% of AL). We measured protein content of TCA cycle (citrate synthase‐CS), electron transport chain (COX subunit–IV), and antioxidant enzymes (Mn‐SOD, Cu/Zn‐SOD), as well as CS and COX enzyme activity in the quadriceps at age 99 d. CR decreased COX/CS enzyme activity in males (35%, P = 0.034) despite a 2.3 fold increase in COX‐IV/CS protein content (P = 0.059), indicative of impaired mitochondrial oxidative capacity. Mn‐SOD and Cu/Zn‐SOD protein content remained unchanged. We conclude that CR increases the content of mitochondrial respiratory chain to compensate for its reduced bioenergetic efficiency, which in conjunction with unaltered antioxidant capacity and increased oxidative damage could exacerbate disease outcomes in male G93A mice. (Supported by Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation and NSERC Canada)

Trigger Factor can antagonize both SecB and DnaK/DnaJ chaperone functions in Escherichia coli

Polypeptides emerging from the ribosome are assisted by a pool of molecular chaperones and targeting factors, which enable them to efficiently partition as cytoplasmic, integral membrane, or exported proteins. In Escherichia coli, the chaperones SecB, Trigger Factor (TF), and DnaK are key players in this process. Here, we report that, as with dnaK or dnaJ mutants, a secB null strain exhibits a strong cold-sensitive (Cs) phenotype. Through suppressor analyses, we found that inactivating mutations in the tig gene encoding TF fully relieve both the Cs phenotype and protein aggregation observed in the absence of SecB. This antagonistic effect of TF depends on its ribosome-binding and chaperone activities but unrelated to its peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase (PPIase) activity. Furthermore, in contrast to the previously known synergistic action of TF and DnaK/DnaJ above 30 degrees C, a tig null mutation partially suppresses the Cs phenotype exhibited by a compromised DnaK/DnaJ chaperone machine. The antagonistic role of TF is further exemplified by the fact that the secB dnaJ double mutant is viable only in the absence of TF. Finally, we show that, in the absence of TF, more SecA and ribosomes are associated with the inner membrane, suggesting that the presence of TF directly or indirectly interferes with the process of cotranslational protein targeting to the Sec translocon.

A Novel ChimericPlasmodium vivaxCircumsporozoite Protein Induces Biologically Functional Antibodies That Recognize both VK210 and VK247 Sporozoites

A successful vaccine against Plasmodium vivax malaria would significantly improve the health and quality of the lives of more than 1 billion people around the world. A subunit vaccine is the only option in the absence of long-term culture of P. vivax parasites. The circumsporozoite protein that covers the surface of Plasmodium sporozoites is one of the best-studied malarial antigens and the most promising vaccine in clinical trials. We report here the development of a novel "immunologically optimal" recombinant vaccine expressed in Escherichia coli that encodes a chimeric CS protein encompassing repeats from the two major alleles, VK210 and VK247. This molecule is widely recognized by sera from patients naturally exposed to P. vivax infection and induces a highly potent immune response in genetically disparate strains of mice. Antibodies from immunized animals recognize both VK210 and VK247 sporozoites. Furthermore, these antibodies appear to be protective in nature since they cause the agglutination of live sporozoites, an in vitro surrogate of sporozoite infectivity. These results strongly suggest that recombinant CS is biologically active and highly immunogenic across major histocompatibility complex strains and raises the prospect that in humans this vaccine may induce protective immune responses.

Expression and immunogenicity of the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein: The role of GPI signal sequence

Previous studies have shown that the immunogenicity of rodent malaria parasite-derived circumsporozoite protein (CS) can be improved by deleting the glycosyl-phosphatidyl-inositol (GPI) signal sequence. To study whether GPI signal sequence deletion would also improve immunogenicity of CS derived from the major plasmodium species causing mortality in humans ( P. falciparum), we tested different variants of the P. falciparum CS protein in the context of a live vector-based vaccine carrier (rAd35). We demonstrate that deletion of the GPI signal sequence from CS did not result in altered expression or secretion. In contrast, cellular localization was clearly altered, which perhaps helps to explain the significant improvement of anti-CS antibody and T-cell responses observed in mice using deletion variants in the context of the rAd35 carrier. Our results show that rational design of antigens is warranted for further development of malaria vaccines.

Role of AMPKα2 in basal, training-, and AICAR-induced GLUT4, hexokinase II, and mitochondrial protein expression in mouse muscle

We investigated the role of AMPKalpha2in basal, exercise training-, and AICAR-induced protein expression of GLUT4, hexokinase II (HKII), mitochondrial markers, and AMPK subunits. This was conducted in red (RG) and white gastrocnemius (WG) muscle from wild-type (WT) and alpha2-knockout (KO) mice after 28 days of activity wheel running or daily AICAR injection. Additional experiments were conducted to measure acute activation of AMPK by exercise and AICAR. At basal, mitochondrial markers were reduced by approximately 20% in alpha2-KO muscles compared with WT. In both muscle types, AMPKalpha2 activity was increased in response to both stimuli, whereas AMPKalpha1 activity was increased only in response to exercise. Furthermore, AMPK signaling was estimated to be 60-70% lower in alpha2-KO compared with WT muscles. In WG, AICAR treatment increased HKII, GLUT4, cytochrome c, COX-1, and CS, and the alpha2-KO abolished the AICAR-induced increases, whereas no AICAR responses were observed in RG. Exercise training increased GLUT4, HKII, COX-1, CS, and HAD protein in WG, but the alpha2-KO did not affect training-induced increases. Furthermore, AMPKalpha1, -alpha2, -beta1, -beta2, and -gamma3 subunits were reduced in RG, but not in WG, by 30-60% in response to exercise training. In conclusion, the alpha2-KO was associated with an approximately 20% reduction in mitochondrial markers in both muscle types and abolished AICAR-induced increases in protein expression in WG. However, the alpha2-KO did not reduce training-induced increases in HKII, GLUT4, COX-1, HAD, or CS protein in WG, suggesting that AMPKalpha2 may not be essential for metabolic adaptations of skeletal muscles to exercise training.

Training of late middle aged rats increases oxidative capacity without increasing mitochondrial content

There is some evidence that aged muscle does not increase mitochondrial protein content after exercise training, suggesting an improvement in mitochondrial quality rather than quantity. The purpose of this study was to determine if an improvement in oxidative capacity without an increase in mitochondrial content also occurs in a rat model, and to investigate one of the markers involved in mitochondrial biogenesis. Late middle aged (28 mo; 70% survival rate) Fisher 344-BN male rats performed treadmill running exercise 5 times/wk for 7 wk and were compared to an age-matched sedentary group. Muscle aerobic performance was assessed using a pump-perfused hindlimb model. Contralateral gastrocnemius and plantaris muscles were harvested for biochemical and molecular measurements. Endurance training increased muscle VO2 max (15%) and citrate synthase and complex IV activity (~25%) compared to the control group. CS protein content was not significantly different between training and sedentary groups, suggesting that mitochondrial content did not increase with training. PGC-1α protein but not mRNA was increased only in the plantaris muscle with training. These results show that endurance training of late middle aged rats increases oxidative enzyme activity without an increase in protein content. The training-induced improvement in mitochondrial function but not content may occur secondary to increased mitochondrial turnover. Supported by CIHR and the Alberta Provincial CIHR Training Program in Bone and Joint Health

Kupffer and stellate cell proteoglycans mediate malaria sporozoite targeting to the liver

Malaria-infected mosquitoes inoculate Plasmodium sporozoites into the subcutaneous connective tissue of the mammalian host. Within minutes after entering a capillary at the bite site, thesporozoites travel to the liver where they invade their initial target cells, the hepatocytes. Sporozoite arrest in the liver sinusoid is thought to be mediated by the specific binding of the two major Plasmodium sporozoite surface proteins, the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) and the thrombospondin-related adhesive protein (TRAP), to the unique heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) of the liver [1]. Earlier work had shown that the interaction occurs between highly sulfated heparin-like oligosaccharides in heparan sulfate and two domains in CSP, a thrombospondin-like cell-adhesive region II-plus at the C-terminus and a positively charged motif upstream from the conserved region I. Similarly, the ectodomain of TRAP contains two adhesive motifs, an integrin-like A domain and a thrombospondin-like adhesive domain, that interact with host cell proteoglycans [2]. Heparan sulfate from the liver exhibits an unusually high degree of sulfation compared to heparan sulfate species from all other tissues [3]. This unique composition is most likely the reason for the remarkably selective targeting of recombinant CS protein to the liver, which occurs despite the presence of HSPGs on most other cell types. The vascular endothelium, in particular, expresses a heparan sulfate species which is clearly undersulfated. Once arrested in the liver sinusoid, Plasmodium sporozoites have to cross the sinusoidal cell layer to invade hepatocytes. It was proposed that sporozoites infect hepatocytes directly by squeezing through the endothelial fenestration [4], although they exceed the maximum pore size of the sieve plates by an order of magnitude [5]. This event, however, has never been observed, nor have sporozoites been found passing through the cytoplasm of endothelial cells. Others suggested that Kupffer cells use their scavenger function to remove sporozoites from the bloodstream by phagocytosis, and that a small percentage of the parasites traverses the Kupffer cells fast enough to escape respiratory burst and lysosomal digestion and to invade hepatocytes [6]. We analyzed the proteoglycans involved in sporozoite targeting to the liver and the route of the parasites take into the liver parenchyma.

Function of Region I and II Adhesive Motifs ofPlasmodium falciparum Circumsporozoite Protein in Sporozoite Motility and Infectivity

The circumsporozoite protein of Plasmodium falciparum contains two conserved motifs (regions I and II) that have been proposed to interact with mosquito and vertebrate host molecules in the process of sporozoite invasion of salivary glands and hepatocytes, respectively. To study the function of this protein we have replaced the endogenous circumsporozoite protein gene of Plasmodium berghei with that of P. falciparum and with versions lacking either region I or region II. We show here that P. falciparum circumsporozoite protein functions in rodent parasite and that P. berghei sporozoites carrying the P. falciparum CS gene develop normally, are motile, invade mosquito salivary glands, and infect the vertebrate host. Region I-deficient sporozoites showed no impairment of motility or infectivity in either vector or vertebrate host. Disruption of region II abolished sporozoite motility and dramatically impaired their ability to invade mosquito salivary glands and infect the vertebrate host. These data shed new light on the role of the CS protein in sporozoite motility and infectivity.

A study of genetic diversity in the gene encoding the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) of Plasmodium falciparum from different transmission areas--XVI. Asembo Bay Cohort Project.

We have investigated the genetic diversity of the gene encoding the CS protein. A total of 75 complete and 96 partial sequences are studied. We find high levels of genetic polymorphisms as evidenced by 50 and 24 alleles at the Th2R and Th3R epitopes, respectively. Overall, we find that African isolates are more polymorphic as compared with parasites from other geographic regions. We conclude that the uneven geographic polymorphism may have an adverse impact on the effectiveness of vaccines based on this antigen alone. We find extensive polymorphism in the repeat allotypes, or RATs. In order to explore how the protein structure may impose restrictions in the number of repeats, we have simulated the stability of the structure of the tandem repeat region. Our analysis suggests that the protein structure may play an important role in the observed polymorphism in the number of CS repeats in Plasmodium falciparum. We explored the linkage and recombination events among the polymorphic sites. We found that putative recombination events overlap with linked sites. We discuss how this pattern is explained by the action of positive natural selection, where the recombination events detected are convergent mutations. We conclude that it is inappropriate to use linkage-recombination patterns on genes under positive selection for assessing the structure of parasite populations.

Proteoglycans mediate malaria sporozoite targeting to the liver.

Malaria sporozoites are rapidly targeted to the liver where they pass through Kupffer cells and infect hepatocytes, their initial site of replication in the mammalian host. We show that sporozoites, as well as their major surface proteins, the CS protein and TRAP, recognize distinct cell type-specific surface proteoglycans from primary Kupffer cells, hepatocytes and stellate cells, but not from sinusoidal endothelia. Recombinant Plasmodium falciparum CS protein and TRAP bind to heparan sulphate on hepatocytes and both heparan and chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans on stellate cells. On Kupffer cells, CS protein predominantly recognizes chondroitin sulphate, whereas TRAP binding is glycosaminoglycan independent. Plasmodium berghei sporozoites attach to heparan sulphate on hepatocytes and stellate cells, whereas Kupffer cell recognition involves both chondroitin sulphate and heparan sulphate proteoglycans. CS protein also interacts with secreted proteoglycans from stellate cells, the major producers of extracellular matrix in the liver. In situ binding studies using frozen liver sections indicate that the majority of the CS protein binding sites are associated with these matrix proteoglycans. Our data suggest that sporozoites are first arrested in the sinusoid by binding to extracellular matrix proteoglycans and then recognize proteoglycans on the surface of Kupffer cells, which they use to traverse the sinusoidal cell barrier.

Levels of circumsporozoite protein in the Plasmodium oocyst determine sporozoite morphology.

The sporozoite stage of the Plasmodium parasite is formed by budding from a multinucleate oocyst in the mosquito midgut. During their life, sporozoites must infect the salivary glands of the mosquito vector and the liver of the mammalian host; both events depend on the major sporozoite surface protein, the circumsporozoite protein (CS). We previously reported that Plasmodium berghei oocysts in which the CS gene is inactivated do not form sporozoites. Here, we analyzed the ultrastructure of P.berghei oocyst differentiation in the wild type, recombinants that do not produce or produce reduced amounts of CS, and corresponding complemented clones. The results indicate that CS is essential for establishing polarity in the oocyst. The amounts of CS protein correlate with the extent of development of the inner membranes and associated microtubules underneath the oocyst outer membrane, which normally demarcate focal budding sites. This is a first example of a protein controlling both morphogenesis and infectivity of a parasite stage.

Disruption of disulfide linkages of the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein: effects on cytotoxic and antibody responses in mice

The circumsporozoite protein is a predominant surface antigen present on Plasmodium sporozoites. In Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein (PfCSP), two cysteine residues (396 and 401) are present adjacent to two overlapping cytotoxic T-lymphocyte epitopes of the protein and are involved in the formation of disulfide bridges. We investigated the role of these cysteines on the cellular and antibody responses towards the CS protein because disruption of disulfide linkages and the presence of cysteine residues in the flanking region of an epitope has been shown to significantly alter the immune responses to various proteins. Mice were immunized with variant forms of PfCSP DNA vaccine plasmids where these cysteine residues were individually mutated to alanine. The plasmid vaccines induced antigen specific antibody and cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses. While no alterations of cysteine influenced the CTL responses to P. falciparum CS protein, vaccine pVRCS4, containing an altered cysteine at position 401, dramatically improved the antibody response to the carboxyl-terminal region of the protein. This work indicates that sequence alterations of genes in an anti-malarial vaccine could enhance the response towards the native protein. Given the fact that long term natural immunity to the pathogen has not been documented, it may be important to challenge the immune system with non-native proteins.

The synthetic, oxidized C-terminal fragment of thePlasmodium. berghei circumsporozoite protein elicits a high protective response

A polypeptide of 69 amino acids (PbCS 242-310) encompassing the C-terminal region of the circumsporozoite protein of Plasmodium berghei (PbCS) was generated using solid-phase peptide synthesis. The immunological and protective properties of peptide PbCS 242-310 were studied in BALB/c mice (H-2d). Two subcutaneous injections, in the presence of IFA at the base of the tail, generated (i) high titers of anti-peptide antibodies which also recognized the native P. berghei CS protein, (ii) cytolytic T cells specific for the Kd-restricted peptide PbCS 245-253 and (iii) partial CD8+-dependent protection against sporozoite-induced malaria. The same frequencies of peptide PbCS 245-253 specific CD8+ T cells were found by IFN-gamma ELISPOT in the draining lymph nodes of animals immunized with the short optimal CTL peptide 245-253 or with the polypeptide 242-310, indicating that the longer polypeptide can be processed and presented in vivo in the context of MHC class I as efficiently as the short CTL peptide. Interestingly, higher levels of IFN-gamma producing CD8 T cells and protection were observed when the four cysteine residues present in the C-terminal peptide were fully oxidized. These findings underline the potential importance of the chemical nature of the C-terminal fragment on the activation of the immune system and concomitant protection.

The synthetic, oxidized C-terminal fragment of the Plasmodium berghei circumsporozoite protein elicits a high protective response.

A polypeptide of 69 amino acids (PbCS 242-310) encompassing the C-terminal region of the circumsporozoite protein of Plasmodium berghei (PbCS) was generated using solid-phase peptide synthesis. The immunological and protective properties of peptide PbCS 242-310 were studied in BALB/c mice (H-2d). Two subcutaneous injections, in the presence of IFA at the base of the tail, generated (i) high titers of anti-peptide antibodies which also recognized the native P. berghei CS protein, (ii) cytolytic T cells specific for the Kd-restricted peptide PbCS 245-253 and (iii) partial CD8+-dependent protection against sporozoite-induced malaria. The same frequencies of peptide PbCS 245-253 specific CD8+ T cells were found by IFN-gamma ELISPOT in the draining lymph nodes of animals immunized with the short optimal CTL peptide 245-253 or with the polypeptide 242-310, indicating that the longer polypeptide can be processed and presented in vivo in the context of MHC class I as efficiently as the short CTL peptide. Interestingly, higher levels of IFN-gamma producing CD8 T cells and protection were observed when the four cysteine residues present in the C-terminal peptide were fully oxidized. These findings underline the potential importance of the chemical nature of the C-terminal fragment on the activation of the immune system and concomitant protection.

Developmental arrest of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum within the mosquito midgut via CTRP gene disruption.

Apicomplexan protozoa possess a family of micronemal and cell surface-associated proteins, each comprised a combination of cell-adhesive vertebrate von Willebrand factor (vWF)-like A domains and thrombospondin (TSP) type 1-like domains. The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum has in the extracellular portion of the CS protein TRAP-related protein (CTRP) six tandemly arrayed A domains followed by seven TSP type 1-like domains, whereas a second member of this family, thrombospondin-related anonymous protein (TRAP), contains a single vWF-like A domain and a single TSP type 1-like domain. Here we show that CTRP transcripts are present within the infected mosquito midgut and that CTRP protein is expressed with a punctate distribution and a predominance at the apical end of mosquito midgut-stage ookinetes. This expression pattern is analogous to micronemal expression of TRAP in Plasmodium sporozoites. Disruption of the CTRP gene by homologous recombination in cultures of the human malaria parasite P. falciparum demonstrates that CTRP is essential for mosquito midgut development. Oocyst formation was never observed following membrane feeds of CTRP disruptant lines to Anopheline mosquitoes, despite the development of mature ookinetes. We propose that CTRP is involved in essential recognition or motility processes at the ookinete cell surface within the mosquito midgut.

Interferon-gamma-independent CD8+ T cell-mediated protective anti-malaria immunity elicited by recombinant adenovirus.

Recombinant adenovirus, expressing the CS protein of Plasmodium yoelii, AdPyCS, was shown to induce a comparable degree of T cell-mediated protection against malaria as a single dose of irradiated P. yoelii sporozoites, causing inhibition of liver stage development. We now report that differently from sporozoite-induced immunity, interferon (IFN)-gamma does not mediate the protective immunity induced by AdPyCS, since a similar degree of protection was observed in AdPyCS immunized mice lacking IFN-gamma-/- and the IFN-gamma receptor (IFN-gammaR-/-) compared to that in wild-type mice. Depletion of CD8+ T cells from these immunized mice almost completely abolished the AdPyCS-induced immunity, indicating that the immunization with AdPyCS induces CD8+ T cell-mediated protective anti-malaria immunity, which is independent of IFN-gamma.

Potentiation of immune response against the RESA peptides of Plasmodium falciparum by incorporating a universal T-cell epitope (CS.T3) and an immunomodulator (polytuftsin), and delivery through liposomes.

Synthetic peptides representing repeat sequences of ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (RESA) of Plasmodium falciparum have shown poor immunogenicity and protection. In this study, the RESA peptides [(EENVEHDA)2 and (DDEHVEEPTVA)2] were chemically linked to a universal T-cell determinant, CS.T3, derived from the CS protein of P. falciparum. Polytuftsin (TKPR)40, a polymer of naturally occurring immunomodulator "tuftsin," was physically mixed with these conjugates. These preparations in alum and liposomes were immunized in four inbred strains of mice with different genetic backgrounds to study the humoral response. In the case of liposome-entrapped preparations, a 10 microg dose of antigen showed the optimum antibody response. Mice immunized with liposome containing RESA peptide(s)-CS.T3 conjugate along with polytuftsin showed the highest antibody levels in all the strains, whereas the RESA peptide(s) alone, adsorbed on alum or entrapped in liposomes, showed either poor or moderate antibody levels. The antibodies raised against liposome-entrapped preparations in both high-responder strain (SJL/J H-2s) and low-responder strain (FVB/J H-2q) showed 2 4-fold lower Kd values as compared to the alum adsorbed preparations, suggestive of high affinity antibodies. All the antigen preparations predominantly induced IgG2a and IgG2b isotype response, suggesting that the T-helper response involved is of the CD4 Thl type. The in vitro merozoite reinvasion inhibition assay showed 50-92% inhibition with sera raised against different antigen formulations. The highest percentage inhibition was observed with the RESA peptide-CS.T3 conjugate containing polytuftsin in liposomes. Thus, the incorporation of peptide antigens inside liposomes not only reduced the antigen dose by 5-fold but also elicited a high titre with high affinity antibodies and the inhibition of merozoites to RBC in vitro. Therefore, we conclude that the incorporation of these synthetic constructs in liposomes could be a useful strategy for the development of a subunit immunogen against malaria.

Broadly distributed T cell reactivity, with no immunodominant loci, to the pre-erythrocytic antigen thrombospondin-related adhesive protein of Plasmodium falciparum in West Africans

Protective immunity to malaria has been achieved in human volunteers utilizing the pre-erythrocytic Plasmodium falciparum antigen, the circumsporozoite protein (CS). However, T cell reactivity to CS is focused on several highly polymorphic T cell epitope regions, potentially limiting the efficacy of any vaccine to specific malaria strains. Another important pre-erythrocytic malaria antigen, the thrombospondin-related adhesive protein (TRAP), can induce protection in animal models of malaria, but knowledge of human T cell responses is limited to the identification of CD8 T cell epitopes, with no CD4 epitopes identified to date. This comprehensive study assessed reactivity to overlapping peptides spanning almost the whole of P. falciparum TRAP (PfTRAP), as well as peptides selected on the basis of HLA class II-binding motifs. A total of 50 naturally exposed Gambian adults were assessed to define 26 T cell epitopes in PfTRAP capable of inducing rapid IFN-γ or IL-4 production, as assessed by enzyme-linked immunospot assays. In contrast to the CS protein, this reactivity was broadly distributed along the length of TRAP. Moreover, of the 26 epitopes identified, 10 were found to be conserved in West Africa.