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Mucosal adjuvants and anti-infection and anti-immunopathology vaccines based on cholera toxin, cholera toxin B subunit and CpG DNA.

The mucosal immune system consists of an integrated network of lymphoid cells that work in concert with innate host factors to promote host defence. Mucosal immunization can be used both to protect the mucosal surfaces against colonization and invasion by microbial pathogens and to provide a means for immunological treatment of selected autoimmune, allergic or infectious-immunopathological disorders through the induction of antigen-specific tolerance. The development of mucosal vaccines, whether for prevention of infectious diseases or for oral tolerance immunotherapy, requires efficient antigen delivery and adjuvant systems. Significant progress has recently been made to generate partly or wholly detoxified derivatives of cholera toxin (including the completely nontoxic cholera toxin B subunit) and the closely related Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin, with retained adjuvant activity. Cholera toxin B subunit is a protective component of a widely registered oral vaccine against cholera, and has proven to be a promising vector for either giving rise to anti-infective immunity or for inducing peripheral anti-inflammatory tolerance to chemically or genetically linked foreign antigens administered mucosally. Promising advances have also recently been made in the design of efficient mucosal adjuvants based on bacterial DNA that contains CpG-motifs and various imidazoquinoline compounds binding to different Toll-like receptors on mucosal antigen-presenting cells.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Mucosal adjuvants and anti-infection and anti-immunopathology vaccines based on cholera toxin, cholera toxin B subunit and CpG DNA.

Mucosal immunisation may be used both to protect the mucosal surfaces against infections and as a means for immunological treatment of peripheral immunopathological disorders through the induction of systemic antigen-specific tolerance ('oral tolerance'). The development of mucosal vaccines, whether for prevention of infectious diseases or for oral tolerance immunotherapy, requires efficient antigen delivery and adjuvant systems that can help to present the appropriate vaccine or immunotherapy antigens to the mucosal immune system. The most potent (but also toxic) mucosal adjuvants are cholera toxin (CT) and the closely related Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LT), and much effort and significant progress have been made recently to generate toxicologically acceptable derivatives of these toxins with retained adjuvant activity. Among these are the non-toxic, recombinantly produced cholera toxin B-subunit (CTB). CTB is a specific protective antigen component of a widely registered oral cholera vaccine as well as a promising vector for either giving rise to mucosal anti-infective immunity or for inducing peripheral anti-inflammatory tolerance to chemically or genetically linked foreign antigens administered mucosally. CT and CTB have also recently been used as combined vectors and adjuvants for markedly promoting ex vivo dendritic cell (DC) vaccination with different antigens and also steering the immune response to the in vivo-reinfused DCs towards either broad Th1 + Th2 + CTL immunity (CT) or Th2 or tolerance (CTB). Another type of mucosal adjuvants is represented by bacterial DNA or synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides containing CpG-motifs, which especially when linked to CTB have been found to effectively stimulate both innate and adaptive mucosal immune responses. The properties and clinical potential of these different classes of adjuvants are being discussed.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Luteinizing hormone secretion is enhanced by pertussis toxin, cholera toxin, and forskolin. Evidence for the involvement of the cyclic AMP-generating system.

Pertussis toxin, cholera toxin and forskolin, all of which can increase adenylate cyclase activity, stimulated luteinizing hormone LH release from cultured rat anterior pituitary cells. Although cellular cyclic AMP and growth hormone were increased rapidly by cholera toxin and forskolin, enhanced LH release occurred significantly later with no change in total radioimmunoassayable LH (i.e., released plus stored). These data suggest that changes in cyclic AMP levels may regulate the tonic availability of releasable LH in the gonadotroph.

Animals↗

Human pancreatic tumor growth hormone (GH) - releasing factor and cyclic adenosine 3',5'- monophosphate evoke GH release from anterior pituitary cells: the effects of pertussis toxin, cholera toxin, forskolin, and cycloheximide.

Both synthetic human pancreatic tumor GH-releasing factor (hpGRF) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) rapidly stimulate cellular cAMP accumulation in and GH release from primary cultures of rat anterior pituitary cells. SRIF inhibits both of these actins. A 1-h treatment with the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide potentiates hpGRF-induced cAMP accumulation for hours and GH release for the first hour. This indicates that a rapidly turning over protein tonically mutes the degree of hpGRF-stimulated cAMP accumulation. Pretreatment of the cells with pertussis toxin amplifies hpGRF- and PGE2-stimulated cAMP levels and GH release; pertussis toxin also attenuates the ability of SRIF to affect these variables. This suggests that an inhibitory coupling protein contributes to these events. Finally, cholera toxin and forskolin are also potent stimulators of cAMP accumulation and GH release. We conclude that hpGRF-evoked GH release and the inhibitory action of SRIF are closely correlated with the cAMP-generating system.

Animals↗

Tracer-toxins: cholera toxin B-saporin as a model.

We have shown previously that retrogradely-transported cholera toxin B (CTB)-saporin has eliminated sympathetic preganglionic neurons by 7 days after injection (Llewellyn-Smith, I.J., Martin, C.L., Arnolda, L.F., Minson, J.B., 1999. NeuroReport 10, 307). To ascertain whether this tracer-toxin can kill other types of neurons that transport CTB retrogradely with a similar time course, we injected CTB-saporin into the facial nerves of rats and allowed them to survive for 7 days. Facial motoneurons were counted ipsilateral and contralateral to the injected nerves in sections of perfused medulla processed to reveal immunoreactivity for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). There was a statistically significant decrease in the number of ChAT-immunoreactive neurons ipsilateral to the injected nerve in three out of nine rats. Inadequate injections were probably the reason that most rats showed no decrease in motoneurons numbers after treatment with CTB-saporin, since the staining intensity and numbers of facial motoneurons that showed CTB-immunoreactivity varied markedly between rats after retrograde tracing with unconjugated CTB. These results show that CTB-saporin can eliminate motoneurons as well as sympathetic preganglionic neurons, indicate that protocols for the injection of tracer-toxins should be optimized to ensure maximum neuronal death and support our contention that CTB-saporin should kill any central neuron that expresses GM1 ganglioside, the membrane component to which CTB binds.

Animals↗

Highly sensitive solid-phase radioimmunoassay suitable for determination of low amounts of cholera toxin and cholera toxin antibodies.

A direct solid-phase radioimmunoassay procedure was developed for the determination of cholera toxin and cholera toxin antibody. The reported method employed anti-choleragenoid antibody attached to polystyrene tubes as a solidified binder for cholera toxin. The binding of radioidinated cholera toxin on its solidified antibody was inhibitable by unlabeled cholera toxin and cholera toxin antibody. With the help of this method, the heat stability of cholera toxin was also studied. Radioiodinated cholera toxin was shown to be labeled in both of its subunits. The stability of the iodinated cholera toxin at the reported specific radioactivity is remarkable. It was found that the labeled cholera toxin can be used in the solid-phase radioimmunoassay even 4 months after iodination.

Antitoxins↗

Distribution of genes encoding cholera toxin, zonula occludens toxin, accessory cholera toxin, and El Tor hemolysin in Vibrio cholerae of diverse origins.

A large collection of 1154 strains of Vibrio cholerae of diverse origins including serogroups 01 and 0139 and those belonging to the non-01 and non-0139 (non-01:non-0139) serogroups were examined with a battery of DNA probes specific for cholera toxin (CT), zonula occludens toxin (ZOT), accessory cholera toxin (ACE) and El Tor hemolysin (HLY) to determine the distribution of genes among wild strains and to understand the importance of these factors in the pathogenesis of the disease cholera. Among the 01 clinical isolates, the majority of the strains had an intact core region (ctx, zot, ace) and also possessed the hlyA gene. Although rare, strains of 01 with natural deletions of the ctx, zot and/or ace genes were also detected. The absence of the virulence genes comprising the core region and the presence of the hlyA gene dominated the 01 environment, food isolates and the clinical and environmental non-01: non-0139 strains of V. cholerae. All the 0139 strains examined in this study possessed genes located in the core region and the hlyA gene. Among all the virulence-associated genes examined, the hlyA gene was the most conserved genetic element in V. cholerae independent of biotypes and serogroups.

Bacterial Proteins↗

The effect of cholera toxin and cholera toxin B subunit on the nasal mucosal membrane.

The effects of the self-adjuvanting substances, cholera toxin (CT) and cholera toxin B subunit (CTB), on rabbit nasal mucosal membrane, were investigated by using Ussing chambers. The control nasal mucosa (lateral wall), isolated from rabbits and mounted in the chamber, showed transepithelial potential difference, short-circuit current and conductance of -10 mV, 200 microA cm-2 and 20 mS cm-2, respectively. These parameters were compared with mucosa isolated from human inferior conchae, showing that rabbit nasal mucosa may be usable to understand effects on human mucosa. When the mucosa was exposed to various concentrations of CTB and CT, the short-circuit current and conductance of the mucosa increased with increasing concentration. CTB showed gradual increase in the short-circuit current when added in the same molar concentration as the B subunit contained in CT, which caused drastic changes by increasing the current to infinite value. Furthermore, the total amount of transepithelially fluxed CTB, which occurred rapidly after addition to the mucosal side of the chambers, increased with increasing CTB concentration. On the other hand, less flux was observed after addition of CT. These changes could be blocked by addition of ganglioside GM1. This demonstrates that the effect of CTB on the rabbit mucosal membrane are different from those of CT, although both CT and CTB act specifically on the membrane via the CTB receptor, ganglioside GM1.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

Oral immunization of dogs with purified cholera toxin, crude cholera toxin, or B subunit: evidence for synergistic protection by antitoxic and antibacterial mechanisms.

The immunogenicity and safety of purified cholera toxin (CT), its B subunit, and a crude culture filtrate of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae (CrT) were compared in dogs immunized orally and challenged with virulent V. cholerae. CT and CrT caused marked protection in two- or three-dose regimens. Protection due to CT occurred only with doses that caused transient, sometimes severe, diarrhea in most dogs; this protection was proportional to the peak antitoxin response in jejunal mucosa and lasted at least 15 weeks. In contrast, minimum protective doses of CrT contained much less cholera toxin, caused very mild diarrhea in only 21% of the dogs, and evoked protection that was greater than predicted from the modest jejunal antitoxin response. B subunit caused smaller jejunal antitoxin responses than did similar doses of CT and was poorly protective, the 50% protective dose being >40-fold greater than that of CT. Two observations indicated that protection due to CrT involved synergy between antibacterial and antitoxic immune responses. First, the 50% protective dose of CrT was 24-fold and >36-fold smaller than the 50% protective doses of its CT and non-CT antigenic components, respectively, when tested separately. Second, protection was greater in CrT-immunized dogs than in CT-immunized dogs for a given mucosal antitoxin response. Low doses of CrT evoked serotype-specific protection, indicating that the serotype-specific O somatic antigen contributed significatly to antibacterial protection. These results suggest that a simple, effective, nonliving oral vaccine for cholera based on combined antibacterial and antitoxic immunity can probably be achieved. However, further studies are needed to determine how a protective antitoxic response can be evoked without causing diarrhea during immunization.

Administration, Oral↗

Cholera toxin and cholera toxin B subunit induce IgA switching through the action of TGF-beta 1.

Cholera toxin (CT) and its B subunit (CTB) are potent immunogens and adjuvants that, either alone or linked to protein Ags, can stimulate mucosal immune responses, modulate the induction of oral tolerance, and stimulate IgA isotype switching. The present studies addressed the mechanisms by which CT and CTB promote IgA switching. CT and rCTB, in the presence of IL-2, significantly increased IgA isotype switching at the clonal level in populations of purified and LPS-activated murine surface IgA- spleen B cells, as determined by ELISA, enzyme linked immunospot assays, and limiting dilution analysis. The IgA stimulatory effects of CT and CTB were independent of the A subunit of CT. CTB and CT did not increase the secretory rate of IgA-producing cells or the clonal burst size of IgA clones, and did inhibit B cell growth. Because TGF-beta 1 also inhibits B cell growth and promotes IgA switching, further studies tested whether the activity of CTB and CT on IgA isotype switching was mediated through TGF-beta 1. Anti-TGF-beta Ab and soluble TGF-beta 1 type IIR inhibited CTB- and CT-stimulated IgA isotype switching. Furthermore, increased TGF-beta 1 mRNA levels and bioactive TGF-beta 1, within a range shown to induce IgA isotype switching, were detected in cultures of surface IgA- B cells stimulated with CT or CTB and IL-2. These data indicate that CTB- and CT-stimulated IgA isotype switching are mediated through TGF-beta 1. The finding that CTB up-regulates TGF-beta 1 activity has important implications for understanding the mechanisms by which CTB promotes both IgA mucosal immunity and oral tolerance.

Animals↗

Human platelets are defective in processing of cholera toxin.

Cholera toxin is unable to elevate cyclic AMP levels in intact human platelets despite being very efficacious in this respect in other mammalian cells; in the presence of 0.5 mM-isobutylmethylxanthine, we found that 3-6nM-cholera toxin over 3h at 37 degrees C elevated platelet cyclic AMP from 33 +/- 13 to 39 +/- 12pmol/mg of protein (means +/- S.D.; n = 12). We have investigated the basis for this lack of response. 125I-labelled cholera toxin bound to platelets both saturably and with high affinity (Kd congruent to 60pM; Bmax. congruent to 50fmol/mg of protein). Incubation of platelets with the putative cholera toxin receptor monosialoganglioside GM1 enhanced 125I-labelled cholera toxin binding at least 40-fold but facilitated only a minimal (less than or equal to 3-fold) elevation of platelet cyclic AMP levels. In contrast, dithiothreitol-activated cholera toxin markedly stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in platelet membranes. Platelet cytosol both enhanced stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity by activated cholera toxin (A1 subunit) and supported stimulation by the A1-A2 subunit of cholera toxin. Neither GTP nor NAD+, both necessary for response to cholera toxin, was lacking in intact platelets. However, we found that platelets were unable to cleave cholera toxin to the active A1 subunit (as assessed by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis). By contrast, murine S49 lymphoma cells were able to generate the A1 subunit with a time course that closely resembled the kinetics of toxin-mediated cyclic AMP accumulation in these cells. Thus we conclude that human platelets are defective in their ability to process surface-bound cholera toxin. These results indicate that binding of cholera toxin to surface receptors is necessary, but not sufficient, for expression of the toxin effect and the generation of the A1 subunit of the toxin may be rate-limiting for expression of cholera toxin response.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

Preclinical pharmacology of cholera toxin.

Cholera toxin was selected for pharmacologic evaluation by the National Cancer Institute on the basis of antiproliferative activity against small-cell and non-small-cell lung-cancer cell lines. A feature common to the sensitive cell lines was abundant expression of GM1 ganglioside, the cellular receptor for cholera toxin. A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to quantitate cholera toxin in biological fluids. A sigmoidal relationship was observed between the cholera toxin plasma concentration and the absorbance at 490 nm (OD490) of the product of horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of o-phenylenediamine over the range of 6.25-1,600 ng/ml. Logit transformation of the OD490 data was linear over the entire concentration range and assay variability was less than 25%. Cholera toxin was stable in murine and human whole blood and plasma. Following i.v. administration of 1,500 micrograms/kg to male CD2F1 mice, cholera toxin plasma elimination was described by a two-compartment open model. The half-lives (t1/2 alpha, t1/2 beta), plasma clearance, and steady-state volume of distribution were 0.7 min, 49 min, 24 ml min-1 kg-1 912 ml/kg, respectively. Cholera toxin was not detected in plasma following an s.c. dose of 1,500 micrograms/kg. Urinary recovery following intravenous drug administration was less than 0.1%.

Animals↗

Role of guanine nucleotides in the stimulation of thyroid adenylate cyclase by prostaglandin E1 and cholera toxin.

Cholera toxin in the presence of GTP increased adenylate cyclase activity in a purified bovine thyroid plasma membrane preparation, whereas, in the presence of guanosine 5'-(beta, gamma-imido)-triphosphate (Gpp(NH)P), cholera toxin had no stimulatory effect. Similarly, prostaglandin E1 enhanced the adenylate cyclase activity induced by GTP but not by Gpp(NH)p. Gpp(NH)p-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity, assayed with hydrolysis-resistant adenosine 5'-(beta, gamma-imido)-[32P]triphosphate as substrate and no ATP-regenerating system was inhibited by GDP in a competitive fashion. Furthermore, prostaglandin E1, but not cholera toxin, influenced the GDP inhibition of Gpp(NH)p-stimulated activity by increasing the concentration of GDP resulting in 50% inhibition approx. 2-fold. Inosyl nucleotides mimicked the effects of guanyl nucleotides on thyroid adenylate cyclase in that ITP could substitute for GTP in enhancing cholera toxin- and prostaglandin #1-induced activities and that inosine 5'(beta, gamma-imido)-triphosphate [Ipp(NH)p] was also a potent stimulator per se. Conclusions. (1) Cholera Toxin and prostaglandin E1 enhance thyroid adenylate cyclase activation by GTP (or ITP), but have no stimulatory effect on the Gpp(NH)p (or Ipp(NH)p) response; (2) the stimulatory effect of prostaglandin E1 on adenylate cyclase may result from decreased affinity for GDP at the guanine nucleotide regulatory site; (3) the date regarding cholera toxin stimulation of thyroid adenylate cyclase are consistent with the hypothesis that cholera toxin exerts its effect by inhibiting an endogenous GTPase.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

Studies on the time course and rate-limiting steps in the activation of adenylate cyclase in rat liver by cholera toxin.

Cholera toxin stimulates adenylate cyclase in rat liver after intravenous injection. The stimulation follows a short latent period of 10min, and maximum stimulation was attained at 120min. Half-maximal stimulation was achieved at 35min. In contrast with this lengthy time course in the intact cell, adenylate cyclase in broken-cell preparations of rat liver in vitro were maximally stimulated by cholera toxin (in the presence of NAD+) in 20min with half-maximal stimulation in 8min. Binding of cholera toxin to cell membranes by the B subunits is followed by translocation of the A subunit into the cell or cell membrane, and separation of the A1 polypeptide chain from the A2 chain by disulphide-bond reduction, and finally activation of adenylate cyclase by the A1 chain and NAD+. As the binding of cholera toxin is rapid, two possible rate-limiting steps could be the determinants of the long time course of action. These are translocation of the A1 chain from the outside of the cell membrane to its site of action (this includes the time required for separation from the whole toxin) or the availability of NAD+ for activation. When NAD+ concentrations in rat liver were elevated 4-fold, by the administration of nicotinamide, no change in the rate of activation of adenylate cyclase by cholera toxin was observed. Thus the intracellular concentration of NAD+ is not rate-limiting and the major rate-limiting determinant in intact cells must be between the time of toxin binding to the cell membrane and the appearance of subunit A1 at the enzyme site.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

Tubulin adenosine diphosphate ribosylation is catalyzed by cholera toxin.

Cholera toxin catalyzed the transfer of radioactive label from [adenine-2,8-3H2]NAD+ or ((32P]NAD+ to rat C6 glioma cell membrane and cytosolic proteins. Labeled proteins were resolved by polyacrylamide-NaDodSO4 gel or two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and stained with Coomassie blue, and the gels were subjected to fluorography or autoradiography. Autoradiograms of gels revealed labeled Mr 42000 and 46000-48000 membrane proteins that are putative subunits of the regulatory component (G/F) of the C6 cell hormone-sensitive adenylate cyclase. Cholera toxin also catalyzed the labeling of several cytosolic proteins including a Mr 54000 protein that was observed in autoradiograms of two-dimensional gels to migrate as an acidic satellite relative to Coomassie-stained C6 cell tubulin. Tubulin modified by ADP-ribosylation would undergo an acid shift relative to the stained unmodified tubulin in two-dimensional gels. The data led us to postulate that tubulin undergoes cholera toxin catalyzed ADP-ribosylation. Bovine brain tubulin prepared by three cycles of warm/cold polymerization/depolymerization was incubated with [32P]NAD+, GTP, and cholera toxin and then subjected to two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Autoradiograms of the gels revealed the presence of [32P]ADP-ribosylated proteins that migrated as acidic satellites relative to the Coomassie-stained brain alpha and beta tubulin. Peptide maps of bovine brain tubulin and the associated [32P]ADP-ribosylated proteins showed a correspondence between the autoradiographic images and the stained peptide fragments. The data demonstrate that cholera toxin catalyzes the ADP-ribosylation of tubulin.

Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose↗

Amino acid sequence homology between cholera toxin and Escherichia coli heat-labile toxin.

Cholera toxin (CT) and the Escherichia coli heat-labile toxin (LT) are functionally, structurally and immunologically similar enterotoxins. Both toxins cause the elevation of cyclic AMP levels in gut epithelial cells by catalysing the NAD-dependent ADP ribosylation of membrane proteins. Each toxin is composed of two dissimilar subunits. The A subunit has an enzymatic activity and is the adenylate cyclase-activating component of the enterotoxin. The B subunit recognizes membrane components and binds the holotoxin to the target call juxtaposing the A subunit with its substrates. Binding studies and competition experiments indicate that the membrane receptors for cholera toxin B subunit (CT-B) and LT-B are similar but not identical (these studies were performed before by LT was purified to homogeneity). The monosialosylganglioside GMI has been shown to be the receptor for the cholera toxin, and it probably composes part of the receptor for LT. Gyles and Barnum, first reported that LT and cholera toxin were immunologically related, and it has subsequently been shown that they share common antigenic determinants in both A and B subunits. The primary structure of CT-B has been determined. We report here a comparison between the amino acid sequences of LT-B and CT-B. The nucleotide sequence of the LT-B cistron (eltB) was determined using a recombinant plasmid encoding LT. Translation of this sequence revealed that LT-B and CT-B show significant amino acid sequence homology. In addition, several features of the eltB cistron were revealed by the sequence analysis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Estrogen-like stimulation of uterine ornithine decarboxylase by cholera toxin.

Cholera toxin administered by intrauterine injection to ovariectomized rats increased uterine ornithine decarboxylase activity as much as systemic estradiol at 4 h after treatment. At 45-60 min after treatment, however, cholera toxin did not increase nuclear estrogen receptor or stimulate synthesis of the uterine "induced protein," which is closely correlated with nuclear receptor, whereas estradiol caused substantial increases in both nuclear receptor and induced protein synthesis. Intrauterine injection of cholera toxin also produced an estrogen-like elevation of the uterine protein/DNA ratio at 24 h. Because both cholera toxin and estradiol are known to increase vascular permeability, our results support the hypothesis that some uterine effects of estradiol are not mediated by receptor-genome interaction but involve another mechanism that is associated with increased vascular permeability.

Animals↗