Zonula occludens toxin (Zot) is produced, by toxigenic strains of Vibrio cholerae and has the ability to reversibly alter intestinal epithelial tight junctions, allowing the passage of macromolecules through the mucosal barrier. In the present study, we investigated whether Zot could be exploited to deliver soluble antigens through the nasal mucosa for the induction of antigen-specific systemic and mucosal immune responses. Intranasal immunization of mice with ovalbumin (Ova) and recombinant Zot, either fused to the maltose-binding protein (MBP-Zot) or with a hexahistidine tag (His-Zot), induced anti-Ova serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) titers that were approximately 40-fold higher than those Induced by immunization with antigen alone. Interestingly, Zot also stimulated high anti-Ova IgA titers in serum, as well as in vaginal and intestinal secretions. A comparison with Escherichia call heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) revealed that the adjuvant activity of Zot was only sevenfold lower than that of LT, Moreover, Zot and LT induced similar patterns of Ova-specific Ige subclasses. The subtypes IgG1, IgG2a, and IgG2b were all stimulated, with a predominance of and IgG2b, In conclusion, our results highlight Zot as a novel potent mucosal adjuvant of microbial origin.

Zonula occludens toxin is a powerful mucosal adjuvant for intranasally delivered antigens / Marinaro, M; Di Tommaso, A; Uzzau, Sergio; Fasano, A; De Magistris, Mt. - In: INFECTION AND IMMUNITY. - ISSN 0019-9567. - 67:3(1999), pp. 1287-1291.

Zonula occludens toxin is a powerful mucosal adjuvant for intranasally delivered antigens

UZZAU, Sergio;
1999-01-01

Abstract

Zonula occludens toxin (Zot) is produced, by toxigenic strains of Vibrio cholerae and has the ability to reversibly alter intestinal epithelial tight junctions, allowing the passage of macromolecules through the mucosal barrier. In the present study, we investigated whether Zot could be exploited to deliver soluble antigens through the nasal mucosa for the induction of antigen-specific systemic and mucosal immune responses. Intranasal immunization of mice with ovalbumin (Ova) and recombinant Zot, either fused to the maltose-binding protein (MBP-Zot) or with a hexahistidine tag (His-Zot), induced anti-Ova serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) titers that were approximately 40-fold higher than those Induced by immunization with antigen alone. Interestingly, Zot also stimulated high anti-Ova IgA titers in serum, as well as in vaginal and intestinal secretions. A comparison with Escherichia call heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) revealed that the adjuvant activity of Zot was only sevenfold lower than that of LT, Moreover, Zot and LT induced similar patterns of Ova-specific Ige subclasses. The subtypes IgG1, IgG2a, and IgG2b were all stimulated, with a predominance of and IgG2b, In conclusion, our results highlight Zot as a novel potent mucosal adjuvant of microbial origin.
1999
Zonula occludens toxin is a powerful mucosal adjuvant for intranasally delivered antigens / Marinaro, M; Di Tommaso, A; Uzzau, Sergio; Fasano, A; De Magistris, Mt. - In: INFECTION AND IMMUNITY. - ISSN 0019-9567. - 67:3(1999), pp. 1287-1291.
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11388/62790
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 50
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 45
social impact