Home » Publications » Page 2

Publications

Discover how PEPperPRINT Peptide Microarray products have been used in different fields of research.

Identification of a Zika NS2B Epitope for Which Absence of IgG Response Is Associated with Severe Neurological Symptoms and the Design of a Biomarker Capable of Discriminatory Diagnostics Between Severe and Non4 Severe Clinical Phenotypes

Loeffler, Felix; Viana, Isabelle F. T.; Fischer, Nico; Coêlho, Danilo F.; Santos, Carolina; Purificacao Jr, Antonio; Araujo, Catarina; Leite, Bruno; Durães-Carvalho, Ricardo; Magalhaes, Thereza; Morais, Clarice; Tenório Cordeiro, Marli; Lins, Roberto; T. A. Marques, Ernesto; Jaenisch, Thomas
In this manuscript we describe the engineering of a biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of Zika-associated neurological disease. Although the causal association between congenital Zika virus (ZIKV) infection and neurological manifestations has been well documented in the recent years, biomarkers for proper diagnostic and disease outcome still remain to be defined. Combining high-density peptide array and multivariate analysis, we have identified an ZIKV epitope that is associated to a lack of IgG antibody response in patients with severe neurological symptoms. An engineered chimera was developed to discriminate between mild and severe clinical forms of the disease.

Scoping review of the applications of peptide microarrays on the fight against human infections

Vengesai, Arthur; Kasambala, Maritha; Mutandadzi, Hamlet; Mduluza-Jokonya, Tariro L.; Mduluza, Takafira; Naicker, Thajasvarie
Abstract Introduction This scoping review explores the use of peptide microarrays in the fight against infectious diseases. The research domains explored included the use of peptide microarrays in the mapping of linear B-cell and T cell epitopes, antimicrobial peptide discovery, immunosignature characterisation and disease immunodiagnostics. This review also provides a short overview of peptide microarray synthesis.   Methods Electronic databases were systematically searched to identify relevant studies. The review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews and data charting was performed using a predefined form. The results were reported by narrative synthesis in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Results Eighty-six articles from 100 studies were included in the final data charting process. The majority (93%) of the articles were published during 2010–2020 and were mostly from Europe (44%) and North America (34 %). The findings were from the investigation of viral (44%), bacterial (30%), parasitic (25%) and fungal (2%) infections. Out of the serological studies, IgG was the most reported antibody type followed by IgM. The largest portion of the studies (78%) were related to mapping B-cell linear epitopes, 10% were on diagnostics, 9% reported on immunosignature characterisation and 6% reported on viral and bacterial cell binding assays. Two studies reported on T-cell epitope profiling. Conclusion The most important application of peptide microarrays was found to be B-cell epitope mapping or antibody profiling to identify diagnostic and vaccine targets. Immunosignatures identified by random peptide microarrays were found to be applied in the diagnosis of infections and interrogation of vaccine responses. The analysis of the interactions of random peptide microarrays with bacterial and viral cells using binding assays enabled the identification of antimicrobial peptides. Peptide microarray arrays were also used for T-cell linear epitope mapping which may provide more information for the design of peptide-based vaccines and for the development of diagnostic reagents.

Epitope Mapping of Exposed Tegument and Alimentary Tract Proteins Identifies Putative Antigenic Targets of the Attenuated Schistosome Vaccine

Farias, Leonardo P.; Vance, Gillian M.; Coulson, Patricia S.; Vitoriano-Souza, Juliana; Neto, Almiro Pires da Silva; Wangwiwatsin, Arporn; Neves, Leandro Xavier; Castro-Borges, William; McNicholas, Stuart; Wilson, Keith S.; Leite, Luciana C. C.; Wilson, R. Alan
amjor.
Mar 2021
The radiation-attenuated cercarial vaccine remains the gold standard for the induction of protective immunity against Schistosoma mansoni. Furthermore, the protection can be passively transferred to naïve recipient mice from multiply vaccinated donors, especially IFNgR KO mice. We have used such sera versus day 28 infection serum, to screen peptide arrays and identify likely epitopes that mediate the protection. The arrays encompassed 56 secreted or exposed proteins from the alimentary tract and tegument, the principal interfaces with the host bloodstream. The proteins were printed onto glass slides as overlapping 15mer peptides, reacted with primary and secondary antibodies, and reactive regions detected using an Agilent array scanner. Pep Slide Analyser software provided a numerical value above background for each peptide from which an aggregate score could be derived for a putative epitope. The reactive regions of 26 proteins were mapped onto crystal structures using the CCP4 molecular graphics, to aid selection of peptides with the greatest accessibility and reactivity, prioritising vaccine over infection serum. A further eight MEG proteins were mapped to regions conserved between family members. The result is a list of priority peptides from 44 proteins for further investigation in multiepitope vaccine constructs and as targets of monoclonal antibodies.

Recent advances in the diagnosis of COVID-19: A bird’s eye view

Sharma, Bhawna; Shahanshah, Mohd FardeenHusain; Gupta, Sanjay; Gupta, Vandana
Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics.
Mar 2021
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic is still escalating and has shaped an extraordinary and pressing need for rapid diagnostics with high sensitivity and specificity. Prompt diagnosis is the key to mitigate this situation. As several diagnostic tools for COVID-19 are already available and others are still under development, mandating a comprehensive review of the efficacy of existing tools and evaluate the potential of others.Areas Covered: Currently explored platforms for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics and surveillance centered on qRT-PCR, RT-PCR, CRISPR, microarray, LAMP, lateral flow immunoassays, proteomics-based approaches, and radiological scans are overviewed and summarized in this review along with their advantages and downsides. A narrative literature review was carried out by accessing the freely available online databases to encapsulate the developments in medical diagnostics.Expert Opinion: An ideal detection method should be sensitive, specific, rapid, cost-effective, and should allow early diagnosis of the infection as near as possible to the point of care that could alter the current situation for the better. Medical diagnostics is a highly dynamic field as no diagnostic method available for SARS-CoV-2 detection offers a perfect solution and requires more attention and continuous R&D to challenge the present-day pandemic situation

Comparison of Monoclonal Gammopathies Linked to Poliovirus or Coxsackievirus vs. Other Infectious Pathogens

Harb, Jean; Mennesson, Nicolas; Lepetit, Cassandra; Fourny, Maeva; Louvois, Margaux; Bosseboeuf, Adrien; Allain-Maillet, Sophie; Decaux, Olivier; Moreau, Caroline; Tallet, Anne; Piver, Eric; Moreau, Philippe; Salle, Valéry; Bigot-Corbel, Edith; Hermouet, Sylvie
Chronic stimulation by infectious pathogens or self-antigen glucosylsphingosine (GlcSph) can lead to monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and multiple myeloma (MM). Novel assays such as the multiplex infectious antigen microarray (MIAA) and GlcSph assays, permit identification of targets for >60% purified monoclonal immunoglobulins (Igs). Searching for additional targets, we selected 28 purified monoclonal Igs whose antigen was not represented on the MIAA and GlcSph assays; their specificity of recognition was then analyzed using microarrays consisting of 3760 B-cell epitopes from 196 pathogens. The peptide sequences PALTAVETG and PALTAAETG of the VP1 coat proteins of human poliovirus 1/3 and coxsackievirus B1/B3, respectively, were specifically recognized by 6/28 monoclonal Igs. Re-analysis of patient cohorts showed that purified monoclonal Igs from 10/155 MGUS/SM (6.5%) and 3/147 MM (2.0%) bound to the PALTAVETG or PALTAAETG epitopes. Altogether, PALTAV/AETG-initiated MGUS are not rare and few seem to evolve toward myeloma.

Major antigen and paramyosin proteins as candidate biomarkers for serodiagnosis of canine infection by zoonotic Onchocerca lupi

Latrofa, Maria Stefania; Palmisano, Giuseppe; Annoscia, Giada; Pierri, Ciro Leonardo; Chandrashekar, Ramaswamy; Otranto, Domenico
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Feb 2021
Onchocerca lupi (Spirurida: Onchocercidae) is a filarial worm parasitizing domestic carnivores and humans. Adult nematodes usually localize beneath in the sclera or in the ocular retrobulbar of infected animals, whilst microfilariae are found in the skin. Therefore, diagnosis of O. lupi is achieved by microscopic and/or molecular detection of microfilariae from skin biopsy and/or surgical removal of adults from ocular tissues of infected hosts. An urgent non-invasive diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of O. lupi in dog is mandatory. In this study, an immunoproteomic analyses was performed using a combination of immunoblotting and mass spectrometry techniques. Onchocerca lupi major antigen (Ol-MJA) and paramyosin (Ol-PARA) proteins were identified as potential biomarkers for serodiagnosis. Linear epitopes were herein scanned for both proteins using high-density peptide microarray. Sera collected from dog infected with O. lupi and healthy animal controls led to the identification of 11 immunodominant antigenic peptides (n = 7 for Ol-MJA; n = 4 for Ol-PARA). These peptides were validated using sera of dogs uniquely infected with the most important filarioids infesting dogs either zoonotic (Dirofilaria repens, Dirofilaria immitis) or not (Acanthocheilonema reconditum and Cercopithifilaria bainae). Overall, six antigenic peptides, three for Ol-MJA and for Ol-PARA, respectively, were selected as potential antigens for the serological detection of canine O. lupi infection. The molecular and proteomic dataset herein reported should provide a useful resource for studies on O. lupi toward supporting the development of new interventions (drugs, vaccines and diagnostics) against canine onchocercosis.

SARS-CoV-2 Epitope Mapping on Microarrays Highlights Strong Immune-Response to N Protein Region

Musicò, Angelo; Frigerio, Roberto; Mussida, Alessandro; Barzon, Luisa; Sinigaglia, Alessandro; Riccetti, Silvia; Gobbi, Federico; Piubelli, Chiara; Bergamaschi, Greta; Chiari, Marcella; Gori, Alessandro; Cretich, Marina
Vaccines.
Jan 2021
A workflow for rapid SARS-CoV-2 epitope discovery on peptide microarrays is herein reported. The process started with a proteome-wide screening of immunoreactivity based on the use of a high-density microarray followed by a refinement and validation phase on a restricted panel of probes using microarrays with tailored peptide immobilization through a click-based strategy. Progressively larger, independent cohorts of Covid-19 positive sera were tested in the refinement processes, leading to the identification of immunodominant regions on SARS-CoV-2 spike (S), nucleocapsid (N) protein and Orf1ab polyprotein. A summary study testing 50 serum samples highlighted an epitope of the N protein (region 155–71) providing good diagnostic performance in discriminating Covid-19 positive vs. healthy individuals. Using this epitope, 92% sensitivity and 100% specificity were reached for IgG detection in Covid-19 samples, and no cross-reactivity with common cold coronaviruses was detected. Likewise, IgM immunoreactivity in samples collected within the first month after symptoms onset showed discrimination ability. Overall, epitope 155–171 from N protein represents a promising candidate for further development and rapid implementation in serological tests.

Marker Sequences for Diagnosing and Stratifying Systemic Sclerosis Patients

Budde, Petra
Jan 2021
The present invention relates to methods for identifying markers for systemic sclerosis (also scleroderma; SSc) and to the markers identified with the aid of this method, which can differentiate between SSc and other autoimmune diseases on the one hand and between different SSc subgroups on the other hand. The invention also relates to panels, diagnostic devices and test kits which comprise these markers, and to the use and application thereof, for example for the diagnosis, prognosis and therapy control of SSc. The invention also relates to methods for screening and for validating active substances for use in SSc.

Molecular mimicry, genetic homology, and gene sharing proteomic “molecular fingerprints” using an EBV (Epstein-Barr virus)-derived microarray as a potential diagnostic method in autoimmune disease

Dreyfus, David H.; Farina, Antonella; Farina, Giuseppina Alessandra
Immunol Res.
Dec 2018
EBV (Epstein-Barr Virus) and other human DNA viruses are associated with autoimmune syndromes in epidemiologic studies. In this work, immunoglobulin G response to EBV-encoded proteins which share regions with human immune response proteins from the human host including ZEBRA (BZLF-1 encoded protein), BALF-2 recombinase expressed primarily during the viral lytic replication cycle, and EBNA-1 (Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigen) expressed during the viral latency cycle respectively were characterized using a laser-printed micro-array (PEPperprint.com). IgG response to conserved “A/T hooks” in EBV-encoded proteins such as EBNA-1 and the BALF-2 recombinase related to host DNA-binding proteins including RAG-1 recombinase and histones, and EBV-encoded virokines such as the IL-10 homologue BCRF-1 suggest further directions for clinical research. The author suggests that proteomic “molecular fingerprints” of the immune response to viral proteins shared with human immune response genes are potentially useful in early diagnosis and monitoring of autoantibody production and response to therapy in EBV-related autoimmune syndromes.

Soybean Allergy Related Epitopes

Kern, Karolin; Spiegel, Holger; Havenith, Heide; Szardenings, Michael
Nov 2018
The invention relates to a compilation comprising at least five different peptides, each peptide comprising at least one sequence element corresponding to an epitope selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO.: 1-354, wherein at least five different epitopes are represented. The invention further relates to an in vitro method for determining a patient’s immune status to soybean allergens, to a method for detecting at least one soybean allergen in a substance and to a method for determining the allergenicity of a soybean variety. Additionally, the invention relates to a kit comprising at least one composition containing a compound comprising at least five different sequence elements each corresponding to an epitope selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO.: 1-354, wherein at least five different epitopes are represented. Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of a peptide comprising a sequence element corresponding to an epitope for providing a molecule binding to a protein or peptide comprising the epitope.

Linear epitopes in Onchocerca volvulus vaccine candidate proteins and excretory-secretory proteins

Lagatie, Ole; Verheyen, Ann; Van Dorst, Bieke; Batsa Debrah, Linda; Debrah, Alex; Stuyver, Lieven J.
Parasite Immunol.
Nov 2018
In our previous study, a proteome-wide screen was conducted to identify linear epitopes in this parasite’s proteome, resulting in the discovery of three immunodominant motifs. Here, we investigated whether such antigenic peptides were found in proteins that were already known as vaccine candidates and excretome/secretome proteins for Onchocerca volvulus This approach led to the identification of 71 immunoreactive stretches in 46 proteins. A deep-dive into the immunoreactivity profiles of eight vaccine candidates that were chosen as most promising candidates for further development (Ov-CPI-2, Ov-ALT-1, Ov-RAL-2, Ov-ASP-1, Ov-103, Ov-RBP-1, Ov-CHI-1, and Ov-B20), resulted in the identification of a poly-glutamine stretch in Ov-RAL-2 that has properties for use as a serodiagnostic marker for O. volvulus infection. A peptide ELISA was developed, and the performance of this assay was evaluated. Based on this assessment, it was found that this assay has a sensitivity of 75.0% [95% CI: 64.9%-83.5%] and a specificity of 98.5% [95% CI: 94.6%-99.8%]. Furthermore, 8.7% reactivity in Asian parasite-infected individuals (8 out of 92) was observed. Besides this identification of a linear epitope marker, the information on the presence of linear epitopes in vaccine candidate proteins might be useful in the study of vaccines for river blindness.

Potential therapeutic antibodies targeting specific adiponectin isoforms in rheumatoid arthritis

Lee, Yeon-Ah; Hahm, Dae-Hyun; Kim, Jung Yeon; Sur, Bonjun; Lee, Hyun Min; Ryu, Chun Jeih; Yang, Hyung-In; Kim, Kyoung Soo
Arthritis Res Ther.
Oct 2018
Background Different adiponectin isoforms appear to be differentially involved in the pathogenesis of various diseases. The purpose of this study was to generate monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific to different adiponectin isoforms and investigate whether these mAbs have potential as therapeutic agents for such diseases. Methods Hybridoma cells producing monoclonal antibodies were generated and screened using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blotting for the production of mAbs recognizing human adiponectin isoforms. Results The mAb from hybridoma clone KH7–41 recognized both the middle molecular weight (MMW) (hexamer) and low molecular weight (LMW) (trimer) isoforms of adiponectin in human serum, whereas the KH7–33 mAb detected only MMW (hexamer) adiponectin. The KH4–8 clone recognized both the high molecular weight (HMW) (multimer) and MMW adiponectin isoforms. However, in mouse and rat sera, the abovementioned antibodies recognized only the MMW isomer. These mAbs also recognized adiponectin in various human tissues, such as lung, kidney, and adipose tissues, although the three mAbs had different staining intensities. The mAb from clone KH4–8 effectively inhibited increases in interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8 expression in recombinant adiponectin-stimulated human osteoblasts and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Also, the mAbs KH7–33 and KH4–8 significantly ameliorated rheumatic symptoms in a collagen-induced arthritis mouse model. This result suggests that these mAb treatments may ameliorate adiponectin-mediated inflammatory response. Conclusions mAbs against human adiponectin isomers can potentially be developed as therapeutic antibodies to target specific detrimental isoforms of adiponectin while maintaining the functions of beneficial isoforms.

Quote form