Factors affecting the immunogenicity of tetanus toxin fragment C expressed in Lactococcus lactis

• Published in: FEMS immunology and medical microbiology 1996-06, Vol.14 (2-3), p.167-177
• Main Authors: Norton, Pamela M., Brown, Henry W.G., Wells, Jeremy M., Macpherson, Angela M., Wilson, Peter W., Le Page, Richard W.F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies; Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Bacterial vaccine vector; Cell Compartmentation; Cell walls; Female; Genetic Vectors; Immunogenicity; Inbreeding; Lactococcus lactis; Lactococcus lactis - genetics; Lactococcus lactis - immunology; Lactococcus lactis - metabolism; Lethal Dose 50; Membrane proteins; Membranes; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Inbred CBA; Peptide Fragments - biosynthesis; Peptide Fragments - genetics; Peptide Fragments - immunology; Peptide Fragments - therapeutic use; Protein folding; Proteins; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - biosynthesis; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - immunology; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - therapeutic use; Targeting antigen; Tetanus; Tetanus - prevention & control; Tetanus toxin; Tetanus Toxin - biosynthesis; Tetanus Toxin - genetics; Tetanus Toxin - immunology; Tetanus Toxin - therapeutic use; Tetanus Toxin - toxicity; Tetanus toxin fragment C; Tetanus Toxoid - biosynthesis; Tetanus Toxoid - genetics; Tetanus Toxoid - immunology; Tetanus Toxoid - therapeutic use; Toxins; Vaccine; Vaccines, Synthetic - biosynthesis; Vaccines, Synthetic - genetics; Vaccines, Synthetic - immunology; Vaccines, Synthetic - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 0928-8244; 1574-695X; 2049-632X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-695X.1996.tb00284.x

Abstract The relative immunogenicity of tetanus toxin fragment C (TTFC) has been determined in three different strains of inbred mice when expressed in Lactococcus lactis as a membrane-anchored protein (strain UCP1054), as an intracellular protein (strain UCP1050), or as a secreted protein which is partly retained within the cell wall (strain UCP1052). Protection against toxin challenge (20 × LD50) could be obtained without the induction of anti-lactococcal antibodies. When compared in terms of the dose of expressed tetanus toxin fragment C required to elicit protection against lethal challenge the membrane-anchored form was significantly (10–20 fold) more immunogenic than the alternative forms of the protein.