Safe Recombinant Outer Membrane Vesicles that Display M2e Elicit Heterologous Influenza Protection - PubMed (original) (raw)

. 2017 Apr 5;25(4):989-1002.

doi: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2017.01.010. Epub 2017 Feb 16.

C Garrett Rappazzo 1, Jaclyn S Higgins 2, Xiangjie Sun 3, Nicole Brock 3, Annie Chau 2, Aditya Misra 4, Joseph P B Cannizzo 5, Michael R King 1, Taronna R Maines 3, Cynthia A Leifer 6, Gary R Whittaker 6, Matthew P DeLisa 4, David Putnam 7

Affiliations

Safe Recombinant Outer Membrane Vesicles that Display M2e Elicit Heterologous Influenza Protection

Hannah C Watkins et al. Mol Ther. 2017.

Abstract

Recombinant, Escherichia coli-derived outer membrane vesicles (rOMVs), which display heterologous protein subunits, have potential as a vaccine adjuvant platform. One drawback to rOMVs is their lipopolysaccharide (LPS) content, limiting their translatability to the clinic due to potential adverse effects. Here, we explore a unique rOMV construct with structurally remodeled lipids containing only the lipid IVa portion of LPS, which does not stimulate human TLR4. The rOMVs are derived from a genetically engineered B strain of E. coli, ClearColi, which produces lipid IVa, and which was further engineered in our laboratory to hypervesiculate and make rOMVs. We report that rOMVs derived from this lipid IVa strain have substantially attenuated pyrogenicity yet retain high levels of immunogenicity, promote dendritic cell maturation, and generate a balanced Th1/Th2 humoral response. Additionally, an influenza A virus matrix 2 protein-based antigen displayed on these rOMVs resulted in 100% survival against a lethal challenge with two influenza A virus strains (H1N1 and H3N2) in mice with different genetic backgrounds (BALB/c, C57BL/6, and DBA/2J). Additionally, a two-log reduction of lung viral titer was achieved in a ferret model of influenza infection with human pandemic H1N1. The rOMVs reported herein represent a potentially safe and simple subunit vaccine delivery platform.

Keywords: M2e; adjuvants; endotoxin; influenza; outer membrane vesicles; subunit vaccine delivery.

Copyright © 2017 The American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy. All rights reserved.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

None

Graphical abstract

Figure 1

Figure 1

rOMVs Produced from Three Different E. coli Strains Are Structurally Comparable (A–C) TEM images of rOMVs stained with uranyl acetate: CC rOMVs (A), BL21 rOMVs (B), and Nsl rOMVs (C). Scale bars represent 100 nm. (D and E) Total IgG (D) and isotypes IgG1 and IgG2a (E) anti-GFP titers from BALB/c mice 8 weeks post prime dose of ClyA-GFP-expressing CC or BL21 rOMVs. Titer error bars represent 95% confidence intervals (CI) of geometric mean. Log-transformed data analyzed using an unpaired Student’s t test to compare CC versus BL21 rOMV anti-GFP IgG levels and using paired Student’s t test to compare IgG1:IgG2a levels for each rOMV type. Dotted line indicates titer of sera from mice pre-vaccination.

Figure 2

Figure 2

Pyrogenicity and TLR Activity Are rOMV Source Strain Dependent (A) Pyrogenicity (measured in endotoxin units) of CC, Nsl, and BL21 rOMVS determined using whole-blood pyrogenicity test. Groups were compared with Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by Mann-Whitney between pairs, using Bonferroni method to account for multiple comparisons (*p < 0.01). Error bars represent 95% CI of geometric mean (n = 5 blood donors). (B) HEK-Blue KD-TLR5 cells transfected with human TLR2 or mTLR2 were stimulated with rOMVs (100 ng/mL) or Pam3Cys (1 μg/mL, (+) CTL) for 16 hr. (C) HEK-Blue KD-TLR5 cells transfected with 5x NF-κB-luciferase reporter and TLR4/MD-2/CD14 or mTLR4/mMD-2/mCD14 were stimulated with rOMVs (100 ng/mL), lipid IVa (100 ng/mL), or LPS (100 ng/mL, (+) CTL) for 16 hr. Samples analyzed by ANOVA followed by multiple comparisons against media using Dunnett method of correction (*p < 0.0001). Error bars represent SD (n = 4).

Figure 3

Figure 3

Bone Marrow-Derived Dendritic Cells Are Activated by rOMVs Murine BMDCs from BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice were stimulated with Nsl rOMVs (100 ng/mL), CC rOMVs (100 ng/mL), LPS (100 ng/mL), or PBS for 24 or 48 hr, then supernatants were collected for cytokine analysis, and cells were stained for DC maturation markers (stains: viability, CD11c, CD86, MHCII). Flow cytometry was used to determine percent mature dendritic cells (DCs) (CD86Hi, MHCIIHi) out of the total DC population (gated on viability, CD11cHi). (A) Representative density plots of BMDCs isolated from a BALB/c mouse. (B) Percent mature DCs from BALB/c mice. (C) Percent mature DCs from C57BL/6 mice. (D) IL-10 concentration after 24-hr stimulation. (E) IL-12p70 concentration (conc.) after 24-hr stimulation. (F) Type 1 IFN conc. after 24-hr stimulation. (G) IL-6 conc. after 24-hr stimulation. (H) TNF-α conc. after 24-hr stimulation. Cytokine stimulation is shown for both C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice. Error bars represent SD. Samples analyzed via ANOVA followed by Holm multiple-comparison test, *p < 0.05 (n = 3 mice).

Figure 4

Figure 4

rOMV Source Strain Dependence on Morbidity, Immune Response, and Mortality (A and B) Mice were weighed daily for 1 week post-prime (A) and boost (B) immunization. Analyzed using ANOVA followed by multiple comparisons using Dunnett method of correction. Error bars represent SD of mean (*p < 0.001). (C and D) Total IgG (C) and IgG isotypes IgG1 and IgG2a (D) anti-M2e titers of BALB/c mice 8 weeks post-prime rOMV immunization. Dotted line indicates lowest titer detectable above background (serum from PBS-vaccinated mice). Log-transformed IgG1 and IgG2a anti-M2e titers compared using paired t test. Error bars indicate 95% CI of geometric mean (*p < 0.05) (n = 11 CC rOMV-vaccinated mice, n = 12 Nsl rOMV-vaccinated mice, n = 16 PBS-vaccinated mice). (E and F) Mortality (E) and weight loss (F) of mice challenged with a lethal dose (50 FFU) of influenza A/PR8 (n = 5 CC rOMV vaccinated, n = 5 Nsl rOMV vaccinated, n = 5 PBS vaccinated, n = 5 pre-exposed). Kaplan-Meier survival curves were analyzed with a log-rank test using the Bonferroni method to account for multiple comparisons. Error bars on morbidity curves represent SEM.

Figure 5

Figure 5

Immune Response, Mortality, and Morbidity in C57BL/6 and DBA/2J Mice (A) Total IgG and isotypes IgG1 and IgG2c titers of C57BL/6 mice 8 weeks post-prime rOMV vaccination. Dotted line indicates lowest titer detectable above background. Log-transformed IgG1 and IgG2c titers compared using paired t test. Error bars indicate 95% CI of geometric mean (n = 10 CC rOMV-vaccinated mice) (*p < 0.0001). (B and C) Mortality (B) and weight loss (C) of mice challenged with a lethal dose (100 FFU) of influenza A/PR8 (n = 5 CC rOMV vaccinated, n = 5 PBS vaccinated, n = 5 pre-exposed). Kaplan-Meier survival curves were analyzed with a log-rank test. Error bars on morbidity curves represent SEM. (D) Total IgG and isotypes IgG1 and IgG2a titers of DBA/2J mice 8 weeks post-prime rOMV vaccination. Dotted line indicates lowest titer detectable above background. Log-transformed IgG1 and IgG2c titers compared using paired t test. Error bars indicate 95% CI of geometric mean (n = 5 CC rOMV-vaccinated mice) (*p < 0.0001). (E and F) Mortality (E) and morbidity (F) of DBA/2J mice challenged with a lethal dose (5,000 PFU, ∼2.5 × LD50) of influenza A/X-47 (n = 5 CC rOMV vaccinated, n = 5 PBS vaccinated). Kaplan-Meier survival curves were analyzed with a log-rank test. Error bars on morbidity curves represent SEM.

Figure 6

Figure 6

Ferret Antibody Titers and Lung Viral Titer Resulting from ClyA-M2e4xHet rOMVs Immunization (A) Total IgG anti-M2e titers of ferrets 8 weeks post-prime vaccination. Error bars indicate 95% CI of geometric mean (n = 6 ferrets per group) (*p < 0.01). (B) Lung viral titers of ferrets 3 days post-challenge with influenza strain pdmH1N1 (n = 3 ferrets per group). Lung titers compared using ANOVA followed by comparison to mock CC rOMVs using Bonferroni method of correction (n = 3). Error bars indicate SD of log-transformed egg infectious dose (EID50) per gram of lung tissue (*p < 0.01).

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Reed S.G., Orr M.T., Fox C.B. Key roles of adjuvants in modern vaccines. Nat. Med. 2013;19:1597–1608. - PubMed
    1. Azmi F., Ahmad Fuaad A.A., Skwarczynski M., Toth I. Recent progress in adjuvant discovery for peptide-based subunit vaccines. Hum. Vaccin. Immunother. 2014;10:778–796. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kuehn M.J., Kesty N.C. Bacterial outer membrane vesicles and the host-pathogen interaction. Genes Dev. 2005;19:2645–2655. - PubMed
    1. MacDonald I.A., Kuehn M.J. Offense and defense: microbial membrane vesicles play both ways. Res. Microbiol. 2012;163:607–618. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kim J.Y., Doody A.M., Chen D.J., Cremona G.H., Shuler M.L., Putnam D., DeLisa M.P. Engineered bacterial outer membrane vesicles with enhanced functionality. J. Mol. Biol. 2008;380:51–66. - PMC - PubMed

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources