The Anopheles-midgut APN1 structure reveals a new malaria transmission-blocking vaccine epitope

Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2015 Jul;22(7):532-9. doi: 10.1038/nsmb.3048. Epub 2015 Jun 15.

Abstract

Mosquito-based malaria transmission-blocking vaccines (mTBVs) target midgut-surface antigens of the Plasmodium parasite's obligate vector, the Anopheles mosquito. The alanyl aminopeptidase N (AnAPN1) is the leading mTBV immunogen; however, AnAPN1's role in Plasmodium infection of the mosquito and how anti-AnAPN1 antibodies functionally block parasite transmission have remained elusive. Here we present the 2.65-Å crystal structure of AnAPN1 and the immunoreactivity and transmission-blocking profiles of three monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to AnAPN1, including mAb 4H5B7, which effectively blocks transmission of natural strains of Plasmodium falciparum. Using the AnAPN1 structure, we map the conformation-dependent 4H5B7 neoepitope to a previously uncharacterized region on domain 1 and further demonstrate that nonhuman-primate neoepitope-specific IgG also blocks parasite transmission. We discuss the prospect of a new biological function of AnAPN1 as a receptor for Plasmodium in the mosquito midgut and the implications for redesigning the AnAPN1 mTBV.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anopheles / chemistry
  • Anopheles / enzymology*
  • Anopheles / immunology
  • Anopheles / parasitology*
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / immunology
  • CD13 Antigens / chemistry*
  • CD13 Antigens / immunology*
  • Catalytic Domain
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Epitope Mapping
  • Humans
  • Malaria / immunology
  • Malaria / transmission*
  • Malaria Vaccines / immunology
  • Models, Molecular
  • Plasmodium falciparum / physiology*
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Multimerization

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Malaria Vaccines
  • CD13 Antigens

Associated data

  • PDB/4WZ9