Project description:Gram-negative bacteria release nanovesicles, called outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), from their outer membrane. Proteomics has been used to determine their composition. OMVs contain proteins able to elicit an immune response, so they have been proposed as a model to develop acellular vaccines. In this study, OMVs of Brucella suis, B. ovis, B. canis, and B. neotomae were purified and analyzed by SDS-PAGE, transmission electron microscopy and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry to determine the pan-proteome of these vesicles. In addition, antigenic proteins were detected by western blot with anti-Brucella sera. The in silico analysis of the pan-proteome revealed many homologous proteins, such as Omp16, Omp25, Omp31, SodC, Omp2a, and BhuA. Proteins contained in the vesicles from different Brucella species were detected by anti-Brucella sera. The occurrence of previously described immunogenic proteins derived from OMVs supports the use of these vesicles as candidates to be evaluated as an acellular brucellosis vaccine.
Project description:To facilitate pre-eythrocytic malaria vaccine and drug target identification, a comprehensive transcriptome analysis of the parasites liver stages (LS) was undertaken. Green fluorescent protein-tagged Plasmodium yoelii (PyGFP) was used to isolate LS-infected hepatocytes from the rodent host. Genome-wide LS gene expression was profiled and compared to other parasite life cycle stages. The analysis reveals ~2000 genes active during LS development. Keywords: Stage comparison, time course