Logo image
Identification of broadly conserved cross-species protective Leishmania antigen and its responding CD4+ T cells
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Identification of broadly conserved cross-species protective Leishmania antigen and its responding CD4+ T cells

Zhirong Mou, Jintao Li, Thouraya Boussoffara, Hiroyuki Kishi, Hiroshi Hamana, Peyman Ezzati, Chuanmin Hu, Weijing Yi, Dong Liu, Forough Khadem, …
Science translational medicine, Vol.7(310), pp.310ra167-310ra167
10/21/2015
DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aac5477
PMID: 26491077

View Online

Abstract

There is currently no clinically effective vaccine against leishmaniasis because of poor understanding of the antigens that elicit dominant T cell immunity. Using proteomics and cellular immunology, we identified a dominant naturally processed peptide (PEPCK335-351) derived from Leishmania glycosomal phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK). PEPCK was conserved in all pathogenic Leishmania, expressed in glycosomes of promastigotes and amastigotes, and elicited strong CD4(+) T cell responses in infected mice and humans. I-A(b)-PEPCK335-351 tetramer identified protective Leishmania-specific CD4(+) T cells at a clonal level, which comprised similar to 20% of all Leishmania-reactive CD4(+) T cells at the peak of infection. PEPCK335-351-specific CD4(+) T cells were oligoclonal in their T cell receptor usage, produced polyfunctional cytokines (interleukin-2, interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor), and underwent expansion, effector activities, contraction, and stable maintenance after lesion resolution. Vaccination with PEPCK peptide, DNA expressing full-length PEPCK, or rPEPCK induced strong durable cross-species protection in both resistant and susceptible mice. The effectiveness and durability of protection in vaccinated mice support the development of a broadly cross-species protective vaccine against different forms of leishmaniasis by targeting PEPCK.
Immunology Life Sciences Microbiology and Parasitology

Details

Metrics

Logo image