Mapping of epitopes present in variants of the Streptococcus pneumoniae vaccine antigens PspA (Pneumococcal surface protein A) and PspC (Pneumococcal surface protein C)

• Grant number: 11/13671-5
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2012
• Effective date (End): February 28, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Eliane Namie Miyaji
• Grantee: Cintia Fiuza Marques Vadesilho
• Home Institution: Instituto Butantan. Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important human pathogen, causing severe diseases such as meningitis, pneumonia, bacteremia and sepsis.Vaccines currently available are based on the induction of antibodies against the capsular polysaccharide, but they have some shortcomings, such as elevated cost and restricted serotype coverage. The widespread use of the 7-valent polysaccharide conjugate vaccine resulted in a drastic decrease in disease caused by vaccine serotypes, but there was a rapid substitution and emergence of non-vaccine serotypes. Thus, the development of vaccines against pneumococcal diseases continues to have a high priority and alternative strategies, such as the use of protein antigens, are being evaluated. Several proteins are now being studied, such as PspA (Pneumococcal surface protein A) and PspC (Pneumococcal surface protein C). Since PspA and PspC are polymorphic,this project aims at mapping the peptides that are recognized by the sera induced by different variants of these proteins through peptide arrays. Some PspA molecules are able to induce sera that show broad reactivity with the different variants of this antigen and we aim to determine which epitopes are responsible for this cross-reactivity. Furthermore, the identification of these epitopes will enable us to sythesize an antigen containing multiple epitopes, which can potentially induce antibodies that recognize the different PspA variants. PspC peptides will also be evaluated for mapping of the regions that are responsible for the cross-reactivity observed between PspA and PspC. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

GENSCHMER, KRISTOPHER R.; VADESILHO, CINTIA F. M.; MCDANIEL, LARRY S.; PARK, SANG-SANG; HALE, YVETTE; MIYAJI, ELIANE N.; BRILES, DAVID E. The Modified Surface Killing Assay Distinguishes between Protective and Nonprotective Antibodies to PspA. MSPHERE, v. 4, n. 6 NOV-DEC 2019. Web of Science Citations: 0.

VADESILHO, CINTIA F. M.; FERREIRA, DANIELA M.; GORDON, STEPHEN B.; BRILES, DAVID E.; MORENO, ADRIANA T.; OLIVEIRA, MARIA LEONOR S.; HO, PAULO L.; MIYAJI, ELIANE N. Mapping of Epitopes Recognized by Antibodies Induced by Immunization of Mice with PspA and PspC. Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, v. 21, n. 7, p. 940-948, JUL 2014. Web of Science Citations: 11.