Summary
In the search for a suitable vaccine candidate for Lyme borreliosis the principles of protective immunity were studied in a murine model ofBorrelia burgdorferi infection. It was found that the spirochetal outer surface protein A (lipOspA) in its native and recombinant lipidated form induces monospecific immune sera, which in passive transfer experiments protect SCID mice against experimental and tick-borne infection and disease. These and similar findings of independent groups led to the development of a vaccine formulation containing lipOspA. When tested in clinical phase I/II safety trials the recombinant lipOspA vaccine was shown to be safe, immunogenic and able to elicit borreliacidal antibodies. At present, clinical phase III efficacy trials are being conducted.B. burgdorferi infection involves the dissemination of the spirochetes from the site of the tick bite, infection of distant organs, and induction of a chronic inflammatory process. Recent studies indicate that the spirochetes may utilize host-derived enzyme systems to increase their virulence/pathogenicity. It was found that lipOspA serves as a surface receptor for the host-derived proteolytic enzyme plasmin(ogen), the central component of the so-called plasminogen activator system. Moreover, it was found that spirochetes are able to activate endothelial cells and blood-derived leukocytes, such as monocytes/macrophages, B cells and T cells, to express functions and/or secrete molecules, which are known to promote inflammatory responses. Part of these activities were exerted by the isolated lipOspA. The studies indicate an important role of lipOspA, both for the induction of a protective immune response by the host, as well as for the pathogenic processes elicited duringB. burgdorferi infection.
Zusammenfassung
Bei Untersuchungen zur Impfstoffentwicklung gegen dieBorrelia burgdorferi-Infektion haben wir grundlegende Prinzipien der protektiven Immunantwort in einem murinen Modell erarbeitet. Wir fanden, daß das Oberflächenlipoprotein „outer surface protein A (lipOspA)“ in nativer und rekombinanter lipidierter Form monospezifische Immunseren induziert, die in passiven Transferexperimenten immuninkompetente (SCID) Mäuse gegen experimentelle und zeckenvermittelte Infektion und Erkrankung schützen. Diese Befunde zusammen mit ähnlichen Befunden anderer Arbeitsgruppen führten zur Entwicklung eines Impfstoffs auf der Basis des lipOspA. In klinischen Phase I/II Prüfungen erwies sich der rekombinante lipOspA-Impfstoff als verträglich und immunogen und fähig zur Induktion bakterizider anti-Borrelien-Antikörper. Zum gegenwärtigen Zeitpunkt werden klinische Phase III-Prüfungen zur Untersuchung der protektiven Effizienz durchgeführt. Ausgehend von der Stelle des Zeckenbisses kommt es bei derB. burgdorferi-Infektion zur Verbreitung der Spirochäten in entfernte Organe und zur Induktion einer chronischen Entzündung. Kürzlich durchgeführte Untersuchungen zeigen, daß die Borrelien möglicherweise wirtseigene humorale Enzymsysteme rekrutieren, die ihnen die Ausbreitung erleichtern. In diesem Zusammenhang fanden wir, daß das lipOspA als ein Oberflächenrezeptor für das wirtseigene proteolytische Enzym Plasmin(ogen) fungiert. Darüber hinaus konnten wir zeigen, daß Borrelien in der Lage sind, vaskuläre Endothelzellen und Leukozyten, wie Monozyten/Makrophagen, B Zellen und T Zellen, zu aktivieren. Die aktivierten Zellen exprimieren Funktionen und sezernieren Moleküle mit proinflammatorischer Wirkung. Ein Teil der stimulierenden Aktivitäten konnte auf das gereinigte lipOspA zurückgeführt werden. Unsere Studien weisen demnach darauf hin, daß lipOspA als Zielstruktur protektiver Antikörper nicht nur eine wichtige Rolle bei der Induktion einer protektiven Immunantwort, sondern auch bei den pathogenen Reaktionen im Rahmen derB. burgdorferi-Infektion spielt.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Steere, A. C. Lyme disease. N. Engl. J. Med. 321 (1989) 586–596.
Burgdorfer, W. The New Zealand white rabbit: an experimental host for infecting ticks with Lyme disease spirochetes. Yale J. Biol. Med. 57 (1984) 609–612.
Johnson, R. C., Marek, N., Kodner, C. Infection of Syrian hamsters with Lyme disease spirochetes. J. Clin. Microbiol. 20 (1988) 1099–1101.
Barthold, S. W., Moody, K. D., Terwilliger, G. A., Duray, P. H., Jacoby, R. O., Steere, A. C. Experimental Lyme arthritis in rats infected withBorrelia burgdorferi. J. Infect. Dis. 157 (1988) 842–846.
Bosler, E. M., Cohen, D. P., Schulze, T. L., Olsen, C., Bernard, W., Lissman, B. Host responses toBorrelia burgdorferi in dogs and horses. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 539 (1988) 221–234.
Schaible, U. E., Kramer, M. D., Museteanu, C., Zimmer, G., Mossmann, H., Simon, M. M. The severe combined immunodeficiency (scid) mouse: a laboratory model for the analysis of Lyme arthritis. J. Exp. Med. 170 (1989) 1427–1432.
Sonnesyn, S. W., Manivel, J. C., Johnson, R. C., Goodman, J. L. A Guinea pig model for Lyme disease. Infect. Immun. 61 (1993) 4777–4784.
Schaible, U. E., Gay, S., Museteanu, C., Kramer, M. D., Zimmer, G., Eichmann, K., Museteanu, U., Simon, M. M. Lyme borreliosis in the severe combined immunodeficiency (scid) mouse manifests predominantly in the joints, heart and liver. Am. J. Pathol. 137 (1990) 811–820.
Museteanu, C., Schaible, U. E., Stehle, T., Kramer, M. D., Simon, M. M. Myositis in mice inoculated withBorrelia burgdorferi. Am. J. Pathol. 139 (1991) 1267–1271.
Schaible, U. E., Kramer, M. D., Justus, C. W. E., Museteanu, C., Simon, M. M. Demonstration of antigen-specific T cells and histopathological alterations in mice experimentally inoculated withB. burgdorferi. Infect. Immun. 57 (1989) 41–47.
Schaible, U. E., Kramer, M. D., Eichmann, K., Modolell, M., Museteanu, C., Simon, M. M. Monoclonal antibodies specific for the outer surface protein A (OspA) ofBorrelia burgdorferi prevent Lyme borreliosis in severe combined immunodeficiency (scid) mice. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87 (1990) 3768–3772.
Schaible, U. E., Wallich, R., Kramer, M. D., Museteanu, C., Rittig, M., Moter, S., Simon, M. M.: Role of the immune response in Lyme disease: lessons from a mouse model. In:Schutzer, S. E. (ed.): Lyme disease. Molecular and immunologic approaches. Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory Press 1992, pp. 243–262.
Simon, M. M., Schaible, U. E., Wallich, R., Kramer, M. D. A mouse model forBorrelia burgdorferi infection: approach to a possible vaccine against Lyme disease. Immunol. Today 12 (1991) 11–16.
Simon, M. M., Altenschmidt, U., Böggemeyer, E., Gern, L., Fuchs, H., Honarvar, N., Hurtenbach, U., Kurtenbach, K., Modolell, M., Moter, S., Museteanu, C., Schaible, U. E., Wallich, R., Kramer, M. D. Pathogenesis of Lyme borreliosis: lessons from the mouse model. In:Cevenini, R., Sambri, V., La Placa, M. (eds.): Advances in Lyme borreliosis research. Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Lyme Borreliosis. Societa Editrice Esculapio, Bologna 1994, pp. 69–75.
Simon, M. M., Schaible, U. E., Kramer, M. D., Eckerskorn, C., Museteanu, C., Müller-Hermelink, H. K., Wallich, R. Recombinant outer surface protein A fromBorrelia burgdorferi induces protective antibodies against spirochetal infection in mice. J. Infect. Dis. 164 (1991) 123–132.
Schaible, U. E., Wallich, R., Kramer, M. D., Nerz, G., Stehle, T., Museteanu, C., Simon, M. M. Protection againstBorrelia burgdorferi infection in SCID mice is conferred by presensitized spleen cells and partially by B, but not T cells alone. Int. Immunol. 6 (1994) 671–681.
Johnson, R. C., Kodner, C., Russel, M. Active immunization of hamsters against experimental infection withBorrelia burgdorferi. Infect. Immun. 54 (1986) 897–898.
Johnson, R. C., Kodner, C., Russell, M. Passive immunization of hamsters against experimental infection with the Lyme disease spirochete. Infect. Immun. 53 (1986) 713–714.
Chu, H. J., Chavez, L. G. J., Blumer, B. M., Sebring, R. W., Wasmoen, T. L., Acree, W. M. Immunogenicity and efficacy study of a commercialBorrelia burgdorferi bacterin. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 201 (1992) 403–411.
Bittle, J. L., Houghton, R. A., Alexander, H., Shinnick, T. M., Sutcliffe, J. G., Lerner, R. A. Protection against food-and-mouth disease with a chemically synthesised peptide predicted from viral nucleotide sequence. Nature 298 (1982) 30–33.
Brown, F. From Jenner to genes — the new vaccines. Lancet 335 (1990) 587–589.
Wallich, R., Schaible, U. E., Simon, M. M., Heiberger, A., Kramer, M. D. Cloning and sequencing of the gene encoding the outer surface protein A (OspA) of an EuropeanBorrelia burgdorferi isolate. Nucl. Acid. Res. 21 (1989) 8864.
Wallich, R., Kramer, M. D., Simon, M. M. A recombinant vaccine for Lyme disease. Behring Communications 95 (1994) 106–108.
Lottenberg, R., Minning-Wenz, D., Boyle, M. D. P. Capturing host plasmin(ogen): a common mechanism for invasive pathogens? Trends in Microb. 2 (1994) 20–24.
Liotta, L. A., Goldfarb, R. H., Brundage, R., Siegal, G. P., Terranova, V., Garbisa, S. Effect of plasminogen activator (urokinase), plasmin and thrombin on glycoprotein and collagenous components of basement membrane. Cancer Res. 41 (1981) 4629–4636.
Vassalli, J-D., Sappino, A.-P., Belin, D. The plasminogen activator/plasmin system. J. Clin. Invest. 88 (1991) 1067–1072.
Danö, K., Andreasen, P. A., Grondahl-Hansen, J., Kristensen, P., Nielsen, L. S., Skriver, L. Plasminogen activators, tissue degradation and cancer. Adv. Cancer. Res. 44 (1985) 139–266.
Plow, E. F., Freaney, D. E., Plescia, J., Miles, L. A. The plasminogen system and cell surfaces: Evidence for plasminogen and urokinase receptors on the same cell type. J. Cell. Biol. 103 (1986) 2411–2420.
Fuchs, H., Wallich, R., Simon, M. M., Kramer, M. D. The outer surface protein A ofB. burgdorferi is a plasmin(ogen) binding protein. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91 (1994) 12594–12598.
Klempner, M. S., Noring, R., Epstein, M. P., McCloud, B., Hu, R., Limentani, S. A., Rogers, R. A. Binding of human plasminogen and urokinase-type plasminogen activator to the Lyme disease spirochete,Borrelia burgdorferi. J. Infect. Dis. 171 (1995) 1258–1265.
Schaible, U. E., Vestweber, D., Butcher, E. G., Stehle, T., Simon, M. M. Expression kinetics of endothelial cell adhesion molecules in joints and heart duringBorrelia burgdorferi infection of mice. Cell. Adhes. Commun. 2 (1995) 465–479.
Böggemeyer, E., Stehle, T., Schaible, U. E., Hahne, M., Vestweber, D., Simon, M. M. Borrelia burgdorferi upregulates the adhesion molecules E-selectin, P-selectin, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1 on mouse endothelioma cellsin vitro. Cell. Adhes. Commun. 2 (1994) 145–157.
Modolell, M., Schaible, U. E., Rittig, M., Simon, M. M. Killing ofBorrelia burgdorferi by macrophages is dependent on oxygen radicals and nitric oxide and can be enhanced by antibodies to outer surface proteins of the spirochete. Immunol. Lett. 40 (1994) 139–146.
Honarvar, N., Schaible, U. E., Galanos, C., Wallich, R., Simon, M. M. A 14 kDa lipoprotein and a glycolipid-like structure ofBorrelia burgdorferi induce proliferation and immunoglobulin production in mouse B cells at high frequencies. Immunology 82 (1994) 389–396.
Simon, M. M., Nerz, G., Kramer, M. D., Hurtenbach, U., Schaible, U. E., Wallich, R. The outer surface lipoprotein A ofBorrelia burgdorferi provides direct and indirect augmenting/co-stimulatory signals for the activation of CD4+ and CD8+ cells. Immunol. Lett. 45 (1995) 137–142.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kramer, M.D., Wallich, R. & Simon, M.M. The outer surface protein A (OspA) ofBorrelia burgdorferi: A vaccine candidate and bioactive mediator. Infection 24, 190–194 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01713338
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01713338