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Typing complex meningococcal vaccines to understand diversity and population structure of key vaccine antigens.

ABSTRACT: Background: Protein-conjugate capsular polysaccharide vaccines can potentially control invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) caused by five (A, C, W, X, Y) of the six IMD-associated serogroups. Concerns raised by immunological similarity of the serogroup B capsule to human neural cell carbohydrates, meant that 'serogroup B substitute' vaccines target more variable subcapsular protein antigens. A successful approach using outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) as major vaccine components had limited strain coverage. In 4CMenB (Bexsero ®), recombinant proteins have been added to ameliorate this problem. Methods: Scalable, portable, genomic techniques were used to investigate the Bexsero ® OMV protein diversity in meningococcal populations. Shotgun proteomics identified 461 proteins in the OMV, defining a complex proteome. Amino acid sequences for the 24 proteins most likely to be involved in cross-protective immune responses were catalogued within the PubMLST.org/neisseria database using a novel OMV peptide Typing (OMVT) scheme. Results: Among these proteins there was variation in the extent of diversity and association with meningococcal lineages, identified as clonal complexes (ccs), ranging from the most conserved peptides (FbpA, NEISp0578, and putative periplasmic protein, NEISp1063) to the most diverse (TbpA, NEISp1690). There were 1752 unique OMVTs identified amongst 2492/3506 isolates examined by whole-genome sequencing (WGS). These OMVTs were grouped into clusters (sharing ?18 identical OMVT peptides), with 45.3% of isolates assigned to one of 27 OMVT clusters. OMVTs and OMVT clusters were strongly associated with cc, genogroup, and Bexsero ® antigen variants, demonstrating that combinations of OMV proteins exist in discrete, non-overlapping combinations associated with genogroup and Bexsero ® Antigen Sequence Type. This highly structured population of IMD-associated meningococci is consistent with strain structure models invoking host immune and/or metabolic selection. Conclusions: The OMVT scheme facilitates region-specific WGS investigation of meningococcal diversity and is an open-access, portable tool with applications for vaccine development, especially in the choice of antigen combinations, assessment and implementation.

SUBMITTER: Rodrigues CMC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6338130 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Typing complex meningococcal vaccines to understand diversity and population structure of key vaccine antigens.

Rodrigues Charlene M C CMC Chan Hannah H Vipond Caroline C Jolley Keith K Harrison Odile B OB Wheeler Jun J Whiting Gail G Feavers Ian M IM Maiden Martin C J MCJ

Wellcome open research 20180101

<b>Background:</b> Protein-conjugate capsular polysaccharide vaccines can potentially control invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) caused by five (A, C, W, X, Y) of the six IMD-associated serogroups. Concerns raised by immunological similarity of the serogroup B capsule to human neural cell carbohydrates, meant that 'serogroup B substitute' vaccines target more variable subcapsular protein antigens. A successful approach using outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) as major vaccine components had limi ...[more]

PMID: 30687793

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Project description:Vaccines to prevent capsular group B meningococcal disease have been based on proteins, as the polysaccharide capsule was deemed unsuitable due to its similarity to human tissues. Outer membrane vesicle (OMV) vaccines have been targeted at specific capsular group B epidemics in Cuba, Norway, and New Zealand, with the major immunogen determined as porin A (PorA). Subcapsular protein vaccines aim to increase breadth of coverage of meningococcal strains, by the inclusion of protein variants from many different clonal complexes (ccs). Using scalable and portable genomic techniques, it is possible to study the diversity of OMV and subcapsular proteins in relevant meningococcal populations. Shotgun proteomics identified 461 proteins in the OMVs derived from NZ98/254, a component of the Bexsero® vaccine, with a complex proteome comprised of outer membrane proteins and proteins from other cellular compartments. Amino acid sequences for 24 selected proteins were catalogued within the PubMLST Neisseria database as part of the OMV peptide Typing (OMVT) scheme. Of the 24 proteins included, there was variation in the extent of diversity and association with ccs from the most conserved peptides FbpA (NEISp0578) and putative periplasmic proteins (NEISp1063) to the most diverse TbpA (NEISp1690). There were 1752 OMVTs identified amongst 2492/3506 isolates. OMVTs were further grouped into clusters (identical at ≥18 peptide sequences), 45.3% of isolates were assigned to one of 27 OMVT clusters. Both OMVTs and clusters were strongly associated with cc, genogroup and recombinant Bexsero® antigens. The OMVT scheme represents an open-access, web-based tool for the systematic analysis of the multiple components of OMV vaccines, demonstrating that combinations of OMV proteins exist in discrete, non-overlapping combinations associated with both genogroup and Bexsero® Antigen Sequence type (BAST). This highly structured population of disease-causing meningococci is consistent with proposed effects of host immune selection and competition between allelic variants on meningococcal population structure. This has implications for future vaccine assessment, and development, especially the choice of antigen combinations. The methodology is portable and will facilitate region-specific WGS interrogation, allowing informed choices about vaccine development or implementation.

Project description:Carriage evaluations were conducted during 2015 to 2016 at two U.S. universities in conjunction with the response to disease outbreaks caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B and at a university where outbreak and response activities had not occurred. All eligible students at the two universities received the serogroup B meningococcal factor H binding protein vaccine (MenB-FHbp); 5.2% of students (181/3,509) at one university received MenB-4C. A total of 1,514 meningococcal carriage isolates were obtained from 8,905 oropharyngeal swabs from 7,001 unique participants. Whole-genome sequencing data were analyzed to understand MenB-FHbp's impact on carriage and antigen genetic diversity and distribution. Of 1,422 isolates from carriers with known vaccination status (726 [51.0%] from MenB-FHbp-vaccinated, 42 [3.0%] from MenB-4C-vaccinated, and 654 [46.0%] from unvaccinated participants), 1,406 (98.9%) had intact fHbp alleles (716 from MenB-FHbp-vaccinated participants). Of 726 isolates from MenB-FHbp-vaccinated participants, 250 (34.4%) harbored FHbp peptides that may be covered by MenB-FHbp. Genogroup B was detected in 122/1,422 (8.6%) and 112/1,422 (7.9%) isolates from MenB-FHbp-vaccinated and unvaccinated participants, respectively. FHbp subfamily and peptide distributions between MenB-FHbp-vaccinated and unvaccinated participants were not statistically different. Eighteen of 161 MenB-FHbp-vaccinated repeat carriers (11.2%) acquired a new strain containing one or more new vaccine antigen peptides during multiple rounds of sample collection, which was not statistically different (P = 0.3176) from the unvaccinated repeat carriers (1/30; 3.3%). Our findings suggest that lack of MenB vaccine impact on carriage was not due to missing the intact fHbp gene; MenB-FHbp did not affect antigen genetic diversity and distribution during the study period.IMPORTANCE The impact of serogroup B meningococcal (MenB) vaccines on carriage is not completely understood. Using whole-genome sequencing data, we assessed the diversity and distribution of MenB vaccine antigens (particularly FHbp) among 1,514 meningococcal carriage isolates recovered from vaccinated and unvaccinated students at three U.S. universities, two of which underwent MenB-FHbp mass vaccination campaigns following meningococcal disease outbreaks. The majority of carriage isolates recovered from participants harbored intact fHbp genes, about half of which were recovered from MenB-FHbp-vaccinated participants. The distribution of vaccine antigen peptides was similar among carriage isolates recovered from vaccinated and unvaccinated participants, and almost all strains recovered from repeat carriers retained the same vaccine antigen profile, suggesting insignificant vaccine selective pressure on the carriage population in these universities.

Dataset Information

Typing complex meningococcal vaccines to understand diversity and population structure of key vaccine antigens.

Publications

Typing complex meningococcal vaccines to understand diversity and population structure of key vaccine antigens.

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