A newly identified secreted larval antigen elicits basophil-dependent protective immunity against N. brasiliensis infection

Abstract: Hookworms infect more that 400 million people and cause significant socio-economic burden on endemic countries. The lack of efficient vaccines and the emergence of anthelminthic drug resistance are of major concern. Free-living hookworm larvae infect their hosts via the skin and live as adult worms in the small intestine where they feed on host tissue and blood. Excretory/secretory (E/S) products, released by helminths as they migrate through their host, are thought to play a key role in facilitating infection and successful establishment of parasitism. However, E/S products can also elicit protective immune responses that might be harnessed for vaccine development. By performing Western blots with serum of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis (Nb) infected mice as a model for human hookworm infection, we identified a largely overlapping set of IgG1- and IgE-reactive antigens in E/S from infective L3 stage larvae. Mass spectrometry analysis led to the identification of a new protein family with 6 paralogues in the Nb genome which we termed Nb-LSA1 for “Nippostrongylus brasiliensis larval secreted protein 1”. The recombinantly expressed 17 kDa family member Nb-LSA1a was recognized by antibodies in the serum of Nb immune mice. Immunization of mice with Nb-LSA1a in alum elicited a strong IgG1 response but no detectable antigen-specific IgE. Most importantly, immunized mice were largely protected against a challenge Nb infection. This effect was dependent on the presence of basophils and occurred before the parasites reached the intestine. Therefore, basophils appear to play a critical role for rapid control of infection with L3 stage larvae in mice immunized with a single secreted larval protein. A better understanding of basophil-mediated protective immunity and identification of potent larval antigens of human hookworms could help to develop promising vaccination strategies

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Frontiers in immunology. - 13 (2022) , 979491, ISSN: 1664-3224

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Freiburg
• (who): Universität
• (when): 2022
• Creator: Thuma, Natalie ; Döhler, Daniela ; Mielenz, Dirk Alexander ; Sticht, Heinrich ; Radtke, Daniel ; Reimann, Lena ; Warscheid, Bettina ; Vöhringer, David

Further information

• DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.979491
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:25-freidok-2300000
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:34 AM CEST