Recombinant immunogenic compositions and methods for protecting against lethal infections from Bacillus anthracis

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING

[0002] The material contained in the Sequence Listing attached hereto and also provided on compact disc is incorporated by reference herein. The compact disc contains the following file:

[0003] Seqlist.txt 109,000 Bytes Created Mar. 27, 2003.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention generally relates to an immunogenic composition, methods for preparing a vaccine that protects an animal host against lethal infection B. anthracis and immunogenic, and methods of production, and specifically to compositions and methods having both purified recombinant and avirulent Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis) protective antigen proteins and purified B. anthracis lethal factor proteins, or comprised of purified protective antigen-lethal factor fusion proteins, and to methods of production and purification of said proteins.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Anthrax is a well-known infectious disease caused by a Gram-positive bacterium, purified Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis). Among the three types of anthrax infection (cutaneous, gastrointestinal, and inhalation), cutaneous anthrax is the most common and is relatively easily treatable with various antibiotics (6). [It is noted that this numeral reference, and others that similarly follow, references a correspondingly numbered citation in the Literature Cited section, infra.] The other two types of anthrax are rare, but usually fatal even with aggressive anti-microbial therapy. For example, only about one fifth of those who contracted inhalation anthrax recovered in a reported outbreak that occurred in the former Soviet Union town of Sverdlovsk (28). Inhalation anthrax generally occurs after an incubation time of one to six days (10). After the incubation period, a nonspecific flu-like illness ensues for one to three days followed by a brief intervening period of improvement. Unfortunately, rapid deterioration follows and death is universal in untreated cases. Death may occur in as many as 95 percent of treated cases if therapy is not begun within 48 hours from the onset of initial symptoms (5).

[0006] Although well characterized as a disease, only in last twenty years has the molecular basis of B. anthracis virulence related to the disease been understood. The virulence of B. anthracis for animals and humans depends on the production of two types of virulence factors: the gamma-linked poly-D-glutamic acid capsule (27) and the three-component protein exotoxin that is termed anthrax toxin (23, 45). The genes related to virulence are located in two mega-plasmids: pXO1 and pXO2. The genes involved in toxin production are located in the 185 kilobase pair (kbp) pXO1 plasmid (29, 42, 46) and the genes required for capsule production are located in the 95 kbp pXO2 plasmid (13, 31, 42, 49). A B. anthracis strain that contains both plasmids is generally regarded as a virulent strain. There are many B. anthracis strains known in the art that lack virulence due to the absence of either or both of these plasmids. For example, strains lacking the pXO1 plasmid are avirulent (17, 48). Known strains without the pXO2 plasmid are at least 105-fold less virulent than wild-type strains containing both plasmids (17, 52).

[0007] The major virulence factor, anthrax toxin, is composed of three proteins: protective antigen (PA, 83 kilo Dalton, kDa), edema factor (EF, 89 kDa), and lethal factor (LF, 90 kDa). The toxin components act in the binary combinations of PA+EF (edema toxin), and PA+LF (lethal toxin). PA is a cell receptor-binding protein and delivers the other two proteins (EF and LF) into the cytosol of infected cells (3, 39). EF is a calmodulin-dependent adenylate cyclase that disables phagocytes and other cells (22).

[0008] Increased cellular levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) upset water homeostasis and are believed to be responsible for the massive edema seen in cutaneous anthrax infections. Edema toxin inhibits neutrophil function in vitro (30) and neutrophil function is impaired in patients with cutaneous anthrax infection (1). Lethal toxin can be fatal to animals and certain cultured cells due to the LF action. LF is a zinc metalloprotease (14, 15, 21) that inactivates mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (8, 38, 50). The genes encoding PA (pagA), EF (cya), and LF (lef) have all been identified and cloned (43, 47, 51, 53). The crystal structures of all three proteins have also been identified (7, 24, 39).

[0009] The most effective known method for preventing anthrax is vaccination. The current and only FDA-approved anthrax vaccine in the United States (produced by BioPort Corporation of Lansing, Mich. under the trademark BIOTHRAX) is produced from a sterile culture filtrate from an avirulent B. anthracis V770-NP1-R strain. The vaccine primarily consists of PA, and aluminum hydroxide is used as an adjuvant (10). The vaccine was developed during the 1950s and 1960s (2, 54) and is licensed by the FDA to BioPort Corporation (and was formerly licensed to the Michigan Biologic Product Institute) since 1970. The vaccine is safe, showing less than 0.06% systemic reactions (11). The ability of the vaccine to elicit an immune response in humans is well-documented (20, 40, 41). The prior art BIOTHRAX vaccine is currently licensed for six doses over 18 months followed by annual boosts. Nevertheless, data indicate that all six doses may not be necessary to elicit full immune responses (41).

[0010] Although the prior art vaccine is effective and safe, there exists in the art a desire to develop new immunogenic compositions for preparing a vaccine which protects a subject against lethal a infection B. anthracis using current recombinant technologies. Such technologies could increase characterization of the vaccine protein components and allow use of new types of adjuvants that could elicit enhanced or more diverse immune responses.

[0011] Attempts in the art are known to develop new compositions to prepare a vaccine against anthrax using more current technologies. See for example, U.S. Patent Applications 2002/0051791, 2002/0197272, 2003/0003109, to Galloway et al. Unfortunately, Galloway et al. compositions to prepare vaccines are based on DNA vaccine technology and shows very low level of immune responses (both IgG1 and IgG2a) even after 4 vaccinations (3 DNA vaccinations plus one protein vaccination).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Accordingly, the present invention provides new compositions and methods to preparations to induce an immune response that protects an animal from a lethal infection of Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis). The present invention increases the ability to characterize compositions to prepare vaccine protein components, decreases the number of doses required to complete immunization (thus saving costs and reducing risks of possible side effects), and allows use of new types of adjuvants that could elicit better and more diverse immune responses.

[0013] One embodiment of the present invention has two antigenic components, PA and LF. It is known that portions of EF and LF share high degree of homology due to the fact that both proteins bind to PA at the same location. As a result, many antibodies made against LF cross-react with EF, and vise versa. Therefore, by using LF and PA as antigens, the present invention can result in faster immune responses by targeting all three toxin proteins.

[0014] Another embodiment of the present invention targets all three proteins by making a fusion protein between LF and PA. The fusion protein streamlines the vaccine production by reducing the need for fermentation and purification procedures for each protein. By making a fusion protein, the same effect is achieved in a single production line.

[0015] Specifically, the present invention provides an immunogenic composition to prepare a vaccine against a lethal infection of B. anthracis in an animal and includes an effective immunizing amount of at least one recombinant B. anthracis PA (rPA) protein and at least one recombinant B. anthracis LF (rLF) protein. The composition may also include adjuvants such as aluminum hydroxide, immunostimulatory sequence (ISS), CpG, or calcium phosphate.

[0016] The recombinant rLF or rPA B. anthracis protein may be a variant rPA. The variant rPA and variant rLF may also be combined as fusion protein. Fusion may occur at the protein between the N-terminal domain 1 of rLF and the C-terminal domains 3 and 4 of rPA.

[0017] A method of the present invention to produce an immunogenic response against a lethal infection of B. anthracis in an animal includes administering a composition that comprises effective immunizing amount of at least one variant recombinant B. anthracis protein. Additional steps may also include administering at least one adjuvant such as aluminum hydroxide, immunostimulatory sequence (ISS), CpG, and calcium phosphate.

[0018] The method of the present invention to streamline manufacture of an immunogenic composition for producing an immunogenic response against a lethal infection of B. anthracis in an animal may include the step of fusing a rPA and a rLF. Optimizing protein fermentation, and purifying the protein may also be included.

[0019] The present invention also includes a composition comprising an expression vector that when incorporated into a suitable host allows over-expression of at least one recombinant B. anthracis protein.

[0020] Other features of the present invention will become more apparent to persons having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains from the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0021] The foregoing features, as well as other features, will become apparent with reference to the description and figures below, in which like numerals represent like elements.

[0022]
FIG. 1 illustrates a graphic representation of the pBP I backbone vector and DNA sequence (6694 base pairs, bp), SEQ ID NO: 1.

[0023]
FIG. 2 illustrates a graphic representation of the pBP II backbone vector and DNA sequence (5865 bp), SEQ ID NO: 2.

[0024]
FIG. 3 illustrates a graphic representation of the pBP101 expression vector for expression of LF30, the DNA sequence of the LF30 coding region (771 bp from 3746 to 4516 of pBP101), SEQ ID NO: 3, and the amino acid sequence of LF30 (256 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 4, derived therefrom.

[0025]
FIG. 4 illustrates a graphic representation of the pBP102 expression vector for expression of full-length active recombinant LF (rLF), the DNA sequence of the LF coding region (2337 bp from 5854 to 8190 of pBP102), SEQ ID NO: 5, and the amino acid sequence of LF (778 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 6, derived therefrom.

[0026]
FIG. 5 illustrates a graphic representation of the pBP103 expression vector for expression of full-length active recombinant PA (rPA), the DNA sequence of pBP103 (entire sequence of pBP103 is shown since the vector is different from rest of the pBP vectors due to the lack of Nde I restriction site immediately after the PA signal sequence), SEQ ID NO: 7, the DNA sequence of the rPA coding region (2208 bp from 3735 to 5942 of pBP103), SEQ ID NO: 8, the amino acid sequence of rPA (735 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 9, and the calculated chemical properties of PA.

[0027]
FIG. 6 illustrates a graphic representation of pBP105 expression vector for expression of full-length active rPA and LF30; the DNA sequence of the entire vector (entire sequence of pBP105 is shown since there are two open reading frames in the vector), SEQ ID NO: 10, the

[0028] DNA sequence of the rPA and LF30 coding regions (The DNA sequence for rPA (2208 bp from 3735 to 5942 of pBP105) is same as the rPA sequence in pBP103, SEQ ID NO: 11; the DNA sequence for LF30 (771 bp from 6391 to 7161 of pBP105) is same as the LF30 sequence in pBP101, SEQ ID NO: 12); the amino acid sequence of PA and LF30 (amino acids sequences of rPA (735 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 13, and LF30 (256 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 14, are identical to those sequences from pBP103 and pBP101, respectively).

[0029]
FIG. 7 illustrates a graphic representation of the pBP107 expression vector for expression of the fusion protein BP107, the DNA sequence of the pBP107 coding region (1515 bp from 3746 to 5260 of pBP107), SEQ ID NO: 15; the amino acid sequence of BP107 (504 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 16, derived therefrom; and the calculated chemical properties of BP107.

[0030]
FIG. 8 illustrates a graphic representation of the pBP108 expression vector for expression of the LF-PA fusion protein BP108, the DNA sequence of the pBP108 coding region (1974 bp from 3746 to 5719 of pBP108), SEQ ID NO: 17; the amino acid sequence of BP108 (657 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 18, derived therefrom; and the calculated chemical properties of BP108.

[0031]
FIG. 9 illustrates a graphic representation of the pBP109 expression vector for expression of the LF-PA fusion protein BP109, the DNA sequence of the pBP109 coding region (2289 bp from 3746 to 6034 of pBP109), SEQ ID NO: 19; the amino acid sequence of BP109 (762 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 20, derived therefrom; and the calculated chemical properties of BP109.

[0032]
FIG. 10 illustrates a graphic representation of the pBP111 expression vector for expression of a PA deletion mutant PA64, the DNA sequence of the pBP111 coding region (1722 bp from 1 to 1722 of pBP111), SEQ ID NO: 21; the amino acid sequence of PA64 (573 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 22, derived therefrom; and calculated chemical properties of PA64.

[0033]
FIG. 11 illustrates a graphic representation of the pBP113 expression vector for expression of a PA deletion mutant PA47, the DNA sequence of the pBP113 coding region (1272 bp from 1 to 1272 of pBP113), SEQ ID NO: 23; the amino acid sequence of PA47 (423 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 24, derived therefrom; and the calculated chemical properties of PA47.

[0034]
FIG. 12 illustrates a graphic representation of the pBP115 expression vector for expression of a PA deletion mutant PA27; the DNA sequence of the pBP115 coding region (723 bp from 1 to 723 of pBP115), SEQ ID NO: 25; the amino acid sequence of PA27 (240 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 26, derived therefrom; and the calculated chemical properties of PA27.

[0035]
FIG. 13 illustrates a graphic representation of pBP116 expression vector for expression of a LF C-terminal deletion mutant LF80, the DNA sequence of the pBP116 coding region (2070 bp from 1 to 2070 of pBP116), SEQ ID NO: 27; the amino acid sequence of LF80 (689 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 28; and calculated chemical properties of LF80.

[0036]
FIG. 14 illustrates a graphic representation of pBP118 expression vector for expression of a C-terminal LF deletion mutant LF60, the DNA sequence of the pBP118 coding region (1497 bp from 1 to 1497 of pBP118), SEQ ID NO: 29; the amino acid sequence of LF60 (498 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 30, derived therefrom; and the calculated chemical properties of LF60.

[0037]
FIG. 15 illustrates a graphic representation of the pBP119 expression vector for expression of a C-terminal LF deletion mutant LF50; the DNA sequence of the pBP119 coding region (1206 bp from 1 to 1206 of pBP119), SEQ ID NO: 31; the amino acid sequence of LF50 (401 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 32, derived therefrom; and the calculated chemical properties of LF50.

[0038]
FIG. 16 illustrates a graphic representation of the pBP120 expression vector for expression of a C-terminal LF deletion mutant LF40, the DNA sequence of the pBP120 coding region (924 bp from 1 to 924 of pBP120), SEQ ID NO: 33; the amino acid sequence of LF40 (307 amino acids), derived therefrom, SEQ ID NO: 34; and the calculated chemical properties of LF40.

[0039]
FIG. 17 illustrates a photograph of a SDS-PAGE analysis of purified proteins.

[0040]
FIG. 18 illustrates the amount of total anti-PA IgG from CD1 mice vaccinated with either 1 or 2 doses of corresponding vaccine samples, wherein each 0.5 ml dose consists of 25 μg of each antigen adsorbed to 1.4 μg of aluminum hydroxide in a preservative solution (9.36 g/L NaCl, 0.033 g/L phenol, and 281 μl/L formaldehyde), and the vaccination was done by the intraperitoneal route in days 0 and 28 and the bleedings were done in days 28 and 42, respectively.

[0041]
FIG. 19 illustrates the total anti-LF IgG titers from CD1 with either 1 or 2 doses of corresponding vaccine samples; each 0.5 ml dose consists of 25 μg of each antigen adsorbed to 1.4 μg of aluminum hydroxide in a preservative solution (9.36 g/L NaCl, 0.033 g/L phenol, and 281 μl/L formaldehyde), the vaccination was done by the intraperitoneal route in days 0 and 28 and the bleedings were done in days 28 and 42, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0042] The present invention relates to compositions and methods to induce the animal host to produce antibodies against a virulent strain of Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis). In general, the present invention provides an immunogenic composition, such as a new compositions to prepare a vaccine, including the use of two antigenic recombinant components derived from an avirulent strain of B. anthracis, namely the protective antigen (PA) and lethal factor (LF) proteins. Such recombinant proteins have an amino acid sequences that are at least 90% identical, preferably at least 95% identical to the amino acid sequences detailed below.

[0043] It is well established that both anti-PA and anti-LF antibodies will work as neutralizing antibodies and, therefore, will interrupt enzymatic activities of the anthrax toxin (16, 19, 25, 26). Additionally, it has been demonstrated that a booster by LF or the presence of LF antigen enhances the immunity of PA antigen (30). Furthermore, because LF and the edema factor (EF) protein share high N-terminal amino acid homology, some of the antibodies raised against the N-terminal of LF will also react with EF (4, 26). Therefore, the present invention, by using LF and PA as antigens, may result in faster immune responses by targeting all three toxin proteins since the presence of different antibodies allows attack of different proteins at the same time.

[0044] In another embodiment of the present invention, the immunogenic composition targeting all three proteins (i.e., PA, LF, and EF) is to make a fusion protein between LF and PA. In LF, the immuno-dominant region is domain 1 (32) which binds to PA. Many of the antibodies raised against LF may neutralize the toxic effect of the anthrax toxin by interrupting the binding of LF and PA (26). For PA, domain 4 (39) is the immuno-dominant region. A deletion mutant of PA containing only domain 4 is able to protect mice in a challenge study (9). One embodiment of the present invention fuses the protein between the N-terminal domain 1 of LF and the C-terminal domains 3 and 4 of PA. By using the domain 3 of PA as a spacer region, it is possible to keep the correct folding structures of the other two domains from LF and PA.

[0045] An important feature of the fusion protein of the present invention is streamlining the production of the composition. Production of two separate proteins may include fermentation and purification procedures for each protein. The fusion protein allows this to be performed in a single production line.

[0046] In the present invention, two antigenic B. anthracis proteins are over-expressed, either separately or together as a fusion protein, in an avirulent strain of B. anthracis BH441. The over-expressed proteins are produced in an optimized fermentation method and purified by column chromatography. The purified proteins are formulated as an immunogenic composition, namely a composition to prepare a vaccine.

[0047] Development of a B. anthracis over-expression system involves the development of series of expression vectors (plasmids) to express the target proteins from an avirulent strain (pX01−, pX02−) of B. anthracis. This system is designed to express and secrete the target proteins into the culture supernatant.

[0048] I. Host Strain

[0049] Avirulent B. anthracis strain BH441, lacking both pXO1 and pXO2 plasmids, may be used as the host strain for expression. Since the strain does not express any protein involved in virulence, issues related to the presence of various toxin components such as LF and EF are eliminated. Dr. Steve Leppla at the National Institute of Health is the inventor of the strain.

[0050] II. Expression Vector

[0051] The present invention uses expression vectors (pBP I and pBP II vectors) to express the target proteins. The pBP II vector was developed as an E. coli-B. anthracis shuttle vector as illustrated in FIG. 2, SEQ ID NO: 2. In short, the vector was created using features of both pYS5 vector (44) and a commercially available E. coli expression vector pET16b (available from NOVAGEN, Madison, Wis.).

[0052] A difference of the new pBP vector from the two parent vectors is the fact that NdeI and BamHI restriction sites were used to insert a target gene right next to the PA signal sequence under the control of the PA promoter. As a result, the target gene will be expressed, processed, and secreted to the medium for easy purification. Thus, the target proteins may be purified easily from the culture supernatant without the need of lysing cells. Features of the resulting pBP vectors include origin of replication for both B. anthracis (18, 18, 44) and E. coli, two antibiotic resistant genes against ampicillin and kanamycin, PA promoter, and PA signal sequence for target protein secretion, and a cloning site containing NdeI and BamHI restriction sites. Two pBP expression vectors (I, SEQ ID NO: 1 and II, SEQ ID NO: 2) may be made utilizing the same principles.

[0053] The resulting difference between the two vectors is that pBP II (5865 bp), SEQ ID NO: 2, is smaller than pBP I (6694 bp), SEQ ID NO: 1, due to removal of sequences proved to be unnecessary for stability of the vector and the level of expression of the target proteins. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the pBP vectors.

[0054] Using these expression vectors and the BH441 host strain, the following antigens were able to be cloned, expressed, and purified to be used as a component of the present invention's immunogenic composition. The 14 expression vectors that follow below, except pBP103 and pBP105, utilize NdeI and BamHI restriction sites for cloning the target gene into one of the two pBP expression vectors. DNA sequences of all of the resulting expression vectors described in this invention were verified by DNA sequencing using the ABI Prism 310 Genetic Analyzer (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, Calif.).

[0055] A. pBP101

[0056] pBP101 is an expression vector for LF30. LF30 is a truncated version of the anthrax lethal factor protein with deletions in its C-terminus. It consists of the first 254 amino acids of the 776 amino-acid wild-type protein. These first 254 amino acids represent the PA-binding domain of wild-type LF. There are two additional amino acids (histidine and methionine) at its N-terminus due to the addition of a NdeI restriction site at the beginning of the gene for cloning purposes. pBP I was used to create the vector. Please refer to FIG. 3 for the DNA sequence, SEQ ID NO: 3, and amino acid sequence, SEQ ID NO: 4, of LF30.

[0057] B. pBP102

[0058] cpBP102 is an expression vector for full-length, active rLF. There are two differences between the sequence of the wild-type LF gene and the rLF gene in pBP102. First, rLF from pBP102 contains two additional amino acids (histidine and methionine) at its N-terminus due to the addition of a NdeI restriction site for cloning purposes. Second, the tyrosine codon (amino acid 388 counting the additional two amino acids at its N-terminus) TAT was changed to TAC to remove an internal NdeI site for cloning purposes (36). This vector was created using the pBP II. Please refer to FIG. 4 for detailed description for the DNA sequence, SEQ ID NO: 5, and amino acid sequence, SEQ ID NO: 5, of this vector.

[0059] C. pBP103

[0060] pBP103 is an expression vector for full-length, wild-type rPA. This vector is different from the rest of the pBP vectors since there is no added amino acid in its N-terminus. The NdeI restriction site was not used to create this vector. Thus, the PA sequence from pBP103 is identical to that of wild-type PA. Expression vector pBP103 was created by ligating the 2436 base pair BamHI/Bst1107I fragment of plasmid pET16b with the 5765 base pair BamHI/XbaI fragment of plasmid pYS5. Please refer to FIG. 5 for the entire DNA sequence of pBP103, SEQ ID NO: 7; the DNA sequence of the pBP103 coding region, SEQ ID NO: 8; and amino acid sequence, SEQ ID NO: 9, of rPA. Please note the entire vector sequence, SEQ ID NO: 7, is shown in the figure since pBP103 is different from other pBP vectors.

[0061] D. pBP105

[0062] pBP105 is a dual expression vector for both full-length rPA and LF30. This vector was created to express and purify both proteins from a single expression vector. Both open reading frames are under the control of separate PA promoters. This vector is also different from other pBP vectors since it was created from pBP101 and pBP103. To create two open reading frames, a second PA promoter and the LF30 gene from pBP101 are inserted into pBP103. Thus, the rPA protein sequence is the same-as the wild-type PA sequence but the LF30 protein contains two additional amino acids as described in pBP101. Please refer to FIG. 6 for details. FIG. 6 illustrates a graphic representation of pBP105 expression vector for expression of full-length active rPA and LF30; the DNA sequence of the entire vector (entire sequence of pBP105 is shown since there are two open reading frames in the vector), SEQ ID NO: 10, the DNA sequence of the rPA and LF30 coding regions (the DNA sequence for rPA (2208 bp from 3735 to 5942 of pBP105) is the same as the rPA sequence in pBP103, SEQ ID NO: 11; the DNA sequence for LF30 (771 bp from 6391 to 7161 of pBP105) is same as the LF30 sequence in pBP101, SEQ ID NO: 12), and the amino acid sequence of PA and LF30 (amino acids sequences of rPA (735 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 13, and LF30 (256 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 14, are identical to those sequences from pBP103 and pBP101, respectively).

[0063] E. pBP107

[0064] Expression vector pBP107 is a novel plasmid created for the purpose of over-expression of a recombinant B. anthracis LF-PA fusion protein. The 58 kDa LF-PA fusion protein contains domain 1 (residues 1 to 254) of LF (32) and domains 3 and 4 (residues 488 to 735) of PA (39). Domain 1 of LF is responsible for binding to PA and domain 4 of PA the receptor-binding region. Domain 3 of PA was used as a spacer for proper folding of LF domain 1 and PA domain 4. Two additional amino acids (His and Met) are added at the N-terminus for cloning purpose. Initially, the LF and PA fragments were generated from plasmids pBP102 and pBP103, respectively, by PCR. Next, the technique of overlap PCR was used to combine the LF and PA fragments. The pBP I backbone was used to insert the LF-PA fragment to generate pBP107. The resulting fusion protein is designated as BP107. FIG. 7 illustrates a graphic representation of the pBP107 expression vector for expression of the fusion protein BP107, the DNA sequence of the pBP107 coding region (1515 bp from 3746 to 5260 of pBP107), SEQ ID NO: 15; the amino acid sequence of BP107 (504 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 16, derived therefrom; and the calculated chemical properties of BP107.

[0065] F. pBP108

[0066] pBP108 is an expression vector for a second PA-LF fusion protein BP108. This fusion protein is 76 kDa and represents the N-terminal LF amino acids 1 to 406 (domains 1, 3, and portion of domain 2) and PA amino acids 488-735 (domains 3 and 4 of PA). BP108 contains more LF sequences than BP107 to ensure proper folding of the LF domain 1. Like BP107, two additional amino acids (His and Met) are added at the N-terminus for cloning purposes. Initially, the LF and PA fragments were generated from plasmids pSJ115 (35) and pBP103, respectively, by PCR. Next, the technique of overlap PCR was used to combine the LF and PA fragments. The pBP I backbone was used to insert the LF-PA fragment to generate pBP108. FIG. 8 illustrates a graphic representation of the pBP108 expression vector for expression of the LF-PA fusion protein BP108, the DNA sequence of the BP108 coding region (1974 bp from 3746 to 5719 of pBP108), SEQ ID NO: 17, the amino acid sequence of BP108 (657 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 18, derived therefrom, and the calculated chemical properties of BP108.

[0067] G. pBP109

[0068] pBP109 is an expression vector for a third PA-LF fusion protein BP109. This fusion protein is 88 kDa and represents the N-terminal LF amino acids 1 to 512 (domains 1, 3, and portion of domain 2) and PA amino acids 488-735 (domains 3 and 4 of PA). BP109 contains even more LF sequences than BP108 to ensure proper folding of the LF domain 1. Like BP107, two additional amino acids (His and Met) are added at the N-terminus for cloning purposes. Initially, the LF and PA fragments were generated from plasmids pSJ115 (34) and pBP103, respectively, by PCR. Next, the technique of overlap PCR was used to combine the LF and PA fragments. The pBP I backbone was used to insert the LF-PA fragment to generate pBP109. FIG. 9 illustrates a graphic representation of the pBP109 expression vector for expression of the LF-PA fusion protein BP109, the DNA sequence of the pBP109 coding region (2289 bp from 3746 to 6034 of pBP109), SEQ ID NO: 19; the amino acid sequence of BP109 (762 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 20, derived therefrom; and the calculated chemical properties of BP109.

[0069] H. pBP111

[0070] pBP111 is an expression vector for a 64 kDa N-terminal PA deletion mutant PA64. This mutant contains amino acid 185-735 of PA and the purpose of this mutant is to create a stable PA molecule to be used as an antigen. The wild-type PA is not very stable due to the presence of a furin cleavage site at amino acid 164 (RKKR). By removing this site, PA64 is less vulnerable to degradation and other proteolytic activities. The vector pBP111 was made using the pBP backbone II. The resulting protein PA64 contains two additional amino acids (His and Met) at its N-terminus making the total number of amino acids 573. FIG. 10 illustrates a graphic representation of the pBP111 expression vector for expression of a PA deletion mutant PA64, the DNA sequence of the PBP111 coding region (1722 bp from 1 to 1722 of pBP111), SEQ ID NO: 21; the amino acid sequence of PA64 (573 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 22, derived therefrom; and calculated chemical properties of PA64.

[0071] I. pBP113

[0072] pBP113 is an expression vector for a 47 kDa N-terminal PA deletion mutant PA47. This mutant contains amino acid 315-735 of PA and the purpose of this mutant is to create a stable PA molecule to be used as an antigen. The wild-type PA is not very stable due to the presence of a furin cleavage site at amino acid 164 (RKKR). Additionally, there is a chymotrypsin sensitive site at 313 (FF). By removing both sites, PA47 is less vulnerable to degradation and other proteolytic activities. The vector pBP1113 was made using the pBP II backbone. The resulting protein PA47 contains two additional amino acids (His and Met) at its N-terminus making the total number of amino acids 423. FIG. 11 illustrates a graphic representation of the pBP113 expression vector for expression of a PA deletion mutant PA47; the DNA sequence of the pBP113 coding region (1272 bp from 1 to 1272 of pBP113), SEQ ID NO: 23; the amino acid sequence of PA47 (423 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 24, derived therefrom; and the calculated chemical properties of PA47.

[0073] J. pBP115

[0074] pBP115 is an expression vector for a 27 kDa N-terminal PA deletion mutant PA27. This mutant contains amino acid 498-735 of PA and the purpose of this mutant is to create a smallest PA deletion mutant to be used as an effective antigen. It has been reported that the domain 4 by itself can protect mice from lethal dose of spore challenge (9). PA27 contains a part of domain 3 and full domain 4. The vector pBP1115 was created using the pBP II backbone. The resulting protein PA27 contains two additional amino acids (His and Met) at its N-terminus making the total number of amino acids 240. FIG. 12 illustrates a graphic representation of the pBP115 expression vector for expression of a PA deletion mutant PA27, the DNA sequence of the pBP115 coding region (723 bp from 1 to 723 of pBP115), SEQ ID NO: 25; the amino acid sequence of PA27 (240 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 26, derived therefrom; and the calculated chemical properties of PA27.

[0075] K. pBP116

[0076] pBP116 is an expression vector for an 80 kDa C-terminal LF deletion mutant LF80. LF80 contains amino acids 1 to 687 of LF representing most of the LF molecule except the C-terminal enzymatic domain. The vector pBP116 was created using the pBP II backbone. The resulting protein LF80 contains two additional amino acids (His and Met) at its N-terminus making the total number of amino acids 689. FIG. 13 illustrates a graphic representation of pBP116 expression vector for expression of a LF C-terminal deletion mutant LF80, the DNA sequence of the pBP116 coding region (2070 bp from 1 to 2070 of pBP116), SEQ ID NO: 27; the amino acid sequence of LF80 (689 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 28; and calculated chemical properties of LF80.

[0077] L. pBP118

[0078] pBP118 is an expression vector for a 60 kDa C-terminal LF deletion mutant LF60. LF60 represents residues 1 to 496 of LF which represents domains I (residues 1-262), III (303-382), and portion of domain II (residues 263-297 and 385-550). The vector pBP118 was created using the pBP II backbone. The resulting protein LF60 contains two additional amino acids (His and Met) at its N-terminus making the total number of amino acids 498. FIG. 14 illustrates a graphic representation of pBP118 expression vector for expression of a C-terminal LF deletion mutant LF60; the DNA sequence of the pBP118 coding region (1497 bp from 1 to 1497 of pBP118), SEQ ID NO: 29; the amino acid sequence of LF60 (498 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 30, derived therefrom; and the calculated chemical properties of LF60.

[0079] M. pBP119

[0080] pBP119 is an expression vector for a 50 kDa C-terminal LF deletion mutant LF50. LF50 represents residues 1 to 401 of LF that represents domains I, III, and portion of domain II. The vector pBP119 was created using the pBP II backbone. The resulting protein LF60 contains two additional amino acids (His and Met) at its N-terminus making the total number of amino acids 403. FIG. 15 illustrates a graphic representation of the pBP119 expression vector for expression of a C-terminal LF deletion mutant LF50; the DNA sequence of the pBP119 coding region (1206 bp from 1 to 1206 of pBP119), SEQ ID NO: 31; the amino acid sequence of LF50 (401 amino acids), SEQ ID NO: 32, derived therefrom; and the calculated chemical properties of LF50.

[0081] N. pBP120

[0082] pBP120 is an expression vector for a 40 kDa C-terminal LF deletion mutant LF40. LF40 represents residues 1 to 305 of LF which represents domain I and portions of domains II and III. The vector pBP120 was created using the pBP II backbone. The resulting protein LF40 contains two additional amino acids (His and Met) at its N-terminus making the total number of amino acids 307. FIG. 16 illustrates a graphic representation of the pBP120 expression vector for expression of a C-terminal LF deletion mutant LF40; the DNA sequence of the pBP120 coding region (924 bp from 1 to 924 of pBP120), SEQ ID NO: 33, the amino acid sequence of LF40 (307 amino acids), derived therefrom, SEQ ID NO: 34, and the calculated chemical properties of LF40.

[0083] III. Fermentation and Purification

[0084] The following procedure was based on typical fermentation and purification procedures of rPA preparation from pBP103 vector, SEQ ID NOS: 7 and 8, using BH441 as host cells. Fermentation and purification procedures of other proteins are known in the art and similar to that of rPA.

[0085] A. Bacterial Culture Conditions

[0086] A working stock of B. anthracis BH 441(pBP103) strain, stored at −80° C. in 50% (vol/vol) glycerol, was used. Two (2) liters of modified FA media, consisting of 35 g/L tryptone (BD Biosciences, San Jose, Calif.) and 20 g/L yeast extract (BD Biosciences, San Jose, Calif.), were formulated and sterilized at 121° C. for 15-20 minutes using a four (4) liter flask. Media was allowed to cool to room temperature before placing in a pre-sterilized two (2) liter polycarbonate bottle (NALGENE, Nalge Nunc International, Rochester, N.Y.).

[0087] One (1) liter of 10×FA media salt solution was formulated, consisting of 60 g/L Na2HPO4*7H2O, 10 g/L KH2 PO4, 55 g/L NaCl, 0.4 g/L L-Tryptophan, 0.4 g/L L-Methionine, 0.05 g/L Thiamine-HCl, and 0.25 g/L Uracil. The 10×salt solution was sterile filtered using 0.2 μm DURAPORE polyvinylidiene fluoride (PVDF) filter (Millipore Corporation, Bedford, Mass.) and placed into another pre-sterilized two (2) liter polycarbonate bottle (NALGENE) to be stored at room temperature.

[0088] After sterilizing the modified FA media without salt as described above, kanamycin (400 μL of 50 mg/mL kanamycin solution (Sigma) in 0.9% NaCl, final concentration of 0.01 mg/mL or 10 μg/mL) was added aseptically to the media. Additionally, 200 mL of the sterile 10×salt solution was also added aseptically to the 2L media. Ten (10) mL of the media was then aseptically transferred into each of five (5) sterile 50 mL polypropylene tubes. These tubes were inoculated with the frozen B. anthracis in BH441 (pBP103) strain, using a sterile inoculation loop. Sterile caps were placed onto the tubes and the tubes were allowed to incubate at 37° C. with a constant agitation rate of 250 rpm in the INNOVA 4000 shaker incubator (New Brunswick Scientific Co., Inc., Edison, N.J.) for approximately sixteen (16) hours. After incubation, the grown cultures were checked for sufficient turbidity and then stored at 2-8° C. temporarily (less than few hours) until the fermentor was ready. These were the cultures used to inoculate the fermentors during the study.

[0089] B. Fermentation Conditions

[0090] The fermentations were performed using the BIOFLO 2000 Bench-Top Fermentor (New Brunswick Scientific Co. Inc., Edison, N.J.) with a 9 L working volume. Two 6-blade Rushton impellers, connected to the bearing housing assembly (rotor) on the fermentor head plate, were used for agitation. The first impeller was positioned approximately 3 cm above the ring sparger. The second impeller was positioned in the center of the rotor, approximately 18 cm above the lower impeller. Stainless steal baffles were positioned at a 90° angle with the wall of the glass vessel.

[0091] The fermentor head-plate was equipped with a sample port designed for aseptic sampling during the fermentation. An exhaust system was set up using a 0.2 μm pharmaceutical grade exhaust filter (sold under the trademark ULTIPORE by Pall Ultrafine Filtration Corporation; “Pall”) linked to a condensation collection bottle. A secondary exhaust filter (micro ACRODISC 50, 0.2 μm; Gelman Sciences, Ann Arbor, Mich.) was placed onto the head-plate. Medical grade silicon tubing and TYGON was used to make all connections on the head-plate. The head-plate was lowered onto the 9 L glass vessel and secured in place. Approximately 500 mL of water for injection (WFI) was added into the vessel to eliminate complete drying of the fermentor system during sterile autoclaving. The fermentor assembly was sterilized by autoclaving at 121° C. for 60 minutes and then allowed to cool to room temperature. The fermentor was then assembled onto the BIOFLO 2000 system.

[0092] Eight (8) liters of modified FA media was used during the fermentation. The formulated media was divided into four (4) liter flasks, each with 2 L of media. The flasks were autoclaved at 121° C. for 15 to 20 minutes. The media was allowed to cool to room temperature. Using a sterile glass funnel, the media was added aseptically to the fermentor via the addition port. The additional 800 mL of the 10×FA media salt solution was also added, along with 2 mL of 50 mg/mL kanamycin stock solution (0.01 mg/mL final concentration). Initial pH of the media was 6.7.

[0093] Aeration of the media was initiated at 9.0 L/min (1 L/min per L vessel volume) using an external compressed air tank (0.1 purity grade) and filtered through 0.2 μm ACRODISC 50 inlet filter line. Agitation of the media was initiated at 300 rpm using the motor-driven, rotor coupling agitator on the BIOFLO 2000. The media was equilibrated to 37° C. using an external circulating water bath system integrated to the head-plate, controlling the media temperature throughout the fermentation at a constant 37° C. Fermentation was initiated by inoculating the fermentor aseptically with the 50 mL initial culture prepared above.

[0094] C. Fermentation Harvest and Recovery

[0095] Sampling of the fermentor was done periodically throughout the growth cycle, and pH and OD600 values were measured. As the OD600 increased during log phase of the fermentation, a slight drop in the pH could be seen (initial pH 6.7 falls to pH 6.6). As the OD600 approached stationary phase, a transient increase was observed in the pH between 10 and 14 hours (pH 6.6 increased to pH 7.3). These two key parameters (unchanging OD600 and pH 7.3) were used to determine a suitable harvest time of 12-14 hours. At 12-14 hours, OD600 of the sample was found to be 13, and the pH was 7.3. The fermentor culture was harvested.

[0096] The 9 L fermentation culture was placed on ice and then poured into 1 L polycarbonate bottles with rubber O-ring caps. Bottles were balanced using the OHAUS (Pine Brook, N.J.) opposing balance, and then centrifuged at 5,000 rpm for 30-40 minutes in a SORVALL RC12BP (Kendro laboratory Products, Asheville, N.C.) swing-bucket rotor centrifuge. After centrifugation, clarified supernatant was collected in a sterile 9 L bottle and cell debris pellets were discarded. 120 mL of 0.5 M EDTA was added to the 9 L clarified supernatant to inhibit protease activity (final concentrated 6.66 mM EDTA).

[0097] At 4° C., the 9 L culture was concentrated by tangential-flow ultrafiltration using a PELLICON II cassette system (Millipore, Billerica, Mass.) with a 10 kDa molecular weight cutoff membrane. Once the volume reached 600 mL, diafiltration was initiated against 6 L of 10 mM Tris, pH 8.0. The volume was held constant at 600 mL during the buffer exchange. After diafiltration, the volume was further concentrated to 500 mL. 125 g of solid ammonium sulfate (25 g per 100 mL) was added to achieve 40% saturation (1.89 M final concentration), and the sample was allowed to roll at 4° C. for approximately 16 hours. After 16 hours, the 500 mL sample was centrifuged at 5,000 rpm for 30 minutes. The supernatant was collected into a pre-sterilized polycarbonate bottle (NALGENE) for FPLC column purification.

[0098] D. Column Purification

[0099] The 500 mL sample was loaded onto a manually packed Fast Flow Phenyl Sepharose hydrophobic interaction chromatography column (100 mL column volume, c.v.) using a fully automated sample pump integrated onto an AKTA FPLC system with UNICORN software (PHARMACIA, Piscataway, N.J.). Sample was loaded at 2.5 mL/min with no significant back-pressure observed. The column was pre-equilibrated with buffer consisting of 1.5 M ammonium sulfate, 20 mM HEPES, and 1 mM EDTA (pH adjusted to 7.5). After the sample was loaded, a run cycle was executed using UNICORN pre-programmed with a 100 mL (1 c.v.) wash-out of unbound sample using the same buffer. The program then eluted the sample with an extended (9 c.v.) ammonium sulfate gradient from 1.5 M to 0 M at 2.0 mL/min. 0-70% gradient was achieved after 800 mL of buffer with the additional 100 mL used between 70-100% gradient. The 10 mL fractions were collected and analyzed by an 8-25% native polyacrylamide gel using the PHASTGEL System (PHARMACIA).

[0100] The Phenyl Sepharose pool material was diafiltered by tangential-flow ultrafiltration using a small lab-scale TFF system (Millipore PELLICON XL) equipped with a BIOMAX 50 (50,000 kDa cutoff membrane, Millipore Corporation, Bedford, Mass.). Holding the volume constant, the buffer exchange was against approximately 700 mL to 1 L of 10 mM Tris, 1 mM EDTA, pH 8.0. The sample was concentrated further to 100 mL final volume.

[0101] The 100 mL dialyzed sample was loaded via a superloop onto a 50 mL Q-Sepharose Fast Flow column (PHARMACIA) pre-equilibrated with 10 mM Tris, 0.5 mM EDTA (pH 8.0), and then eluted with a 0-0.5 M NaCl extended gradient at 2.0 mL/min. Elongated gradient strategy was similar to the Phenyl Sepharose run with 0-70% being achieved through 8 c.v. and 70-100% through 1 c.v. Fractions (10 mL) were collected and analyzed again by an 8-25% native gel.

[0102] Finally, the pooled material was filtered again by tangential-flow ultrafiltration using the small lab-scale TFF system (Millipore PELLICON XL). A BIOMAX 10 (10,000 kDa cutoff membrane) was used for final dialysis. Holding the volume constant, the buffer exchange was against approximately 700 mL to 1 L of 10 mM Tris, pH 8.0, without EDTA. Small amount of sample is aliquoted for analyses and the rest of the purified protein is stored at −80° C.

[0103] The purity of the purified proteins was greater than 95% by densitometer measurements and FIG. 17 shows SDS-PAGE of several of the purified proteins. Lanes 1 and 11, Mark 12 molecular weight standard (INVITROGEN, San Diego, Calif.):

[0104] Lane 2: PA

[0105] Lane 3: PA64

[0106] Lane 4: PA47

[0107] Lane 5: PA27

[0108] Lane 6: LF

[0109] Lane 7: LF-E687C*

[0110] Lane 8: LF50

[0111] Lane 9: LF40

[0112] Lane 10: LF30

[0113] LF-E687C is a full-length inactive LF. The glutamic acid in the active site was mutated to cysteine by genetic manipulation. This molecule was created previously (33).

[0114] III. Compositions to Prepare Vaccine Formulations and Testing

[0115] A. Formulations

[0116] The new composition to prepare a vaccine candidate may be formulated using different types of adjuvants. Possible adjuvants for the vaccine formulation includes, but are not limited to, aluminum hydroxide, Immunostimulatory Sequences (ISS, CpG), and calcium phosphate.

[0117] For aluminum hydroxide, vaccine candidates were formulated to comprise either a combination of a variant of PA with a variant of LF or of a purified fusion protein combining the two antigens. Purified antigenic proteins were prepared singly or in combination such that each antigen was present at a concentration of 50 μg/ml in 10 mM Tris, pH 8.0. Proteins were then adsorbed to aluminum hydroxide (Alhydrogel). The adsorbed proteins were pelleted and resuspended in a preservative solution (9.36 g/L NaCl, 0.033 g/L phemerol, 218 μl/L formaldehyde) at a final concentration of 50 μg/ml per protein.

[0118] For ISS, protein samples were purified and resuspended separately in the preservative solution at a concentration of 200 μg/ml. To formulate a 100 ml vaccine candidate, either 25 ml of fusion protein preparation or 25 ml of each protein preparation is transferred to a sterile 200 ml bottle. Then, appropriate amount of ISS is added to the bottle and the volume is adjusted to 100 ml using the preservative solution. As a result, final protein concentration is 50 μg/ml per protein.

[0119] B. Animal Testing

[0120] 1. Relative Potency Test

[0121] Some of the vaccine candidates formulated with aluminum hydroxide were tested for potency using BioPort's relative potency assay. Guinea pigs were immunized once with 0.5 ml of each vaccine candidates and challenged two weeks later with a virulent strain of B. anthracis. The relative potency was calculated after the number of survived animals in each group is compared to the result of a BioPort's reference vaccine. Table 1 below is the result of one the potency tests for few of the vaccine candidates.

1TABLE 1Amount of AntigenRelativeGroupPer Dose (0.5 ml)Potency1 5 μg rPA0.49225 μg rPA1.08350 μg rPA1.124BioPortNAReference Vaccine55 μg rPA + 2 μg LF300.38625 μg rPA + 10 μg LF300.9 750 μg rPA + 20 μg LF302.35

[0122] These test results indicate that the vaccine candidate group 7 containing 50 μg PA and 20 μg LF30 shows significantly better relative potency values than the reference vaccine and this higher value is statistically significant.

[0123] 2. Immunogenicity Study in Mice

[0124] CD1 mice were used to determine immunogenicity of the vaccine candidates. In short, groups of mice were vaccinated one to three times with 0.5 ml of aluminum hydroxide-adsorbed vaccine candidates containing 25 μg of each protein component at days 0, 28, and 42. Bloods were drawn from mice two weeks after the final vaccination and the amount of anti-PA and anti-LF antibodies were measured. Table 2 explains statistical evaluation of total anti-PA IgG (μg/ml) and total anti-LF titer in mice after one or two immunizations with few of the vaccine candidates. Each 0.5 ml dose consists of 25 μg of each antigen adsorbed to 1.4 μg of aluminum hydroxide in a preservative solution. The vaccination was done by the intraperitoneal route in days 0 and 28 and the bleedings were done in days 28 and 42, respectively.

[0125] The results of the immunogenicity study indicate that both PA and LF can induce strong immune responses after two vaccinations (FIGS. 18 and 19). Additionally, the amounts of total anti-PA IgG were statistically not different when different sizes of PA variants were used indicating smaller PA deletion mutant can generate as strong immune responses as the wild-type PA protein (FIG. 18).

2TABLE 2Anti-PA IgGAnti-LF(μg/ml)TiterCandidate1 Dose2 Doses1 Dose2 DosesrPAN1011NANALog Mean2.4393.762SD0.1620.312GM275 5775MIN146 1329MAX43714224rPA + LF50N10111011Log Mean2.4523.5393.6624.779SD0.1600.1950.2770.342GM28334624595 60092MIN17611522000 8000MAX48257508000128000rPA + LF-N10111011E687CLog Mean2.3083.6343.4825.025SD0.2360.1630.2100.195GM20343083031105952MIN 7428932000 64000MAX36992648000256000rPA47N1111NANALog Mean2.3703.515SD0.1800.130GM2353272MIN1532107MAX6136029rPA47 + LF50N911911Log Mean2.4923.4493.6365.107SD0.1870.2440.3170.233GM3102810 4320128000MIN158 633 2000 64000MAX682477016000256000

[0126] Similarly, the titers of total anti-LF IgG were statistically not different when different sizes of LF variants were used, indicating smaller LF deletion mutant can generate as strong immune responses as the wild-type LF protein (FIG. 19).

[0127] These results support the idea that two antigens derived from PA and LF can be used together to induce stronger immune responses than either PA or LF alone, possibly resulting in a better and faster protection against anthrax infection.

[0128] The present invention may be practiced otherwise than as particularly described in the foregoing description and examples. Numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings and, therefore, are within the scope of the appended claims.

[0129] The entire disclosure of each document cited (including patents, patent applications, journal articles, abstracts, laboratory manuals, books, or other disclosures) in the Background of the Invention, Detailed Description, and examples is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

Recombinant immunogenic compositions and methods for protecting against lethal infections from Bacillus anthracis

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