An Indirect ELISA of Classical Swine Fever Virus Based on Quadruple Antigenic Epitope Peptide Expressed in E.coli

In this study,a synthesized quadruple antigenic epitope gene region of the classical swine fever virus (CSFV)E2 glycoprotein was expressed in E.coli to a obtain target protein.This target protein was used as a coating antigen to establish an indirect ELISA for specifically detecting anti-CSFV antibodies in serum samples from pigs.The P/N cut-off value of this assay was 1.92 by receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC)analysis based on 30 negative sera and 80 positive samples.The test gave 97.5%sensitivity and 96.7%specificity compared with the indirect hemagglutination(IHA)test.The inter-assay and intra-assay coefficients of variation (CVs)for 16 sera were both≤6.8%.No cross-reactivity between the coating antigen and anti-bovine viral diarrhoea virus(BVDV)antibodies was observed.

Antigenicity of tissues and organs from GGTA1/CMAH/β4GalNT2 triple gene knockout pigs

Clinical xenotransplantations have been hampered by human preformed antibody-mediated damage of the xenografts.To overcome biological incompatibility between pigs and humans,one strategy is to remove the major antigens[Gal,Neu5 Gc,and Sd(a)]present on pig cells and tissues.Triple gene(GGTAI,CMAH,and β4 GalNT2)knockout(TKO)pigs were produced in our laboratory by CRISPR-Cas9 targeting.To investigate the antigenicity reduction in the TKO pigs,the expression levels of these three xenoantigens in the cornea,heart,liver,spleen,lung,kidney,and pancreas tissues were examined.The level of human IgG/IgM binding to those tissues was also investigated,with wildtype pig tissues as control.The results showed that aGal,Neu5 Gc,and Sd(a)were markedly positive in all the examined tissues in wildtype pigs but barely detected in TKO pigs.Compared to wildtype pigs,the liver,spleen,and pancreas of TKO pigs showed comparable levels of human IgG and IgM binding,whereas corneas,heart,lung,and kidney of TKO pigs exhibited significantly reduced human IgG and IgM binding.These results indicate that the antigenicity of TKO pig is significantly reduced and the remaining xenoantigens on porcine tissues can be eliminated via a gene targeting approach.

An Inactivated Vaccine from a Field Strain of Bovine Herpesvirus-1(BoHV-1) has High Antigenic Mass and Induces Strong Efficacy in a Rabbit Model

Bovine Herpesvirus-1 （BoHV-1） is a DNA virus belonging to the family Herpesviridae, subfamily Alfaherpesvirinae; it is a worldwide pathogen, causing serious economic losses in livestock. In Colombia there have been multiple isolates of BoHV-1 that have been subjected to molecular characterization, classifying most of the country isolates as BoHV-I.1. In the present study we developed and evaluated an ethyleneimine binary inactivated isolate from the native BoHV-1 strain （C6rdoba-2） in a rabbit model of vaccination and infection. The vaccine was evaluated in two phases, one of immunogenicity with vaccination and a booster after 21 days, and an evaluation phase of protection against challenge with a highly virulent reference strain. The results demonstrate optimum serum-conversion, with protective neutralizing antibody titers 28 days post vaccination and optimal protection against challenge with the reference strain with decreased clinical signs of infection, protection against the onset of fever and decrease of virus excretion post challenge. In conclusion, our results show the enormous potential that an immunogenic inactivated vaccine has produced from the native BoHV-I.1 strain, which produces a high antigen mass to the vaccine to induce optimal immunity and protection, and it is a strong candidate for evaluation and possible future use in different cattle populations.

Effect of extrusion on the structure and antigenicity of soybean β-conglycinin

β-Conglycinin,the main component of 7S globulin in soybean protein,is also a key soybean antigen protein that causes allergic reactions.Extrusion technologies have received considerable attention as amethod for modifying soybean protein allergens.This study investigated the changes inβ-conglycinin structure and antigenicity upon extrusion.Isoelectric precipitation,ammoniumsulfate precipitation,and sepharose CL-6B gel filtration were used to isolate and purifyβ-conglycinin from soybean powder,and single-factor and orthogonal tests were used to study the effects of water content,extrusion temperature,screw rotation speed,and feeding speed on the antigenicity ofβ-conglycinin after extrusion.Fourier transforminfrared spectrometry(FTIR)was then employed to analyze the structure ofβ-conglycinin after extrusion under the optimal conditions determined by the orthogonal test.The results showed that extrusion significantly reduced the antigenicity ofβ-conglycinin(P<0.05),and the degree of influence of the factors studied may be ordered as extrusion temperature>feeding speed>screw rotation speed>water content.The optimal parameters were temperature at 130°C,screwrotation speed at 140 r/min,and feeding speed at 35 g/min.Under these conditions,the contents ofα-helix,β-pleated sheet,andβ-turn structures inβ-conglycinin were significantly reduced(P<0.05),while the contents of random coils were significantly increased(P<0.05).The peak absorption intensity of amides I,II,and III also decreased.Taken together,the findings suggest that extrusion could be an effective method for reducing the antigenicity ofβ-conglycinin.

Study on enzymatic hydrolysis of soybean β-conglycinin using alkaline protease from Bacillus subtilis ACCC 01746 and antigenicity of its hydrolysates

Due to its beneficial health effects,the use of soybean protein has shown a continuous increase,but concerns regarding the allergenicity of soybean antigenic protein have also increased.This study aimed to evaluate the hydrolytic effects of a non-commercial alkaline protease isolated from the Bacillus subtilis ACCC 01746 on soybeanβ-conglycinin and the allergenicity of its hydrolysates.Alkaline protease of the strain was separated by precipitation method of organic solvents,and theβ-conglycinin was separated by alkali-solution and acid-isolation and purified by use of gel column.Using the degree of hydrolysis(DH)and inhibition rate as evaluation indexes,the enzymatic hydrolysis parameters ofβ-conglycinin was optimized by single factor and L_(9)(3^(4))orthogonal tests,so as to explore the effect of the protease on the hydrolysis degree and the antigenicity ofβ-conglycinin hydrolysates.The results showed that the native enzyme existed as an 18.3 kDa monomer with a 430 U/g maximum activity.The purity ofβ-conglycinin was 84.8%.The single-factor test results showed that DH showed the oppostie trendency with the inhibition rate,and the increase of protein concentration causedmonotone increasing and monotone decreasing of the inhibition rate and the DH,and the optimal protein concentration was 30 mg/mL.The optimization results showed that pH had the largest impacts on both DH and the inhibition rate,followed by enzyme dosage,hydrolysis temperature and hydrolysis time.Under the optimum hydrolysis conditions of protein concentration 30mg/mL,enzymedosage0.7%,hydrolysis time40min,temperature 55°C and pH8.5,the DH reached the highest of 76.28%,and the inhibition rate was the lowest of 27.03%,which was reduced greatly compared with that before optimization.These results suggested that alkaline protease appeared to show a relatively high effeciency in lowering soybean allergenicity,making it possible to produce low-allergenicity soybean protein.

Isolation of Mannooligosaccharides Corresponding to Antigenic Determinants of Pathogenic Yeast <i>Candida catenulata</i>Cell Wall Mannan

To investigate the chemical structure of cell wall mannan of pathogenic yeast, Candida catenulata IFO 0745 strain, which possess the epitopes of antigenic factors 1, 9, and 34 to genus Candida, we previously performed the two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis of this mannan, Fr. C, without the need for harsh procedures. In this study, three oligosaccharides, biose, triose, and tetraose, and mannose were isolated from Fr. C by acetolysis. The results of NMR analysis indicate that the chemical structures of these oligosaccharides were identified to Manα1-2Man, Manα1-2Manα1-2Man, and Manα1-3Manα1-2Manα1-2Man. The most of resultant mannose seems to be originated from the α-1,6-linked mannan backbone which is recognized by antiserum to factor 9. The inhibition assay of slide agglutination reaction between Fr. C and antigenic antibodies using three oligosaccharides indicate that the Manα1-2Manα1-2Man and Manα1-3Manα1-2Manα1-2Man possess domains corresponding to immunodominants of antigenic factors 1 and 34, respectively.

Enzymatic kinetics ofβ-conglycinin using alkaline protease from Bacillus subtilis ACCC 01746 and analysis of antigenicity of hydrolyzed peptide

β-Conglycinin,the main protein of soybean,is a key allergen that causes soybean allergies,and hydrolysis is usually applied to lower its antigenicity.We evaluated the enzymolysis characters ofβ-conglycinin from the perspective of enzymolysis kinetics using alkaline protease from B.subtilis ACCC 01746.A dynamic model describing the hydrolysis ofβ-conglycinin was proposed using the initial substrate concentration,enzyme dosage(enzyme to substrate ratio)and hydrolysis time as variables to illustrate the kinetic behavior of enzymatic hydrolysis.The hydrolysis of soybeanβ-conglycinin was carried out at 60 g/L protein concentration,0.6%enzyme dosage,55℃ and pH 8.5 to observe the peptides with anti-enzymatic activities.The hydrolysates were gradually fractionated by ultrafiltration through cut-off membranes with molecular weights of 40,30,20,and 10 kDa,and their antigenicities were evaluated using indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The results showed that the degree of hydrolysis(DH)ofβ-conglycinin decreased as theβ-conglycinin concentration(S0)increased,but increased with enzyme dosage(E0)increasing.Thus,the enzymatic hydrolysis ofβ-conglycinin followed the first-order kinetics model.The hydrolysis rate(V)was(527.89C_(E0)-2.5533C_(S0))exp(-0.022DH),the DH-hydrolysis time was 45.454ln[1+(11.614C_(E0)/C_(S0)-0.0562)t],and the correlated kinetic constants k2 and kd were 527.89 min^(−1)and 8.6126 min^(−1),respectively.The hydrolysis behavior ofβ-conglycinin varied considerably among theα',α,andβsubunits.Faster hydrolysis rates were observed for theα'andαsubunits compared to theβsubunit.The relative molecular weights of the intercepted peptides from the hydrolysates were 14.8-40.1 kDa,and the antigenicity of the peptides with smaller molecular weight was reduced,but not removed completely.However,the alkaline protease from the strain appeared to effectively reduce the allergenicity ofβ-conglycinin.Therefore,it is possible to produce less allergenic soybean proteins using enzymatic hydrolysis.Additionally,the microbial alkaline protease may serve as a potential novel food enzyme and should be evaluated for the development of hypoallergenic foods.

Antigenicity of the HCV HVR1 Peptide Analyzed by Computer Modeling

To find out the protective polypeptide epitopes of HCV HVR1, the antigenicity of the synthetic peptide was predicted by computer modeling and verified by ELISA and lymphocyte transformation test. It was found that the outcome of the computer modeling was in accord with the experimental results. The method by using computer modeling would be a economic approach by which the protective peptides could be identified quickly.

Differentiation induced by physiological and pharmacological stimuli leads to increased antigenicity of human neuroblastoma cells

Sympathetic neuronal differentiation is associated with favorable prognosis of neuroblastoma （NB）, the most common extra-cranial solid tumor of early childhood. Differentiation agents have proved useful in clinical protocols of NB treatment, but using them as a sole treatment is not sufficient to induce tumor elimination in patients. Therefore, complementary approaches, such as immunotherapy, are warranted. Here we demonstrate that differentiation of NB cell lines and ex vivo isolated tumor cells in response to physiological or pharmacological stimuli is associated with acquisition of increased antigenicity. This manifests as increased expression of surface major histocompatibility class I complexes and ICAM-1 molecules and translates into increased sensitivity of NB cells to lysis by cytotoxic T lymphocytes （CTLs） and natural killer （NK） cells. The latter is paralleled by enhanced ability of differentiated cells to form immune conjugates and bind increased amounts of granzyme B to the cell surface. We demonstrate, for the first time, that, regardless of the stimulus applied, the differentiation state in NBs is associated with increased tumor antigenicity that enables more efficient elimination of tumor cells by cytotoxic lymphocytes and paves the way for combined application of differentiation-inducing agents and immunotherapy as an auxiliary approach in NB patients.

Prediction, Synthesis and Antigenicity of the Antigenic Peptides of 26kDa Glutathione S-Transferasc of Schistosoma Japonicum (Sj26)

Six antigenic peptides of 26 kDa glutathione S-transferase of Schistosoma japonicum(Sj26) have been predicted according to their hydrophilicity, flexibility. accessibility. chargedistribution and β -turn in the secondary structure by the determination of its primary structure andsynthesized by solid phase method. All of them showed antigenicity with anti-schistosomajaponicum immunoglobulin polyclonal antibody, anti-Sj-lgG PcAb by Dot-ELISA. Three of themshowed good antigenicity. They would serve as candidates of synthetic anti-schistosomal vaccine.

The Secondary Structure of Heated Whey Protein andIts Hydrolysates Antigenicity

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR) and circular dichroism(CD) were used to investigate the conformational changes of heated whey protein(WP) and the corresponding changes in the hydrolysates immunoreactivity were determined by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Results showed that the contents of α-helix and β-sheet of WP did not decrease much under mild heating conditions and the antigenicity was relatively high;when the heating intensity increased(70 ℃ for 25 min or 75 ℃ for 20 min),the content of α-helix and β-sheet decreased to the minimum,so was the antigenicity;However,when the WP was heated at even higher temperature and for a longer time,the β-sheet associated with protein aggregation begun to increase and the antigenicity increased correspondingly.It was concluded that the conformations of heated WP and the antigenicity of its hydrolysates are related and the optimum structure for decreasing the hydrolysates antigeniity is the least content of α-helix and β-sheet.Establishing the relationship between the WP secondary structure and WP hydrolysates antigenicity is significant to supply the reference for antigenicity reduction by enzymolysis.

Mapping the Antigenic Peptides of Sm26/2 in Glutathione S-Transferases of Schistosoma Mansoni

Six antigenic peptides of Sm26/2 glutathione S-transferase of schistosoma mansoni have been predicted according to their hydrophilicity, flexibility, accessibility, charge distribution and beta-turn in the secondary structure by the determination of its primary structure, and synthesized by solid phase method. Two of them showed good antigenicity by Dot-ELISA. They would be candidate peptides of synthetic anti-schistosomal vaccine.

Antigenicity and Hemaglutination Activity of a Recombinant Hemagglutinin-Neuraminidase of Paramyxovirus Tianjin Strain

Paramyxovirus Tianjin strain, a new genotype of Sendai virus, was isolated from the lungs of common cotton-eared marmoset that died of severe respiratory infection in the marmoset colonies. The 19.28% IgM positive rate in the young children with acute respiratory tract infection suggested a close relationship between Tianjin strain and humans. Hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) is its major transmembrane glycoprotein responsible for viral attachment, penetration and release. To clear the relationship between HN structure and function of paramyxovirus Tianjin strain, rHN1, rHN2 and rHN3 overlapping the ectodomain of HN protein were expressed. Their antigenicity and hemaglutination activity, as well as cross reactivity to standard antisera against influenza virus type A, type B were analyzed. The results indicated expressed rHNs have the natural antigenicity. The segment rHN2 possesses more linear epitopes exposed on the surface of the native HN protein than found in segments rHN3 and rHN1. The hemagglutination activity of segment rHN3 is higher than that of segments rHN2 and rHN1, and partially dependent on the three-dimensional conformation of HN3 protein. Cross-reactivity between rHNs and standard antisera against influenza virus type A, type B suggested that rHNs might not be the best alternative as specific antigens to detect virus in clinical serum specimens.

Preparation and antigenic characterization of rat monoclonal antibodies againts Hantavirus

Monoclonal antibodies (McAb) to Hantavirus (HTV)were derived from the hybridoma fused with Lou/c plasmocytoma rat cells (IR983F) and spleen cells from lou/c inbred rat immunized with HTV Chen strain. Eleven cell lines producing monoclonal antibodies direc

Cloning, Prokaryotic Expression, and Antigenicity Analysis of NS1 Gene of H9N2 Swine Influenza Virus

To obtain the NS1 gene of swine influenza virus H9N2 subtype expressed efficiently in E. coli, to develope the effective diagnostic methods for swine influenza virus H9N2 subtype, the NS 1 gene of swine influenza virus H9N2 subtype was amplified by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR） and cloned into a prokaryotic expression vector, pET-28a（＋）, and overexpressed in E. coli BL21-DE3 after induction with 5 mmol L-1 lactose. The recombinant protein was purified by Ni-NTA and identified by western-blotting. An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to analyze the antigenicity of the recombinant protein. The recombinant protein of NS1 was about 26 kD. The Western-blotting test showed that the recombinant protein reacted specifically with positive sera. The results of the ELISA test showed that the recombinant protein had good antigenicity.

Prediction of antigenic determinants of trichosanthin by molecular modeling

The antigenic determinants of trichosanthin were predicted by molecular modeling. First, the threedimensional structure model of the antigen-binding fragment of anti-trichosanthin immunoglobulin E was built on the basis of its amino-acid sequence and the known three-dimensional structure of an antibody with similar sequence. Secondly, the preferable antigen-antibody interactions were obtained based on the known three-dimensional structure of trichosanthin and of the hypervariable regions of anti-trichosanthin immunoglobulin E. Two regions in the molecular surface of trichosanthin were found to form extensive interactions with the hypervariable regions of the antibody and have been predicted to be the possible antigenic determinants: one is composed of two polypeptide segments, Ile201-Glu210 and Ile225-Asp229, which are close to each other in the three-dimensional structure; and the other is the segment Lys173-Thr178. The former region seems to be the more reasonable antigenic determinant than the latter one.

Critical Considerations in the Immunochemical Detection and Quantitation of Antigenic Biomarkers

The formation of covalent adducts as a result of the interaction of metabolically activated chemicals with host macromolecules is a common critical event in mutagenic, carcinogenic, and immunologic phenomena. Because of their antigenicity and their immunogenicity, covalent adducts may be detected using sensitive immunochemical techniques. The immunochemical approaches to biomonitoring and molecular dosimetry of DNA damage are particularly attractive because they allow sensitive quantitation of specific DNA adducts present in small samples and do not rely on the use of radiolabeled adducts. Two examples of biomarker immunoassay development are presented: an avidin/biotin-amplified ELISA for the major DNA adduct of the human bladder carcinogen 4-aminobiphenyl (ABP), and a particle concentration fluorescent immunoassay (PCFIA) for the major protein adduct associated with toxicity by the prototype hepatotoxin acetaminophen. The examples illustrate critical steps in the development of biomarker immunoassays which include selection of the relevant adduct, preparation of an appropriate immunogen, immunization, characterization of antisera, and development of application-specific sample processing techniques for biomarker quantitation. Immunochemical procedures may be combined with other analytical techniques to form hybrid systems which take advantage of both the antigenicity and the physical or chemical properties of a biomarker to achieve greater specificity and/or sensitivity. The future usefulness of these new tools of molecular epidemiology will depend on a compound-by-compound validation of methods and critical evaluation of the biologic importance of the particular antigenic biomarker as an indicator of exposure and as an indicator of risk.

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF INFLUENCE OF LIQUID NITROGEN PRESERVATION ON ANTIGENICITY OF HUMAN HOMOGRAFT AORTIC VALVE

To illustrate the effect of liquid nitrogen preservation on antigenicity of human homograft aortic valve (HAV), human aortic valve tissue were cocultured together with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Following detections were done to show the difference of antigenicity of HAV indirectly at different period after being preserved in liquid nitrogen: ① 3H TdR incorporation (cpm) was observed after tissue cell cocultured and stimulation index (SI) was calculated;② Density of IL 2 in medium was measured by MTT means. The results indicated that antigenicity of fresh HAV was the strongest; with the prolong of being preserved, antigenicity decreased gradually. It decreased significantly within first 48 h preserved at 4℃, then decreased significantly after preserved in liquid nitrogen for 24 h. 2 weeks later, antigenicity decreased to the lowest level.

Prokaryotic Expression and Antigenic Analysis of Wbkc Gene from Brucella abortus

[ Objective ] This study aimed to clone and express formyltransferase （Wbkc） gene from Brucella abortus in E. coli, purify the expressed protein and analyze its immunogenicity. [Method] A gene encoding 27 -35 ku formyltransferase （Wbkc） was amplified from the genomic DNA of BruceUa abortus by PCR. The amplified fragments were digested with BamH I and Sal I, and inserted into pET28a vector. The constructed recombinant plasmid pET 28a-Wbkc was trans- formed into E. coli BL21 and was induced to express the fusion protein. Subsequently, the protein was purified by histidine-binding resin column chromatography, and the immunogenicity was detected by Western blot assay. The recombinant plasmid was identified by colony PCR, double digestion and sequencing analysis. [ Result] Wbkc was successfully cloned and expressed in E. coli. A specific protein band of 29 ku was detected by SDS-PAGE. Western blot showed specific im- munoreactivity of the purified fusion protein. [ Conclusion] This study provided a solid foundation for further investigating diagnostic proteins for brucellosis and developing Brucella gene-deletion vaccines.

Antigenicity of Synthetic Peptides Derived from Plasmodium Apoptosis-Linked Pathogenicity Factors

Background： Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains a major life-threatening disease. Recently, the Plasmodium apoptosis-linked pathogenicity factors （PALPF） have been identified. These antigens PALPF are expressed only by P falciparum-infected erythrocytes triggering endothelial cell apoptosis （apoptogenic）. Methods： We designed ten synthetic peptides （PI to P10） from PALPF： PF07 0032, PF10_0226, PFI0130c, PFD0875c and MAL13P1.206, and analyzed their antigenicity with an ELISA method using plasma samples from subjects living in Dienga, Gabon. Results： Four peptides showed good reactivity with human antibodies. The prevalence rate of specific IgG was 61%, 51%, 44% and 34% for P5, P6, P4 and P2, respectively. The median optical density of total IgG anti-P2 was higher than that directed against P4 and P6 （P = 0.009; P = 0.012 respectively）. The prevalence rate oflgG subclasses determined with plasma samples recognizing peptide 5 for IgGl, 2, 3 and 4 isotypes was 69%, 45%, 76% and 62%, respectively. All the subjects had at least one immunoglobulin subclass, while 13 （44%） had both IgG1 and IgG3 antibodies. There was no significant difference in the prevalence rate of anti-P5 IgG1, IgG3 and IgG4. Conclusion： These results warrant further immunogenicity studies of peptides 2, 4, 5 and 6 with a view of a tentative to antimalarial vaccine development.