Production of catalytically inactive BoNT/A1 holoprotein and comparison with BoNT/A1 subunit vaccines against toxin subtypes A1, A2, and A3

Vaccine. 2009 Jul 16;27(33):4490-7. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.05.030. Epub 2009 May 28.

Abstract

A recombinant, catalytically inactive Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin A1 holoprotein (ciBoNT/A1 HP) was constructed by introducing amino acid substitutions H223A, E224A, and H227A in the active site to ablate proteolytic activity. ciBoNT/A1 HP was produced in the yeast Pichia pastoris and the purified product was evaluated as a vaccine candidate by comparison against recombinant BoNT/A1 LC, LC-belt, LC-H(n), and H(c) antigens and a LC-H(n)+H(c) combination in mouse potency and efficacy bioassays when challenged with BoNT/A subtypes /A1, /A2, and /A3. A single dose of ciBoNT/A1 HP provided equivalent or greater protective immunity, not only against the homologous toxin, but also against two distinct toxin subtypes with significant amino acid divergence. Only the LC-H(n)+H(c) combination provided comparable protection against /A1; however, it was less effective against subtypes /A2 and /A3. Differences in protective immunity diminished after multiple vaccinations with either ciBoNT/A1 HP or BoNT/A1 H(c), and the survival rates were more comparable at the toxin levels used to challenge.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacterial Vaccines / immunology*
  • Botulinum Toxins, Type A / biosynthesis
  • Botulinum Toxins, Type A / immunology*
  • Botulinum Toxins, Type A / isolation & purification
  • Botulism / immunology
  • Botulism / prevention & control*
  • Clostridium botulinum / immunology
  • Lethal Dose 50
  • Mice
  • Pichia / metabolism
  • Protein Stability
  • Recombinant Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Recombinant Proteins / immunology
  • Recombinant Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Vaccines, Subunit / immunology

Substances

  • Bacterial Vaccines
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Vaccines, Subunit
  • Botulinum Toxins, Type A