A novel adjuvant-free H fusion system for the production of recombinant immunogens in Escherichia coli : Its application to a 12 kDa antigen from Cryptosporidium parvum

摘要

The production of recombinant antigens in Escherichia coli and specific polyclonal antibodies for diagnosis and therapyis still a challenge for world-wide researchers. Several different strategies have been explored to improve both antigenand antibody production, all of them depending on a successful expression and immunogenicity of the antigen. Genefusion technology attempted to address these challenges: fusion partners have been applied to optimise recombinantantigen production in E. coli, and to increase protein immunogenicity. Taking a 12-kDa surface adhesion antigen fromCryptosporidium parvum (CP 12) by example, the novel H fusion partner was presented in this work as an attractive optionfor the development of recombinant immunogens and its adjuvant-free immunisation. The H tag (of only 1 kDa) efficientlytriggered a CP 12-specific immune response, and it also improved the immunisation procedure without requiring coadministrationof adjuvants. Moreover, polyclonal antibodies raised against the HCP 12 fusion antigen detected nativeantigen structures displayed on the surface of C. parvum oocysts. The H tag proved to be an advanced strategy andpromising technology for the diagnosis and therapy of C. parvum infections in animals and humans, allowing a rapid andsimple recombinant production of the CP 12 antigen.