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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Environmental Microbial & Food Safety Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #367040
Research Project: Zoonotic Parasites Affecting Food Animals, Food Safety, and Public Health

Location: Environmental Microbial & Food Safety Laboratory

Title: Cryptosporidium spp. CP15 and CSL protein-derived synthetic peptides

Author
item AVENDANO, CATALINA - University Of Applied And Environmental Sciences (UDCA)
item Jenkins, Mark
item MENDEZ-CALLEJAS, GINA - University Of Applied And Environmental Sciences (UDCA)
item OVIEDO, JAIRO - Limor Laboratory
item GUZMAN, FANNY - Pontifical Catholic University Of Valparaiso
item PATARROYO, MANUEL - Foundation Institute Of Immunology Of Colombia (FIDIC)
item SANCHEZ-ACEDO, CARIDAD - University Of Zaragoza
item QUILEZ, JOAQUIN - University Of Zaragoza

Submitted to: Vaccine
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/20/2018
Publication Date: 10/29/2018
Citation: Avendano, C., Jenkins, M.C., Mendez-Callejas, G., Oviedo, J., Guzman, F., Patarroyo, M., Sanchez-Acedo, C., Quilez, J. 2018. Cryptosporidium spp. CP15 and CSL protein-derived synthetic peptides. Vaccine. 36(45):6703-6710. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.09.044.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.09.044

Interpretive Summary: Cryptosporidiosis is an intestinal parasitic disease of humans and animals caused by protozoa in the genus Cryptosporidium. The disease is prevalent among the young who have immature immune systems and among patients with suppressed immune systems. The only known therapy is oral inoculation of patients with antibodies against the parasite. While this therapy is effective, it does require producing constituents of Cryptosporidium for continuous antisera production. The purpose of the present study was to synthesize Cryptosporidium proteins using standard biochemical techniques and then produce antibodies to these proteins. The antisera were tested for binding to and neutralization of Cryptosporidium parvum. It was found that a subset of antibodies not only bound to C. parvum infectious stages, but also inhibited the invasion of the parasite in cell culture. These findings indicate that it may be possible to produce an antibody preparation that can be used to treat patients with acute cryptosporidiosis.

Technical Abstract: Cryptosporidium spp. is a zoonotic intracellular protozoan and a significant cause of diarrhoea in humans and animals worldwide. This parasite can cause high morbidity in immunocompromised people and children in developing countries, livestock being the main reservoir. This study was aimed at performing preliminary tests on Swiss albino weaned mice (ICR) to evaluate the humoral immune response induced against peptides derived from Cryptosporidium parvum CP15 (15 kDa sporozoite surface antigen) and CSL (circumsporozoite-like antigen) proteins. Peptides were identified and characterised using bioinformatics tools and were chemically synthesised. The antibody response was determined and the neutralising effect of antibodies was measured in cell culture. Despite all peptides studied here were capable of stimulating antibody production, neutralising antibodies were detected for just two of the CP15-derived ones. Additional studies aimed at evaluating further the potential of such peptides as vaccine candidates are thus recommended.