Antibody-Mediated Neutralization of the Exotoxin Mycolactone, the Main Virulence Factor Produced by Mycobacterium ulcerans.

Mycolactone, the macrolide exotoxin produced by Mycobacterium ulcerans, causes extensive tissue destruction by inducing apoptosis of host cells. In this study, we aimed at the production of antibodies that could neutralize the cytotoxic activities of mycolactone.Using the B cell hybridoma technology...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jean-Pierre Dangy, Nicole Scherr, Philipp Gersbach, Melanie N Hug, Raphael Bieri, Claudio Bomio, Jun Li, Sylwia Huber, Karl-Heinz Altmann, Gerd Pluschke
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2016-06-01
Series:PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4924874?pdf=render
Description
Summary:Mycolactone, the macrolide exotoxin produced by Mycobacterium ulcerans, causes extensive tissue destruction by inducing apoptosis of host cells. In this study, we aimed at the production of antibodies that could neutralize the cytotoxic activities of mycolactone.Using the B cell hybridoma technology, we generated a series of monoclonal antibodies with specificity for mycolactone from spleen cells of mice immunized with the protein conjugate of a truncated synthetic mycolactone derivative. L929 fibroblasts were used as a model system to investigate whether these antibodies can inhibit the biological effects of mycolactone. By measuring the metabolic activity of the fibroblasts, we found that anti-mycolactone mAbs can completely neutralize the cytotoxic activity of mycolactone.The toxin neutralizing capacity of anti-mycolactone mAbs supports the concept of evaluating the macrolide toxin as vaccine target.
ISSN:1935-2727
1935-2735