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Expression of the botulinum neurotoxin serotype D binding domain in Brevibacillus brevis and its evaluation as a candidate vaccine antigen in mice

Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2006.

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Other Authors: Theron, Jacques
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Published: University of Pretoria 2013
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Theron, Jacques
author_browse Theron, Jacques
author_facet Theron, Jacques
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2006, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2006.
format Thesis
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:37:25.898Z
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provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2013
publishDateRange 2013
publishDateSort 2013
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
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source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/26748 Expression of the botulinum neurotoxin serotype D binding domain in Brevibacillus brevis and its evaluation as a candidate vaccine antigen in mice Theron, Jacques upetd@up.ac.za Joubert, Hilda Wilhelmina Candidate vaccine antigen in mice Brevibacillus brevis UCTD Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2006. Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) produced by Clostridium botulinum are the causative agents of botulism and represents a family of seven structurally similar but antigenically different serotypes (A to G). The BoNTs are expressed in C. botulinum as a single polypeptide chain and then posttranslationally nicked, forming a di-chain polypeptide chain consisting of a 100-kDa heavy chain and a 50-kDa light chain held together by a disulfide bond. Topologically, the neurotoxins are composed of three domains, a binding domain (HC), a translocation domain (HN) and a catalytic domain. The BoNTs act preferentially on cholinergic nerve endings in both humans and animals and thus produce a flaccid paralysis that may result in death. In southern Africa, BoNT types C and D have been associated with botulism in cattle. To combat the disease, a bivalent vaccine consisting of formalin-inactivated type C and D holotoxins is currently available, and although it is efficacious, several concerns regarding its production has been raised, most notably its cost. The development of efficacious recombinant subunit vaccines may provide a means whereby many of the production problems may be eliminated or minimized. Consequently, the aim of this investigation was to produce a recombinant botulinum neurotoxin serotype D binding domain [BoNT/D(HC)] vaccine candidate for preventing BoNT/D intoxication. Towards this end, the gene fragment for the heavy chain (HC) of the BoNT produced by the C. botulinum type D vaccine strain D-50 was amplified, cloned in Escherichia coli and characterized by nucleotide sequence analyses. An alignment of the deduced amino acid sequence with that of characterized clostridial type C and D neurotoxins demonstrated that the heavy chains are composed of highly conserved domains interceded with tracts of amino acids exhibiting little overall relatedness, although considerable identity between the components ofa specific pair is apparent in certain of the regions. The deduced amino acid sequence exhibited 99, 66 and 73% identity with the reported amino acid sequences of BoNT/D-SA, BoNT/D and BoNT/C1, respectively. Attempts at expressing the native gene sequence for the HC from BoNT/D-50 in Brevibacillus brevis 47-5Q were unsuccessful. This may have been due to differences in codon bias between the heterologous gene and B. brevis. Consequently, a completely synthetic codonoptimized gene encoding the HC of BoNT/D-SA was constructed and expressed using a B. brevis 47-5Q mutant as expression host, obtained on mutagenesis with N-methyl-N’-nitro-Nnitrosoguanidine (NTG). Extracellular expression of the 48-kDa recombinant protein was verified by Western blot analyses with anti-BoNT/D antibodies. The recombinant BoNT/DSA(HC) protein was purified from the culture supernatant and used to vaccinate mice, after which their survival against challenge with active toxin was evaluated. Mice given two subcutaneous vaccinations were protected against intraperitoneal administration of 4 X 102 mouse lethal dosages (MLDs) of 16S BoNT/D-50 toxin. Antibody levels in mice surviving challenge were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and confirmed that BoNT/D-SA(HC) was successful in evoking a protective immune response, whilst Western blot analyses indicated the presence of anti-16S BoNT/D-50 toxin antibodies in the serum. From these results it could be concluded that the recombinant BoNT/D-SA(HC) protein is an effective immunogen, able to protect against a high challenge dose of BoNT/D-50 neurotoxin. Microbiology and Plant Pathology unrestricted 2013-09-07T07:36:20Z 2008-08-13 2013-09-07T07:36:20Z 2007-04-20 2009-08-13 2008-07-28 Dissertation Joubert, HW 2006, Expression of the botulinum neurotoxin serotype D binding domain in Brevibacillus brevis and its evaluation as a candidate vaccine antigen in mice, MSc dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://hdl.handle.net/2263/26748 > E546/ag http://hdl.handle.net/2263/26748 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-07282008-115210/ © 2006, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle Candidate vaccine antigen in mice
Brevibacillus brevis
UCTD
Expression of the botulinum neurotoxin serotype D binding domain in Brevibacillus brevis and its evaluation as a candidate vaccine antigen in mice
title Expression of the botulinum neurotoxin serotype D binding domain in Brevibacillus brevis and its evaluation as a candidate vaccine antigen in mice
title_full Expression of the botulinum neurotoxin serotype D binding domain in Brevibacillus brevis and its evaluation as a candidate vaccine antigen in mice
title_fullStr Expression of the botulinum neurotoxin serotype D binding domain in Brevibacillus brevis and its evaluation as a candidate vaccine antigen in mice
title_full_unstemmed Expression of the botulinum neurotoxin serotype D binding domain in Brevibacillus brevis and its evaluation as a candidate vaccine antigen in mice
title_short Expression of the botulinum neurotoxin serotype D binding domain in Brevibacillus brevis and its evaluation as a candidate vaccine antigen in mice
title_sort expression of the botulinum neurotoxin serotype d binding domain in brevibacillus brevis and its evaluation as a candidate vaccine antigen in mice
topic Candidate vaccine antigen in mice
Brevibacillus brevis
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/26748
http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-07282008-115210/